Outdoor pond for RES and Koi

[TortsNTurtles]

We are setting up a pond for koi fish and my res turtle. It is 8ft by 12 ft. ,shallow end 2ft and the deep end 4ft. It will have a waterfall and filter. If you any advise or tips I would love it for your words of wisdom.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Koi and water turtles are both prolific poo producers and plant eaters.
What type of filtration are you using?
I use biological and mechanical filtration, but unpalatable plants like pathos help a lot with nitrites. The plants also filter out some sunlight and keep algae at bay.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

this is the filter. My husband friend bought a house that came with a 17ft by 22ft pond but we are making it smaller. Thank you for the plant tip and help.

 

[ben32hayt]

To begin turtles and koi do not mix well together, there are not many species of turtles that won't harm the koi. One mistake that many make is mixing a RES with a koi and they end up losing there beloved fish from fin damage and infection. I would not advise you keep the two together unless you plan on separating them within the pond which could be tricky.

I would also like to warn you that if you have any predators in your area like alligators, raccoons, or bears 2'-4' may be too shallow. Raccoons have been known to snatch koi with ease from people's pond. The recommended depth for a koi pond is 6ft.

Filtration is key with any koi/turtle pond. You are going to need two bottom drains with two skimmers leading to your filtration. The filter you posted is ok but if your willing to spend more money I recommended you buy a bead filter as your biological filtration and a sieve or vortex filter as your mechanical filtration. Algae growth is something that can be a pain because it will keep the water filthy but a UV light will keep that in check. Filtration is one thing that will be expensive if you do it right. It may cost upwards of $3000 but you will not regret it because it will keep your fish happy and healthy, your water clear and your maintenance low. If you'd like I can recommend so good brands for filtration that are popular among many koi keepers.

Plants are tricky when keeping fish because in the winter the plants die off and the roots rot, this produces hydrogen sulfide that can kill the koi. I personally don't like plants in my pond because they also reduce the effectiveness of medications and trap debris before it reaches the filter.


If you have any questions feel free to ask.

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Thank you. I knew this group would help. I will do a separate pond for my turtle. I think for now we will keep the filter it has been working so far.the pond is in a fenced yard and it comes with a safety net. this is the pond given to us that we are relocating here.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Thank you. I knew this group would help. I will do a separate pond for my turtle. I think for now we will keep the filter it has been working so far.the pond is in a fenced yard and it comes with a safety net.View attachment 145141 this is the pond given to us that we are relocating here.

O.O
Why would you make this any smaller/move it?? It's beautiful as is!
Do you mean it's not on your land right now so you need to move it and make it smaller?
This is curiosity

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Yes, we need to move it .i wa t it close to the house so there is limited room in our fenced front yard. We own acres but in order for it to fit were I want it I need to make it smaller but deeper. It is still a 2,000 / 2,300 gallon pond. We have decided to make a smaller 300 gallon pond for the turtle above it to waterfall down to the larger koi pond. This is a small waterfall that will be one one side of the pond. It is still a work in progress but we have moved some frogs while we get the ph etc. perfect to move the koi..

 

[TortsNTurtles]

I didn't answer your question clearly. A friend purchased a house with acreage and the house came with a pond that he doesn't want. My hubby likes fish so he wanted the pond his friend offered it to him so we are moving it to our place. Since I love turtles and was planning to build a pond for my res I was hoping she could join in the big pond. It has been a blessing for me since hubby is now enjoying the whole pond thing he offered to add a small pond for my turtle so I am sooo excited it's not project I have to ask him

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Also we have learned that the filter pictured is not running. The person who owned it before rigged a pump to it and filled it with filtering material that the pump is running water through like a do it yourself kidda deal. My hubby is researching do it yourself outdoor filters if anyone has suggestions I will be grateful. Thanks for all your help!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The pond liners get brittle after they've been in the ground for a while. Have you already moved it? It's O.K.?

 

[Angel Carrion]

The pond liners get brittle after they've been in the ground for a while. Have you already moved it? It's O.K.?

That's good to know for future reference. When I finally get my own place I am planning on putting in a pond. So I'll have to store that info away until then

 

[dmmj]

a separate pond your Koi fish will thank you also know the red ear sliders will eat any plant you put in so don't spend a lot of money on them

 

[mike taylor]

I have gold fish in my turtle pond . I put pants in my pond the turtles eat them . But I keep adding and adding them they keep eating and eating them .

 

[TortsNTurtles]

The pond liners get brittle after they've been in the ground for a while. Have you already moved it? It's O.K.?

I didn't know that so that is good to knowing but we purchased a new liner here so we can get everything ready and bring the fish over a little at a time. We are still working on the ph etc. They are still at the other pond. My hubby is building a DIY filter today hoping to get that going. Any tips on that would be awesome.

 

[kameya]

Didn't see this thread earlier...here is a link to the my then newly-build pond back in 2013...
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/2013-new-kameya-pond-a-major-and-serious-upgrade.67198/

And here is the link on the filter that I am using for the pond...still working great, and the best part of it is it is super easy to clean and flush all the poos and goos produced by the turtles and the fish...
http://www.oase-livingwater.com/en_EN/water-garden/products/filters/pressure-filters/filtoclear.html

 

[kameya]

I've got about 8 turtles (1 RES, 4 maps, and 3 diamondbacks), 4 mid-sized koi, and 10+ gold fishes, and they have been doing fine living in the same pond.

 

[Turtle lover 9025]

Cool but they will get out

 

[TortsNTurtles]

Thank you ! The fish are here we have 2 filters going and so far the water is clear . Since we have snails & frogs all living together with the koi and golf fish we decided to build a turtle ponds above that will water fall down to the fish pond. I still may try to move some of the large goldfish up with my turtle. This weekend is the turtle pond project. We still also need to finish the landscape around the koi pond and fence everything in.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Sweeet! So the turtle pond is going above there? Good idea, double filtering. You did a fantastic job

 

[Angel Carrion]

Thank you ! The fish are here we have 2 filters going and so far the water is clear . Since we have snails & frogs all living together with the koi and golf fish we decided to build a turtle ponds above that will water fall down to the fish pond. I still may try to move some of the large goldfish up with my turtle. This weekend is the turtle pond project. We still also need to finish the landscape around the koi pond and fence everything in.View attachment 148944

O.O
CAN I JUST SAY HOW MUCH I FRIGGIN LOVE THIS POND?! That froggy is soooooo cuuuuuuuute!!!! =^_^= <3 <3 <3 <3