"Shape" is one the most important aspects when it comes to koi pond design. It is usually the first thing that comes to mind when put forward the plan to build your own koi pond and basically your main objective is to have a design that fits in well and blend in to your garden landscape. Most of the time, you can visualize and get the ideas from other existing pond setup to incorporate it to your own but before you move on further to the construction, several considerations have to be weighed in carefully based on your predetermined shapes. Basically what is important is not only achieving good results creating an aesthetically pleasing pond design but overall, this will also benefit your fish.
Determining the right shape can be quite tricky. Let’s look at one of the most common examples and the most preferred choice among koi pond hobbyist. As you can see from the picture above, usually the kidney curving pond shape is selected because this allows free flow of water that will overall helps you to maintain a healthy enclosure (high TDO). Having this shape also avoids the dreaded “dead spots” problem associated with some designs which is basically the area whereby the water remains stagnant without fresh water going in to displace the old ones and this means that particular spot will have low oxygen content. This will lead to another problem because the location will become a potential place to harbor bad bacteria that will eventually harm your koi.Constructing a pond with a well-planned shape is also important because koi being an active fish will tend to get themselves injured when maneuvering around, thus having rounded curves will avoid all these troubles. Apart from that, there are also few interesting concepts and different new ideas introduced over the years to make the pond look more interesting and unique. For example, a koi pond will never be complete without building a rocky stream or having the falling waterfall as the main focal point and these days enthusiasts also seem to prefer the Japanese bridge & garden theme design as well.
One unique feature which I would definitely recommend and remind a hobbyist not to miss out is the window view side wall which is actually built-in for those who opted for the raised/above ground koi pond. From the picture, you can see that the window view introduces a different perspective and approach to appreciate your pet fish. Rather than looking at your koi from the above, you could also see what they look like below the water level. Having this feature is also a great idea because sometimes you might need to check and look for deformities or injuries sustained on the fish and thus, having this see through fiberglass panel will give you a clearer view.Other koi related topics:
» Common koi pond filtration system
» What to do with frightened koi fish
» Appreciating the Asagi and Shusui variety
» Selecting the best koi for breeding purposes
