The homeowners inherited a large koi pond next to their pool, which hadn’t been touched by anything other than Mother Nature in years. The color alone made it unclear if it even had a filtration system, let alone one that worked. The current system was a pool-style pressure filter set 50 to 100 yards away, with pumps that wouldn’t prime, and a liner that leaked. Yet, the homeowners didn’t want to replace it with a bigger, fancier system. They simply wanted one that actually worked.
01
Assessing the Pond
The pond had sat untouched for years, and it looked like it. It was a dirty eyesore that grabbed people’s attention when they tried to relax around the pool. One of the biggest issues was an improper filtration system set too far away and connected by an underground pipe with pumps that wouldn’t prime and seals that leaked.
The two skimmers had also been installed at the wrong heights; one was too high, and one was too low.
02
We started by draining the pond down to the last few inches, netting the koi out by hand, and transferring them into their own pond water so they wouldn’t be shocked by the change. Then we sized up what couldn’t be moved. The pond wasn’t going to change its shape, and there was no way the truck-sized boulders were getting removed without a crane. So, we built the plan around them instead.
03
We worked the liner in behind the immovable boulders to stop future leaks before they start. Once we had the liner settled, we could bring in the real filtration system: a 6,000 BioFalls with a short stream feeding the top of the largest waterfall, and a second, smaller BioFalls at the end of a dead-end channel to add filtration and push water through a stubbornly stagnant spot.
We added several stone fish tunnels as caves for the koi. We also rebuilt the two skimmers as weighted islands that sit in the pond yet remain close enough to the side for easy maintenance.
04
After renovations were complete, we brought the water back in, turned the pumps on, got both waterfalls running, and planted a full aquatic plant package in the ground. What was once a murky mess became a home with biological filtration that the koi could really settle into.
The koi pond still grabs the homeowners’ attention, but for all the right reasons now. The running falls and hidden coves are a welcome change for the koi who had survived clouded water for years, and the setup is more maintenance-friendly, so the homeowners can keep the beautiful pond for years to come.
A 6,000 BioFalls filter and a 2,500 BioFalls filter unit circulate the channel that used to sit stagnant. Sized with room to spare, it’s the kind of multi-filter system that keeps the water clear in a pond with a lot of fish and one that’s subject to natural debris.
New skimmers were designed as weighted islands and sit inside the pond, just close enough to the side to facilitate easy maintenance.
With such a large koi collection, protecting them from predators is a real concern. Several stone tunnels give the fish a cave to disappear into, with plants placed overhead to further obscure the safety feature.
Two rushing waterfalls create a calming soundscape that the homeowners can immerse themselves in. The active cascades also keep the water lively and less likely to stagnate.
5,000 gallons
6,000 BioFalls filter, 2,500 BioFalls filter, 1,000 series skimmers (x2)
6,000 gph solids handling pump (x2)
Kept the existing stone and added supplemental Pennsylvania mountain stone
Water lily, thalia, pickerel, iris, and other hardy plants
Koi
Two waterfalls and a short stream
The homeowners’ murky pond that used to draw attention for all the wrong reasons now pulls people’s eyes for the right ones. Its poolside location makes it visible from every vantage point at the back of the house, so anyone visiting can enjoy the view. The crew lead made such an impact that they’re now the homeowner’s point of contact for seasonal care, ensuring their active koi pond keeps running clear year after year.
Here are the answers to the most common questions people ask a pond contractor:
Green water is a balance problem, not bad luck. It usually means too many fish and too much debris feeding algae, with too few plants to compete. Consistent, clear water starts with a proper aquatic plant load that soaks up nutrients and shades out algae, a biological filter and skimmer that pull waste off the water, and rock and gravel that grow the beneficial bacteria doing the cleanup.
Yes, it’s a lot of what we do. Many failing ponds come from a cheap or torn liner, and we often rebuild ponds from the liner up.
Preserving existing fish is an important part of pond renovations, and we ensure their safety by moving them to their own, new water. Any changes we make are slow and gradual, so every fish can properly adjust to their temporary environment.
With a renovation like this, we sized the filtration up slightly, so missing a service wouldn’t bring the system crashing down. And the Premier Ponds’ crew lead who builds your pond also maintains it, so your seasonal care stays in the same hands that know it best.
