Water Garden Pond, Traditional Koi Pond, or Hybrid Koi Pond: Which is Best for You?
Deciding to build a pond is an exciting process, but before you start digging, there are many things you need to decide before construction begins and order your supplies. The first major decision is what type of water feature you want. We will be talking about informal ponds that are irregularly shaped and mimic a natural pond or waterfall that would be found in nature. Three different ways to build an informal pond are a water garden pond, a traditional Koi pond, or a hybrid Koi pond.
water garden pond
Water garden ponds are often confused with Koi ponds simply because many people add Koi to their water garden along with Goldfish and other fish species. The difference is that these types of water features are primarily designed for looks and creating an environment where owners can sit and listen to the beautiful tunes of a waterfall and watch fish swim by and spend time with family and friends. And a traditional Koi pond is built around providing an ideal environment for Koi fish.
Water garden ponds are the most popular of the three due to the ease of installation and the availability of kits on the market. Water Garden ponds usually consist of a biological waterfall filter, a mechanical filter which is usually a skimmer, a flexible EPDM liner, a pump and pipes, fish and aquatic plants.
Most water gardens are only 2 feet deep and have built-in shelves to keep them safe and natural in appearance. The entire bottom and shelves are covered with boulders and decorative gravel to hide the lining and filters.
This system forms a natural ecosystem with fish, plants and filters working to balance itself and do most of the maintenance using good mother nature.
Traditional Koi Pond
Beware, the Koi hobby can be very fun and addictive! Once people discover the joys of owning koi fish with a water garden, many go crazy for koi (or koi-kichi). Traditional Koi ponds aim to create a home where the Koi can grow and thrive and are the main focus of the feature rather than the pond itself.
There is a big difference between the construction techniques used in a water garden pond and a traditional Koi pond. In a Koi pond, the filtration system is drastically increased over a water garden to handle the additional bioload of the Koi. These filtration systems typically include pressure filters, skimmers, bottom drains, settling tanks, external pumps, UV lights, UV clarifiers, aerators, ozone generators, bead filters, manifold valves, and more. So, as you can see, the design and installation of these systems can be difficult for a beginner.
Their shape is also generally different, usually Koi ponds have a geometric shape like an oval or a circle. Traditional koi ponds have no plants or gravel like a water garden would, and have steep walls with no shelves. Not using shelves and having a deeper depth (3 to 5 feet) helps protect the koi from predators by not allowing them to stand by the pond and pull them out of the water.
The added filtration and the absence of gravel and plants give koi better water quality and provide an environment where they are less likely to be harmed. Without plants you can also see the Koi better.
Hybrid Koi Pond
Hybrid Koi ponds are the combination of a water garden pond and a traditional koi pond. Think of it as the best of both worlds. You can provide your fish with a better environment than with a water garden pond alone and also have plants for a natural look.
The design of hybrid type ponds varies from project to project and all types of filtration can be used depending on the needs of the water characteristics. Backwashable biological filters have become popular with this type of installation to facilitate maintenance of the biofilter. Hybrid Koi ponds are in the middle of the road with a depth that is typically 3-4 feet deep.
What to choose?
Whichever type of pond you choose, you can’t go wrong. Each one properly designed will be like bringing a piece of paradise to your home.