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 |  | 6x6-Foot Kit: $450 |  | 34x34-Foot Kit: $5,500 |  | Professionally Installed: Up to $50,000 |
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Koi ponds are manmade pools of water that recreate an aquatic ecosystem to welcome the colorful Japanese koi fish. People tend to enjoy the calming aspect of the ponds, and the decorative addition of koi to a business or home.
Typical costs: | - There are many kits available online, with prices ranging from $450 for a 6-foot-long, 6-foot-wide pond to $5,500 for a 34-foot-long by 34-foot-wide pond. Kits are available online at sites such as exoticwaterscapes.com[1] and KoiStuff.com.
- Professionally installed koi ponds cost up to $50,000, depending on the pond's size, the experience of the contractor and the materials used.
- Koi fish can be bought at pet stores and at online koi retailers. Koi fish come in all sorts of sizes and colors from around the world. The more common koi is white with orange spots; these cost between $10 and $30. Smaller fish are cheaper, too. Uniquely colored and patterned koi, or very rare koi, can cost thousands of dollars. Between six and 10 koi can fit in a 1,500 gallon, 11' by 16' koi pond. Koi can live up to 70 years.
Related articles: Landscape Design, Fish
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What should be included: | - Koi ponds are available in many sizes and shapes and price ranges, for a residential or commercial landscape. Installation involves digging a hole, lining the excavated space with plastic or concrete, insulating it, filling it with water and setting up the electrical and plumbing systems.
- Elements of the koi pond include a waterfall, a pump and filter, a heater, lighting and decorative elements including plants and stones. Koi ponds are typically at least three feet deep, no shallower. This is because shallow pools become too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.
- Kits include a liner, insulation, a filter, flexible PVC piping, a pump, underwater light kit and instructions.
- A professional installation should include all the elements above as well as a consultation with the contractor to determine what would be most appropriate for your income, your ability to maintain the pond and the like. A professional installation should be more customized and is often built with cement for a longer lasting, easier to maintain system.
Additional costs: | - If building a pond from scratch, consider getting a design consultation. These cost between $50 and $300. The consultant should come to the home or office to discuss pond goals and to assess the property. This may prevent an investment that is too large to manage or that is unrealistic to maintain.
- Ongoing maintenance costs include filter pads, $10 to $40; replacement bulbs for the ultraviolet lamp, about $10 per watt; koi food, $30 per bag; and chemicals to keep the water stabilized, $18 per pint.
- Professional ongoing pond services, from water testing to troubleshooting to cleaning, cost between $75 to $250 plus materials.
Shopping for a koi pond: | - There are many koi clubs throughout the country. Check the Associated Koi Clubs of America[2] to see if there is one nearby. Most koi enthusiasts advise beginners to talk to as many pond owners as possible before getting started.
- Koi expert Galen Hansen provides a detailed introduction[3] to koi pond concepts.
- Koi enthusiasts debate whether to build a smaller or larger pond for a first koi pond. The smaller pond is easier and cheaper to maintain; but many koi enthusiasts cite that small ponds are often replaced with larger ones.
- If choosing a professional installation or even a design consultation, visit National Association of Pond Professionals[4] to find credentialed contractors.
- California's Ponderrific Adventures[5] and South Carolina's Platinum Ponds[6] each list a variety of questions to ask a potential contractor.
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External Resources: | - theponddigger.com/pond-kits.php
- www.akca.org/akca-koi-clubs/
- www.znanorcal.org/forum/viewthread.php?forum_id=14&thread_id=7
- www.nationalpondpro.com/default.aspx
- www.ponderifficadventures.com/checklist.html
- www.platinumponds.com/10-questions-to-ask-your-pond-designer.html
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