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  1. #1

    Pond window or viewing tower

    Window or elevated viewing tower? It's an important question, what's best? the windowed way means a dedicated style of pond requiring a substantial part above ground (in witch to locate the viewing window) as is popular with koi ponds. On the other hand though, a tower feature seems more easy and less costly, it can be added to a pond, its easy to construct, and from videos I have see fish seem to love swimming up in to a tower. The reason I made this post is because I have determined to create a more natural informal kind of pond (it will be the first certainly the last one I ever make) and I want to get it right first time. So why the trouble of an out of ground pond with a window when a pond with a tower lets one see the fish just as easily? your thoughts



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  3. #2
    Moderator Rank = Supreme Champion Feline's Avatar
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    Couple of things to consider-
    How are you going to run air in your pond with a tower in it?
    How are you going to clean the algae from the inside of the tower?
    A tower needs a structure to support it, which you can bet your life your koi would bash themselves up on. You would then have some real problems netting them with an obstruction in the pond.

    I give my pond window a quick brush inside every 3-4 days to keep it clear. I can imagine this would be impossible to do in a tower, so it's going to become an ugly green eyesore very rapidly.
    If you look at pictures of members pond builds you will see that nobody has gone with a tower. Somebody on here won a dome thingy as a prize once, but very quickly stopped using it as it was not practical at all.

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    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion lee63's Avatar
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    Agree with you feline, Very good points there Pond window or viewing tower
    Im one of few who are not big fans of windows but they are very usefull in seeing all angles of your fish without causing any stress. I actually dont mind seeing a pond with one either i just dont personally like to veiw koi from a side i prefer to look down apon them Pond window or viewing tower
    Ive seen the towers you mention and the dome types and as feline has said theres alot of cons with them especially when comparing to an in wall window if i where to have one it would be the latter Pond window or viewing tower


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    Thanx for promt response guys.

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    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Adult Champion bowsaw's Avatar
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    towers are novelty only, aside from the edges, the algae and so on, unless your pumping in fresh water it will end up with different conditions to the pond and if in the sun will get very warm
    the slow pond build thread

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  10. #6
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Supreme Champion Davej's Avatar
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    Don't see that either a pond window or a viewing tower is a fit aesthetically with your objective of trying to create a more natural pond?

  11. #7
    everything feline said.

    The window is the single best thing about my pond.

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    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    i have 2 x windows. my old pond was in ground. i used to stand outside by the pond in winter freezing my nuts off. so i could watch the fish.
    not any more. sit in the warm now looking out of conservatory. at the fish. not just me. all the family. plus a lot of fish illness has been spotted .
    because of my windows. so action is taken a lot quicker. agree with feline on the tower. in my case best thing i ever had fitted. windows. each to there own though.

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  15. #9
    Seems towers are a novelty that just cause problems and extra maintenance then, they did look nice in the pics and vids though.

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    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Hassai koinewbie's Avatar
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    Window all the way we can enjoy our fish all year round even when the covers are on.

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    Senior Member Rank = Grand Champion andikoi's Avatar
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    if you want a natural looking pond but also want to see the fish from side,why not have a ground level but then a sunken part with a window in,saw one somewhere that was a lake with a sunken glass walled seating area looked amazing,andi

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