Make the pond bigger. You will have more options down the road. It is perhaps the most common mistake, in making the pond too small. Get a good filtration system, a bottom drain, a skimmer if you have airborne debris, an external pump and perhaps a UV light.

Baby Koi get real big fairly fast. You will need a considerably larger pond to do it right. Depth should be at 30" or deeper.

These are just a few considerations. How much room do you have? How much do you want to spend? How much of the work will you do yourself? Do you enjoy doing the work?

I would love to do or surpervise the work. However, I am to have a spinal fusion on January 10. The price we have for this size is 3794.00.The contractor has a good reputation. The price includes, pond kit, labor, stoneboulders and riverstone. My understanding is that this inclues pump,filter etc. I have room to expand the pond, but how much would it need to be expanded to be satisfactory? I am close to maxxed out on the price. I think we could go another 500. He will make it 2.5 feet deep at the deepest.

You are paying quite a price.

Pump $400, Filter $500, liner $300, uv light $250, bottom drain $60, valves & pvc $200, excavation $500, rock $500.

This is ballpark cost (on the high side) for a pond twice the size you are looking at. I would be interested (and you should be also) to know exactly what the plans are for the pond. Equipment make and model? Bottom drain?

I'm just a small (very small) do-it-yourselfer, but I put in a 5'X5'x28" pond the first year (total cost ~ $500) and expanded to a 2nd 3'x5' pond the second year. I just loved what I could do with the plants. I only have goldfish, and then I had a goldfish abundance! I overwinter hardy plants and fish in one of the ponds so I don't have to bring them in for the winter.

IMO - go for as big as your budget can do, and keep it simple so the maintenance isn't too much work. Read, read, read the posts on this forum and others about what works for your environment. Maybe you should get a second quote for the work, or go for more pond $ and do the landscaping or rockwork as phase 2. What it comes down to is what YOU want and how you want the pond to look. I had to settle for less instant gratification due to budget, but after each 'phase' of my project I was more than pleased, and sitting by my pond in the evening is something I don't regret for an instant and worth every penny!

If I were to start over, I would spend a bit more for more depth, a bottom drain and better filtration so I would have less maintenance work. That said, my ponds are small enough that the maintenance is easy, and with DIY filters etc, I have thriving plants and fish.

Good luck, and welcome to our addictive world!

In general plants and Koi are not compatible. Most people that want both have two ponds. The pond with many filter plants is called the filter pond and is used to clean up the nutrients produced by the Koi which will cause algae bloom if not removed. The second pond is the Koi pond. Then the water is circulated between the two ponds. The usual configuration is to have the filter pond above the Koi pond and then pump filtered water from the Koi pond to the filter pond. Then have a waterfall and stream bed to bring the water back to the Koi pond. If you don't want two ponds, I would recommend staying with the gold fish.

I live in upstate SC ,too and think that price is high. Did the contractor break the quote down for you?

Did you get more than one quote?

I agree with curb1, you should be able to get a larger pond than that for the money.

LSST

Forget Koi in a small pond, especially if you love plants. Also Bottom drain is definitely not necessary for your size pond. A decent waterfall filter or bog filter is highly recomended. You will have to clean the bottom periodically. Make sure your contractor is using 45 mil or thicker liner. Pond depth is important. 2 feet with some plant ledges would be nice. Have fun. This is a great site to learn. Great debates on bottom drains!!

To late. I have made a down payment of half the cost. Wish that I had read all of this advice prior to a commitment. I should know to get bids, but he had been highly recommended.. It has been enlarged to a 10x8. It will include large boulders. The contractor has a good reputation I depended on him to provide the best in pumps etc.

This was a big investment for us, I wish I had been more careful.

I built a 6X8 (expanded to 7X9) last fall (2005). While I did the work including digging out the 6X8 area. I made multiple depths to about 30 inches at the lowest. I made it level by adding 1X8 boards about 6 inches outside the perimeter and leveled the tops with a level, by digging them into the dirt around the edge. I then laid down the liner EDMP (sp), type which was 10X15 I purchased on line for about $85-$95 including shipping. I tossed some old carpet under the liner for some cushion effect, optional.

That's the basics for under $100. Add to it the digging. Pay a neighbor kid $200 if needed, I took about a week by myself (age was 62). Since then I've added rocks picked up at home construction sites that were going to be carted off (did them a favor and they were happy). Cost gas money. Later made a Skippy type filter from a small prefab pond my
neighbor gave me, that she was tossing out. Pump, piping, misc materials about $40. Later this year built a small deck across the back, about $50.

So it is possible to do this on a shoestring. I have about a dozen goldfish (feeder fish 10 cents to 25 cents each, mostly all Comets), doing quite well. They spawned this spring! Added about $50 worth of plants. Lowes has plant sales now and then. Look for old stock at 75% off, yeah they do! Don't last long. Also use the plant exchange and offers to send you plants for postage.

Other than the lining, the rest is estimated (mostly higher than actual). And I didn't get wrapped around the axle on drains etc. Simple aquarium/pond pump about 400gpm. And a aquarium/pond air stone and pump. What, about another $55 maybe. Not all has to be done at once. Let your budget be your guide, plants aren't necessary until summer, Air stone
can be added in the summer. Filter as soon as affordable. Stones at your leisure, etc.

Take your time and you can enjoy the construction as well as the completed system. Remember it's never really done though, you will always think of something to enhance it.

Make it bigger? I say if you wish to go ahead. Otherwise add a second pond later. You just about always want it bigger, but I'm happy with my size. I started with an old bathtub, before I had any idea of ponding (and this site). After four yers with not much filtering, I salvaged 3 fish for the new pond, out of a dozen. They were quite big for feeder fish, about 6 inches, from about an inch four years prior. This is a learning experience. I even nursed my biggest back from laying on his side, with fungus, what looked like long stringy excreating from it's rear discharge area. Another story.

Good luck and happy ponding!

Bill in Beavercreek

Marthaye,
In our area almost all the pond installers build aquascapes or similar design ponds. They are beautiful ponds but do require yearly cleanings.

My pond is mainly a watergarden for plants and wildlife. I chose not to have koi as I did not want to take a chance on my plants being eaten.I also have a heron that makes his daily stop at my pond!

I do have some very pretty Sarasa comets and Shubunkin comets. I think Koi are beautiful but they do require more care than goldfish.

Good Luck on the pond. I know several installers in the Upstate and if he/she does it for a living, you should be O.K. The installers I would be nervous about are the landscapers who do ponds on the side and may not have the experience required to build a trouble free pond.

LSST

I bought a little pond liner and put it in to see how much trouble it would be. Green water was the only problem I had. That and keeping the dogs out of it. I am digging a 15 x 15 pond that will range from 12 to 36 inches deep. I have 4 koi now but I am thinking about putting gold fish in the new pond. Should I put them in together or would it be best to give the Koi away. I want to have plants in the new pond. Also should I cover the bottom of the pond with rock or not. I am very new to this and would like some good advise on how to build this in a way that will be easy to maintain. Building tis pond is not going to be a problem but I want to do it right the first time.