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  1. #1

    Question Koi pond without bottom drain

    hi all,
    I was wondering if it is possible to have a koi pond WITHOUT a bottom drain. I was looking at getting a paddling pool and using it as a pond one of the ones with liners supported by metal poles. But I wouldn’t be able to have a bottom drain. Is there any way I could have a koi pond without one I’m looking at 1000-1500 gallons for 3 koi and 6 or 7 goldfish. Or is there a way I can get water circulating at the bottom of the pond with skimmers and an oversized filter?



  2. #2
    you could have a koi pond with out a bottom drain, but what your talking about isnt a koi pond , its a paddling pool, which can't be a koi pond imo, at least not permanently.

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  4. #3
    Is there any way it can be made to be a permanent feature

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  6. #4
    Agree with Familyman.

    Presumably OP you’re after either temporary or cheap or both?
    I have a post on the for sale thread which includes a large plastic tank thing which could be used above or below ground. (I have no vested interest, it’s posted for a friend).This setup is the minimum I’d be looking at and above ground it would want to be very well insulated.
    Underground maybe not so much.
    Plenty of people run them ok, depends what your expectations are. I’m guessing you’re not wanting to keep champion koi? Lol.
    You could fit a “retro” bottom drain and they work well but you still have to deal with the limitations of a pumped system which although are not insurmountable they’re still problems.
    Like I said, depends on your expectations and to a degree, how much dosh you want to spend lol




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  8. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Yamabuki View Post
    Is there any way it can be made to be a permanent feature
    Not IMO, very much used as a temporary holding tank when people are building bigger ponds etc.
    Imagine if it split, you’d be seriously foobarred very quickly


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  10. #6
    Sorry I know it’s not the best plan but I was sold 2 koi for my 120 gallon pond 1 died. I now know it is not big enough for koi and am trying to move my koi into a larger set up. Any other easy options I don’t understand all the different parts of the filtration system and would prefer something that comes with everything needed.

  11. #7
    What if I put a regular pond line on the inside to make it more secure

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  13. #8
    Think you’d be wasting your money.
    It’s gonna look pig ugly as well.
    Rule of thumb, 250 gallons per koi but that doesn’t mean you could in reality keep 2 koi properly in 500 gallons as after a month they’d have no room to swim!
    There’s also a difference between just keeping them and keeping them healthy, humanly and having them thrive.
    Let’s start with my usual first question.
    What’s your budget?
    “As little as possible” is not the correct answer


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  15. #9
    My budget is not high sorry wouldn’t like to go any higher than £500. I know koi ponds cost much more than this but I don’t have any more money or I would set up a proper pond.

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  17. #10
    Senior Member Rank = Rokusai Simon Fish's Avatar
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    The alternative to a bottom drain is a pump.
    But a bottom drain is better.

    You would be better giving the koi away and just having a few goldfish.
    £500 would quickly be spent with very little to show for it.
    Most things can be bought second hand or made D-I-Y but the costs still rise quickly.
    No one would recommend your idea of the pool as anything other than a short term solution.

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  19. #11
    Simon is right.

    Cheapest way of having a pond is to dig a hole (you could use the spoil to raise the sides), chuck a liner in, add a pump and some kind of box filter/UV secondhand and you’ll have a goldfish pond. I have a mate who has a couple of koi plus some fancy goldfish in a pond like this and they seem to be ok but the koi are stunted. They’re healthy enough. My old Dads pond was as classic kidney shaped fish pond and his goldfish used to breed like mad and the lilies etc always used to come out lovely. I recall he had a couple of small tench which we never saw and the carp we put in soon outgrew it and they had to be relocated to a friends farm pond where they’re now about 20lb in weight.
    It wasn’t anything near being a “koi pond” though.


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  21. #12
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai sammy66's Avatar
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    hi, i must say i had a budget of £2,000 back in 2016 and spent just under £10,000 on a new pond with filters . please dont cut corners .

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  23. #13
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
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    My 1500 gallon semi-raised sleeper pond came in at less than £2000 to build using brand new equipment and box welded liner. It worked really well. It could be done for under £1000 if the pond is fully in-ground and buying 2nd hand and going for a standard liner.

    At a guess:

    Bottom drain and pipework, £120
    Used Nexus 200, say £400 including transport.
    Used 10,000 lph pump, £60
    Used 60lpm air pump, £60
    Used UV, £60
    A reasonably good strong liner, £150
    Blockwork, sand, cement from DIY store to build basic filter pit with a plastic bin as a sump: £150

    A lot of dumps charge for taking soil now, check if yours does first and if it does buy yourself 300 rubble sacks, put the soil in there and come spring you can offer it for free on a freecycle or similar and let people collect from your driveway.

    Mine took around 2 Months to build, with 90% of the work done in 1-2 daylight hours after work each night through February and March, removing between 12 and 21 sacks of soil per night (number increased as daylight hours got longer). Added fish at the end of April which was perfect to get a full summer of enjoyment out of it.

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  25. #14
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion freddyboy's Avatar
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    why don t you read the pond build threads on here. study them. some amazing ponds on here for amounts payed. some cheap. some very exspensive.
    lots of diy filters as well. to make it cheaper. my last pond cost a fortune but that was my dream pond. saved for years for it. my firat pond cost me about £600.00
    dug a big hole in the garden. 3500 gallons. dug it in 48 hours on my own. i was fit then. underlay and liner and 2x in pond pumps. cheap filter. then later on put 2x easy pods filters on it. pump fed.
    and I had fish in there for 20 odd years. and never lost a fish. 15 koi so it can be done cheaply. but do your home work first. plan it all.
    don t just jump in at the deep end. its a great hobby.

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  27. #15
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
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    The puddle I have now 1650 lrts pump fed with multibay 2ft in ground 2ft above with brick and liner insulation boards cost me around 500. Second hand filters uvs pumps and DIY

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    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

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  29. #16
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion RS2OOO's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ajm View Post
    The puddle I have now 1650 lrts pump fed with multibay 2ft in ground 2ft above with brick and liner insulation boards cost me around 500. Second hand filters uvs pumps and DIY

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    You mean gallons?

    Happy new year fella!

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  31. #17
    Senior Member Rank = Supreme Champion Ajm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RS2OOO View Post
    You mean gallons?

    Happy new year fella!

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    Yeah mate that's the one gallons haha. Same to you and yours matey

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    Freddyboy the legend

    "we are water keepers first"

    Johnathan

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