Most Koi keepers start by building a garden pond suitable only for goldfish, myself included! My present pond is Mark III
There are many books and videos on pond construction and there is no shortage of advice from other Koi keepers.
When you decide to build your pond you will receive plenty of conflicting advice and over the last few years many systems, ready-made filters and pond finishes have come onto the market to choose from.
I must stress that the opinions which I express are purely guidelines and the final decision must be yours.
When constructing a Koi pond, in my opinion, there are a number of

MUSTS :

1. Must be at least 5 feet deep.

2. Must have a workable filter.

3. Must have safe electrics.

4. Must be no more than 10 feet wide - length immaterial.

5. Must have good aeration (Hi Blow and many other makes).

6. Must take water from bottom drain to means of settlement.

7. Must be easy to maintain.

8. Must be economical to run.

9. Must have a valve between pond and filter bays.

10. Must not have any projections in the pond.

Obviously it is also desirable to achieve a pond that has clear water and is pleasing to look at.

MAKE YOUR MIND UP TIME

First decision to make is the location of the pond. The ideal position is near to the house at the rear, out of the full sun and away from any trees.

Having chosen the position, this will most probably dictate other things such as the size, depth, whether it will be wholly in the ground or raised. Water table, ground