Depth

[Busy B]

How deep is your pond?

So many factors go into what is a good depth to start with. How deep is your frost line, if you have one. What's the optimal for exersize for the fish? If your too deep how do you net if you need to treat a sick fish? Predetor control makes it a factor. How stable is your soil? How strong is your back?:D Can you fit heavy equipment into your yard to dig deep?

Is there an optimal should start out with depth?

[Ahhuhz]

Hey B.,
You know all that already. ADI usually goes to 24" in the deepest part of their ponds. We are going down to 36" in the newest part of our pond and making the 30" part also 36". This is more like the Koi keepers do their ponds. It gives the fish more depth to swim and gown in.

By the way, my guys dig by hand and only have a jack hammer if they run into rocks that are to big. No heavy equipment used here.

[GregBickal]

Mine is 6' deep at the very bottom. Averages about 3' deep. Yard is very sandy, so its very shallow slope to the sides, good for ground stability, bad for heat loss in the winter time.

Interesting reading in Koi2Kichi about a 6' depth being a maximum because of importance of algae growth on the bottom of the pond. Since my pond has never had vertical sidewalls, I have always gotten alge growing everywhere. Could be a reason for my good success.

[Jackie Ramo]

Mine was supposed to be 4 ft but ended up with an extra 9 inches and I and the fish are not complaining. ADI suggestes the 24 inch because so many areas require a pool license for anything deeper, has nothing to do with the fish, or their health, just convenience for the installers. It is also fine depth for most water plants and goldfish. Only koi really have a problem with that depth.

My pond was hand dug as equipment could not be brought into the property with out major expense and problems.

[Busy B]

I tried for 3 and I don't think it was deep enough...winters are too long...

I'm 5 foot 2...if I get in with my waders do I want to have just my nose sticking out? :eek: Maybe at least 4 feet would be OK...

Should contact a contractor to see what the frost line is huh?

[Jackie Ramo]

Busy, what zone are you? I never go to the middle of the pond unless it is full summmer!!! That depth is well above chest wader depth and since mine leak already I figure one wet foot is enough.

If you were looking to over winter your fish outside I'd suggest the 6 ft depth and be sure to keep a step ladder near the pond for easy access :lol:

[Busy B]

I haven't fallen in yet :eek: but yeah...chest waders only cover so much :wink:

Zone 3/4

[Jackie Ramo]

Well you are not a true ponder until you have fallen in :lol: But do try to do it in the summer time.

[ozzyrockman]

Hey Jackie, I know I know but I have to work once in a while too. I have to ask how many times have you had someone come to your property and check with a tape measure to see how deep your pond is? I had our code enforcement officer come out, he asked how deep ours was I told him 18" he proceeded to ask me (a contractor) for a tape measure and I told him I don't own one :lol: I then asked him why he didn't bring one if he was that worried about the depth.

To make a long story short I made them grandfather my pond because the pond was already existing prior to the ordinance change and they would have to prove that it wasn't there before the code change. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it. :roll:

The best part of it is ours is 30" at the skimmer end and 42" at the bottom drain and code enforcement is not welcome at my property !grrrr . Allen

[Terri]

How deep is your pond?

So many factors go into what is a good depth to start with. How deep is your frost line, if you have one. What's the optimal for exersize for the fish? If your too deep how do you net if you need to treat a sick fish? Predetor control makes it a factor. How stable is your soil? How strong is your back?:D Can you fit heavy equipment into your yard to dig deep?

Is there an optimal should start out with depth?
I would say no matter where you live that a pond that's to hold koi all year round should be no less than 4 feet deep. 6 feet is better, especially in areas that experience "winter" as this allows more water volume under ice and better ground heat exchange(making it more stable). In warmer climates depth is also important for keeping the water cooler in the hotest months(reverse for our winters).

Whether you have hard clay or sandy soil, there are ways to go to the "desired" depth.

Our newest pond is just 4 feet deep but we didn't construct it for overwintering koi... it just sat full of water and covered in thick ice all winter long while the koi spent winter indoors. This is a personal choice, one we are able to make.... not everyone can do this so my advice is to go as deep as you can if your pond experiences freezing temps 4 to 6 months of the year and you have to leave your koi outdoors.

