The pump is the heart of your pond. It circulates the life blood of the pond which is the water.

In order for the pump to do its job properly, it needs to be sized correctly. Your pump should be able to circulate the entire gallons of your pond every two hours. You must first determine the amount of gallons in your pond. You can achieve this by measuring the length then multiplying it by the width, then multiplying it by the depth and finally multiplying the total cubic feet by 7.5 gallons per cubic feet. Example: (A 10 ft. square pond) multiply 10 ft. long x 10 ft. wide x 5 ft. deep = 500 cubic feet. Then multiply 500 cubic feet by 7.5 = approximately 3750 gallons. Round down slightly because your pond is not filled to the top. We recognize that most ponds are not square or rectangular. If you furnish us with the shape of your pond and its depth, we will assist you in determining the number of gallons in your pond.

The next step is to determine what the total dynamic head pressure is. The total dynamic head pressure encompasses the vertical height the pump must overcome “ A ” which includes your waterfall. This is determined by measuring from the top of the water (not from the bottom of your pond) to the top of the falls. Figure “ B ” the distance of the piping in feet that the pump is pushing the water through. You will need to physically measure this length. Next, count “ C ” all the fittings (such as the number of elbows and reducers). Finally, “ D ”, count the number of miscellaneous items such as ball valves and bulkhead fittings. Now, use the following formula: A + (B / 10) + (C / 2) + (D / 4) = Approximate Head Pressure.

With the formula above, you can determine the approximate head pressure. Additional factors will be the width of the sheet of water you wish to have for your waterfall. It is a good rule of thumb to use 125 gpm for every inch of the width of the water sheet. Example: (Spillway is 15” wide) multiply 125 x 15 = 1875 gph. The formula for the sheeting of the water and the pump flow rate per hour does not always match. The examples we have shown indicates that the circulation requirements (3750 gallons divided by 2 = 1875) and the sheeting gallons (125 x 15” = 1875) are the same. If more sheeting is desired, you need to determine your pumping gallons per hour for the waterfall not the pond water circulation. For example, if you want 24” of sheeting, multiply 125 x 24” = 3000 gph. This means you will have to get a pump that gives you 3000 gph instead of 1875 gph. This also allows you to have more circulation of the entire pond.

These formulas are the most user friendly that we have found to act as a guideline to help you estimate the pump head you will require. You should always select the pump for the maximum outflow you expect. The flow can always be reduced by adjusting the discharge valve. We strongly suggest that you have us review your estimate and confirm or adjust your findings or just give us the information on your pond and let us come up with the proper pump requirement. It is always recommended to have a spare pump on hand to hook up immediately should the one that is operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week go down.

The only way to have an Amazing Pond is filtration, filtration, filtration.

Just as humans need “fresh” air to live and breathe; koi need “fresh” water…they live in it and breathe in it. A good filtration system is essential to provide the water quality needed for healthy koi and it is the most important component of your pond. Koi are heavy polluters. Every time a koi doubles in length, the amount of bio mass it excretes increases eight times. Continuous low levels of toxic wastes in the water may not kill the fish but result in stress. Stress lowers their resistance to disease and infection. It is important to remove nitrogenous wastes, solids and dissolved organic carbons, and process the ammonia all of which pollute the pond.

A filter is the means by which your koi are kept alive. A filter is a self-contained ecological system. There are two types of filtration, mechanical filtration and biological filtration. Both are needed. Mechanical filtration removes fish waste and other organic material before the pond water reaches the more sensitive biological filter. A filter provides a home for beneficial bacteria to colonize. The filter needs to be operating continuously as a lengthy interruption will not supply the oxygen necessary for the beneficial nitrifying bacteria to survive. There are hundreds of different types of bacteria working within the filter. The biological filter with its nitrifying bacteria is the heart of the nitrogen cycle. This is where the ammonia breaks down into nitrites and the nitrobacter bacteria converts the nitrites into much less harmful nitrates. Ammonia and nitrites are dangerously toxic to koi and will weaken and eventually kill them. It is vital that the bio filter be able to remove all the ammonia produced not allowing anything but good quality water back to the pond. In essence, mechanical filtration gets rid of the stuff you can see and the biological filtration gets rid of the stuff you can’t see.

A filtration system is bought based on the size of your pond. To specify the proper filter, you must first know your pond’s volume. There are 7.5 gallons in a cubic foot. Multiply pond length by width and by depth to get cubic feet and then multiply the total cubic feet by 7.5 to get gallons. For instance if you have a pond that is 20 feet long, 10 feet wide and 5 feet deep — (20 x 10 x 5 = 1000 x 7.5 = 7,500 gallons). Round down slightly to account for the fact that the pond should slope on the sides towards the bottom drain(s) and isn’t filled to the brim. After the volume is determined, you must figure stock density of the pond taking into account the growth rate of your koi over the years. Generally the more fish you have, as mentioned above, the greater the level of pollutants, the larger the filter. If you can afford it, always go bigger for better performance as your filter can’t be too big, only too small. An excellent filtration system will lead to the highest quality water, minimal maintenance and healthy koi to get pleasure from for years to come.

No! A properly designed and built pond is nearly self-maintaining. Ponds can be built in sun or shade, large or small. With the right skimmer filtration, most pond debris is automatically bagged and ready for easy removal. A biological filter with supplemental bacteria additions will clean the pond, letting nature establish an ecosystem that recycles fish waste and eliminates green water.