Just my humble thoughts...

[Jackie Ramo]

Allen, our code enforcers must be busy cuz no one ever has come to see the pond. Even when we moved here the tax assessor stood in the driveway and talked to me about any changes we made to the house that would influence the tax rate. Never entered the house or even looked into the backyard.

When the pond was being built the contractor had the rocks dumped onto the street and we ended up having the police etc arrive. No one even cared what the rocks were being used for. Now OttawaPonder assures me there are codes out there, but no contractor I spoke to about building my pond told me about them or any limits set on depth, fencing etc. There are two ponds in this area in front yards with fences you can step over.

[Merlin]

Am I glad I live in the UK , dig the hole fill it with water no worries !dude . I supose as my pond is only 2000 gallons I doubt that any one would worry about it anyway, as to the the depth, half is 3ft where the old pond used to be, and the new part goes to 5ft. :wink:.

[Jojopotato]

Busy mine is two feet and not deep enough to over winter either...

The most I have heard here is that my pond needs to be fenced in too keep the kids, dogs etc from getting in and falling in...

[Charla]

Busy,
I too am 5'2'' doesn't matter that my pond is 24 inches deep ...ya gotta bend over and reach down to do stuff and unless you're very flat chested you're gonna get wet :lol: Go for depth and get scuba gear! :smile:

Charla

[Busy B]

Uhhh Charla...how did you know? :eek:

I've thought of having part of it raised with a retaining wall of sorts but figure that wouldn't hold heat well either...sure would save some digging :grin:

[Tammygirl815]

Hi everyone, I too would love to go much deeper, I started out with only 18 inches deep and this spring we tried to go another foot on half the pond but ran into solid schale, not sure if I spelled that right. Boy was that hard to get through! we couldn't get but 6 in. very disapointed, but had to give it up! :cry:

[Terri]

Denise, .....ever heard of dynamite :twisted:

[Tom C]

Our new pond is 6' 7" deep. This was done this deep for a few reasons. One was to get the water volume I wanted. I would have never been able to get the gallons out of a pond without going deep. Another reason was for growth. Depth plus water volume is giving me good growth all the way through the koi. In my old pond that was 3' deep the tails of the koi always looked a little on the thin side. With it being deeper it seems like the koi grows thicker all the way through. The main reason for going deep was for temperature swings. During the day the pond warms up a lot on a shallow pond, and at night ponds cool down a lot. This doesn't happen as much with a deep pond. My old pond would change as many as 5 degrees over night. This is very stressful to the koi. Now with the pond being deeper I don't get those temperature swings from night to day.

Tom

[luke frisbee]

just a touch over six feet....
SEVERAL REASONS...
it is cool to watch koi down on the bottom and also when they come up like a submarine.
the fish psychologically feels better/safer (depth is protection)
Fish feel better being able to go up and down in the water column...(imagine how a sqirrel would feel living without trees)
the cooling/heating thing
You can dive into a six foot pond
You can drown just about anyone in a six foot pond
And it's always cool to tell people your pond is 6+ft deep

[Jackie Ramo]

[B]>>>>My old pond would change as many as 5 degrees over night. This is very stressful to the koi. <<<

Tom. although I am in favour of deep ponds, I suffer with temperature swings more severe than 5F ....

[Tom C]

With our first pond (66 gallons) would have a temp swing of 10 degrees in a 24 hour period. The other down side to that small pond was that the water temp in the summer would hit the high 90's. :wink:

Tom

[Busy B]

I read somewhere that 15 degrees swing was acceptable..I know that's wrong..but 5 is pushing it too?

[Jackie Ramo]

Mine are doing at least a 5F swing every day now and that's in 5,000 gallons, sun warms it up, at night the waterfall cools it off. Is it stressful to the fish.... they have red viens in their fins... but I'm sure its a parasite :frisbee:

66 gallons Tom? My first pond was about 900 - 1,000, never measured it, never had a sick fish or a water problem... I miss that pond BTW I moved the 23 fish I had in it to this pond.

[luke frisbee]

the lake is 82 inches high, however the skimmers quit skimming at about 76 inches

[Busy B]

Yada Yada Yada...where's the pics? :grin: