Complete video overview of DIY 4,000 gallon koi pond / RDF / Shower Filter / Moving Bed Filter

[@allanlocke6314]

THIS IS WHAT A KOI POND SHOULD LOOK LIKE-- MOST OTHER PONDS ALTHOUGH NICE ARE JUST BIG HOLDING PONDS (JUST LIKE MOST SUPPLIERS KEEP THERE FISH FOR SALE IN.) YOUR WHOLE SETUP IS JUST GREAT, FILTERS WHOLE SYSTEM JUST BEAUTIFUL MANY THANKS FOR SHARING 👍

[@Sk9junk]

Agreed

[@Niknik-qy4fc]

This video completely changed my understanding of proper management of systems working in conjunction with each other. This is hands down the most detailed video I have ever seen. Thank you for posting this. I hope there will be more.

[@DEMENTED456]

Thanks for the feedback, glad you found it helpful!

[@ultimatefishkeeping]

This is by far the best Pond Setup I have ever seen. And believe me I watch a lot of Pond videos. I love the entire system. Very well thought out and built. You have artistacaly put it all together in such a very neat and tidy way. It is not often that Somebody would say a Pond looks polished, but this One is Polished. Awesome Job Sir and congratulations. 😊👍

[@ultimatefishkeeping]

#650th to give a 👍! 😊

[@jcardona1]

Thanks so much, appreciate the kind words 👍🏼

[@IbeSyke]

I thought I seen some nice set ups before this is hands down amazing!

[@jcardona1]

Thanks so much! 🙌🏼

[@jaxonhunterharley3305]

I was going to say the same ur setup is awesome!!👍

[@TattooedBeast]

@@jcardona1 what does a pond like this cost. Looking to build one in my back yard

[@jcardona1]

@@TattooedBeast I'd estimate I spent about $10k with the RDF being the most expensive component.

[@raby760]

I've watched a lot of koi pond videos in the last few days. I intend to build one when I buy a house soon. But this is one of the better videos on KZbin. Some people spend a whole video showing how they build it, and then barely show their pond at the ending. Seeing your finished product, combined with videos on how to build them, gives me a good idea of what I'd like to do. This pond is practical for houses in my area and it's still huge. I'm going to make it 7ft deep in most parts, going as shallow as 2ft deep in the feeding area. Hopefully I'll have enough real-estate for 10,000 gallons.

[@Jimi182]

I have been keeping koi for 30 plus years and this is the model for my next pond build. It is absolutely awesome thank you for sharing.

[@GregSmith-vc1ro]

Ok I just finished watching this incredible video. I said to my self that's amazing. Then I read the comments everybody thinks it's amazing. Great job!

[@bluuaquatics9372]

Thanks for sharing your build in details. It gave beginners like myself great insights into the making of a koi pond!

[@davidmiller8634]

Wow, super, complete explanation of a koi pond ; very rare. Thumbs up 👍🏻

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@ajkoi19768]

Definately one of the nicest ponds out there... all tuned in like a good working clock.. to be proud of

[@jcardona1]

Thank you!

[@the_asadun4328]

Another beautiful koi pond with tradisional top viewing with no glass n side view....so much appreciated this pond..... Lovely ❤️❤️

[@chrisvistnes]

This man thought of everything

[@rontalley]

This project is simply AWESOME!!!! Wow, I've been researching for the last 2 weeks on how to do a "simple" Koi pond and what I've realized is that this hobby is just not simple! However, your video explained things very well. Sad thing is, I think I am going to have to up my budget by at least $6k...

[@kevhall8238]

Watched loads of videos this one is the best by far. I'm ready to start digging

[@dennis12879]

you got a decent set up there man can tell you put a lot of thought effort and craftsmen ship into it and its payed off

[@marleyjones2917]

This by far the best setup on KZbin nice job mate think I’m gonna fill mine in now seeing yours 😂😂👍

[@pjs139]

This was very good information. I would love for you to do a video going over the cost of each stage of the setup and the monthly cost of food, water and electric. Thanks for the video.

[@baotran6789]

Fanstatic work bro ! Love to see your pond koi system but, it's complicated and must spend a lot of money , time . Thanks for your video .

[@peterlee6745]

Lot of Work Time and Money has Gone into This . Keeps U Busy .Very Nice

[@KoiRun50]

I would watch underwater video of your koi all day.

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@JAZOF]

This is really impressive!! Amazing work!!

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@moesilverio]

Excellent explanation of your work. Beautiful pond. Great Job!

[@simonduncan8327]

That’s a fantastic set up mate it looks really good nice Hi Utsuri too 👍👍👍

[@DD-mr2tk]

Your pond comes in on my top 5 ponds on youtube !!!

[@gabemccool1]

just simply amazing... very envious... When I grow up I want a filtration system just.... like.... this. You're a bad man!

[@timpham102]

Man what a nice filter system setup...

[@jayjohnson1440]

Your pond set up is amazing!

[@FARMOORKOI]

Beautiful pond, cracking Koi, best wishes, Tony😀

[@kimuseni]

Very nice layout. You really planned it out. .

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@derrickwilliams3872]

NICE JOB, Working with that Limited Space, Really NEAT and CLEAN...

[@jcardona1]

Thank you!

[@prafulpatel3644]

Thank you for beautiful video, I am planning to upgrade my garden pond to koi pond, and received estimate from professional koi pond builder which were out of my budget. I think I can build my own after viewing your video.

[@cnbrushing05]

This is amazing. Thanks for sharing.Beautiful pond.

[@valencehenry2834]

Excellent details on your very logical and well thought out system. Thanks for the info. It gave me several great ideas for my first pond build.

[@milesgibson13]

Damn dude, that's pretty incredible with the wiring and fail-safes you included.

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@milesgibson13]

@@jcardona1 How did you figure out the layout for electrical and plumbing? I'm in the Northeast, so weather considerations are a little different here, and I'm also looking to do under gravel filtration along with a bog filter area. I probably just need to really buckle down and do some more drawings to figure out how things will sit, but is there something that helped you when planning this? Or are you just really, really goddamn good with plumbing and electrical already?

[@jcardona1]

@@milesgibson13 honestly, I kinda just dug the hole and figured things out as I went along. I knew what kind of filtration I would be running and what plumbing it would require, but I didn't follow any firm plans. My small yard mostly dictated the plumbing layout. Will yours be a koi pond or mostly a water feature? I'm not a fan of undergravel setups and bog filters for koi because they are muck factories. There is always a recurring theme in koi that have health issues and under filtered ponds. The best thing you can do for healthy koi is keep the water as clean as possible. Trap the debris and remove it from the water column before it can break down and turn into muck.

[@milesgibson13]

@@jcardona1 I plan on making it a koi pond with a fish load of about 15-25 koi. Doesn't a bog filter have the particulate settle there and get used by the plants? Sorry, this is the first pond I plan on building, so my only experience is watching a bunch of KZbin videos and doing a ton of reading, so I'm definitely not an expert. I'm also planning on putting in a waterfall biofilter, but I don't think that will do much for particulate. I'm also debating about hooking up an Ultima II filter for the particulate, I just don't have a full grasp yet on how much filtration will be needed for that fish load.... Overall pond size I'm going to put in is a modified tear drop shape that hits about 40' long and 18' wide at its widest and around 5'-6' deep at the deepest end (I have weird topography I need to account for here). I planned on putting in shelves at different depths throughout, so definitely a little different than yours. On top of that main pond area, I was going to put in another 10' x 30' bog that I was going to pump the water through. I'm also debating about putting in a big rainwater collection unit while I'm at it.... My end goal is to have a big koi pond that is hopefully clean enough for me to wade into after working outside on a really hot day, and that will require fairly minimal maintenance. Not really sure how realistic all of these goals are, and I'm sure that I will probably make some mistakes along the way.

[@jcardona1]

@@milesgibson13 I think it all depends on your end goal; water garden with a few fish or a dedicated koi pond. Folks that keep dedicated koi ponds and are serious about their fish tend to frown upon the whole Aquascape style ponds with bog filters and any sort of rock or gravel in the pond. We've been there done that and learned hard lessons along the way. Bog filters and up/down-flow gravel filters have been around for ages. It's what everybody use 30yrs ago when I first got into ponds because there was really nothing else out there. But technology has changed and products that were once only available for large scale commercial fisheries (like RDFs) are now available for the koi hobbyist. The reason we don't like bog or gravel filters is that fish waste and detritus is in a constant state of rotting and decomposition. Yes it eventually gets broken down, but the muck production is disgusting. If you've ever smelled this muck after draining a pond or tearing apart a bog filter you'll know what I mean. I would never want my expensive koi living in that kind of water. The Aquascape guys push this concept because it's an 'ecosystem' and it's how nature intended it. Yes, but natural waterways are also not closed systems with 1 fish for every 100-200 gallons like we have in our backyard puddles. In the wild you get 1 fish per 100,000 gallons or more. Bog and gravel filters are not apples to apples when comparing a lake or a river to a tiny backyard pond. And of course the other big reason they push this type of setup is for profits. They can build these with hardly any material costs and charge a premium and can lock you into their annual maintenance services for drain and cleanout. That's not to say that bog filters are evil. If I had the space I would love to run one, but it would be the very last step in my filtration process. I would NEVER send water to a bog that first hasn't passed through a serious mechanical filter. My ideal setup would be RDF for mechanical < pressurized glass bead filter for fines removal < shower filter for bio < planted bog for nitrate removal < return to pond. RDFs are truly a game changer and I can't imagine ever running a pond without one. It's amazing how well the pond and fish do when all the muck and debris is instantly removed from the water. I don't have algae issues, never have to drain and clean out the pond, never had green water (don't even run a UV light anymore), don't need to add any additives or chemicals to the water, and haven't had any health issues in the pond. Check out the latest video I uploaded a few days ago so you can see how nice the pond is doing :)

[@anthonygrant5305]

Great job. Work is never done. Always a work in progress. I have a 13x8x4.5 with a bog filter. You show proof that it can all work in a small space. I am interested in the seneye monitor.

[@jcardona1]

Thanks - it's a really cool device. Highly recommended.

[@TrottersAirways-rc]

Fantastic pond , really impressive set up .

[@KellersGrillzebo]

Wow! I am THOROUGHLY impressed!!!!

[@MrHip76]

That is INSANE and how to have an amazing pond!!

[@josephnguyen7403]

Wow, amazing, great job Jose!

[@larryburke158]

wow really great job best DIY pond i have seen

[@thegreatarkanum3037]

Helo from the Dominican Republic that is a beautiful pond and the filtration set up i might have to get some one from NASA to help me set mine up like that 😅😂 when i build my Pond , if i could have something set up like that will be a dream for me but i will see if i can have a functional pond with less equipment and a lower budget , again am just learning everything i can before i start my project , thanks bro for the video and explaining every thing with luxury of detail that was very helpful , now am a subscriber.....

[@CapeFearKoi]

I can appreciate some diy and hard work. Nice going.

[@perezm714]

This is really nice. And I like all the plants too!

[@KD--jz5zi]

Wow such a superbly built system. Super clear water. Must be so great to live in a place where you can have a setup like that with good respectful neighbours etc. If that was here in the UK it would either be gone/vandalised/poisoned by the next day by the scumbags and yobs.

[@markharrison7558]

Great set up, explained well to. Really nice pond i like the water fall and the plastic weed looks great.👍👍👀.

[@MrManny21479]

Damn! Man,youre a genius ,beautiful pond..you must be proude

[@jcardona1]

Sure am, thanks 👍🏼

[@briandunagin]

Wow. Very sophisticated

[@grahamparker5129]

Very nice pond and fish mate

[@keithpung758]

Great pond. Very close in specs to my pond. I still need a bakki shower and need to add some auto features like you have.

[@jcardona1]

Shower filters are great. I don't think I'll go back to any other form of bio filtration.

[@sclats01]

Superb set up

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@markfranklin8831]

Looks really nice hope its still up and running ✌️👍💗💯

[@RBarn2000]

that's the nicest koi pond I've ever seen. actually built for the fish instead of the humans looking at it

[@Veterankoi]

A great setup. Fabulous and thanks for sharing it with us. So many ideas you have put into your pond. Extremely well thought through. An example of evolution in pond keeping through experience.

[@jcardona1]

Thanks for the kind words, much appreciated!

[@stubbsaquatics6080]

Very nice. Great collection of koi. . Good use of space.

[@Lwimmermastermetalart]

Nicely done. Everything’s nice and tidy. You covered everything filtration wise. Plenty of mechanical as well as biological . Done well using simple hardware store components. If you bought a commercial system of that capacity it would cost way more. Do you know what your fish load is ? That’s always somewhat of a controversial figure. Love your Koi! ONLY comment I’d make is why you don’t have aquatic plants in there.Koi love being under Lilly pads and things of that nature. Plants also help with algae control. I’m guessing you don’t have Heron to worry about. LUCKY you. I have to have this big domed net over an ill-regular shaped pond. Don’t like looking at it however it’s a MUST where I live. Heron everywhere . There’s just nothing like a beautiful waterfall and gorgeous Koi. Thx for a great video. 👍🏼👍🏼

[@garyneo2259]

beautiful pond set up and fish

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@georgea2583]

Lovely set up. Fantastic pond you have there 👍

[@klh5477]

Great set up, loved it.👍🇦🇺

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@RedWing1838]

This is amazing. I am in love with your set up and your beautiful fish. This is my dream pond ❤️😍

[@jcardona1]

Thank you!

[@paulcole4902]

Great set up really nice pond 👍

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@chrisgreen1331]

Cracking job buddy.

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@AMGINE1000]

Unreal set up all worked out for low maintenance = more time spent watching your Koi

[@jcardona1]

Thank you! And definitely agree. I've had plenty of labor-intensive setups before and over time it starts to feel like a chore. My main goal was to make it as maintenance-free as possible.

[@MichaelSaunier]

Wow man! What a beautiful job you did 👏

[@CyberOakEMpiRE]

Just finished my v3 of the pond, thought i nailed it, now i think i have to go back to the drawing board lol

[@tpvang]

Amazing as usual! Thanks for sharing!

[@jcardona1]

Thanks, appreciate it!

[@koidiaries]

Nice pond looks very nice. Great set up as well 👍

[@jcardona1]

Thanks! 👍🏼

[@selectkoiinc.japan-importe4197]

Looks great! Wonderful video! Very nice setup!

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@clarkriccobuono3903]

Amazing filtration. Your awesome.

[@paulcurrell8546]

Very, very nice pond. You should be proud. Cheers.

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@modestoelias2757]

Wow incredible, I guess if your gonna drop thousands on koi this is the way to go great set up

[@youngstadan4999]

Some lovely fish there m8 nice pond. I've just made a 14x14 5 ft deep one. With a 20 year old shovel and a bucket took me about 15 hours all limestone was a nightmare. Had my fish 20 years

[@JohnDaniel-jx2nf]

Very, very clever. Nice system.

[@anhbausa6111]

Very beautiful koi.

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@cynthiaordonezgrana1676]

Would you mind sharing why you chose this type of koi pond system versus more of the Aquascape type ecosystem? Your pond is amazing!

[@jcardona1]

Thank you! And oh boy do I have some strong opinions about Aquascape ponds. This may come off sounding very negative but it's because I'm passionate about koi-keeping and for me the fish come first. I think Aquascape ponds are fine for a fish-less garden pond or something with a few goldfish, but they are quite possibly the worst type of pond for koi despite how nice they look. The thing you gotta understand about the Aquascape enterprise is that it's a well-oiled money making machine. The build ponds as quickly and cheap as possible in order to maximize profits. They often brag in their videos that they can build a pond in just a few hours - which is easy to do when filling a pit with gravel and leaving out all the real plumbing and filtration. Their ultimate goal is to lock you into their service and maintenance plans for that recurring revenue stream with regular pond clean-outs. On dedicated koi boards, you will never see a nice thing said about Aquascape ponds because we've been there done that and will never go back. One of the main goals of a koi pond is to remove the waste from the pond as quickly as possible, trap it, and remove it from the water column. That's why a true koi pond will always have large gravity-fed bottom drains and elaborate mechanical filters such as sieves, setting tanks, RDFs, etc. We spend thousands of dollars just to be able to trap and remove debris as quickly as possible. An Aquascape pond does the complete opposite with their lack of bottom drains and rock/gravel interiors. These ponds build up incredible amounts of sludge in just a few months which creates a series of water quality and health issues. Lately they've been busy promoting this "Wetlands" bog filter - these are also highly frowned upon for the same reasons. These upflow gravel filters have been around for ages but most koi guys have moved away from these because it traps insane amounts of sludge over time and are a nightmare to clean. My pond will never need a clean out and the sloped bottom stays virtually spotless aside from a smooth coating of carpet algae. Fish waste and other debris quickly makes it's way to the bottom drains. I've never had green water, never needed any water additives, algaecides or chemicals. The Aquascape guys will say rocks and gravel are how mother nature intended it but that's purely a marketing gimmick. This may be true for natural waterways where you have millions and billions of gallons of water but couldn't be further from the truth for a tiny closed system that's overstocked with fish. They simply don't want to take the time to do bottom drains because they're a lot of work and cut into their profits. Just remember - a pond without a bottom drain is like a toilet that doesn't flush. Here's a good thread with several nightmare examples showing the ugly side of Aquascape style ponds and the amount of work involved to fix their mistakes: www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?70879-Why-Most-Koiphen-Members-Discourage-Rocks-In-Ponds!

[@cynthiaordonezgrana1676]

Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge on this subject with me. I am so grateful. You clearly have a passion for your koi and pond. There is obviously so much more to being a responsible koi owner than I realized. We live in Las Vegas and were wondering why there are no Aquascape contractors here. In fact, we have very few koi pond contractors at all. We don’t even know anyone here that has a koi pond. With your vast knowledge, do you think it is too hot here in Vegas for the Koi?

[@jcardona1]

@@cynthiaordonezgrana1676 Actually one of the most intense koi ponds I've ever seen is in Las Vegas. Check out this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3qycoGkgbZ_rKc Now THIS is a true koi pond! This guy has invested more in that pond than most people spend on their house. This was built by Kent Wallace/Living Water Solutions who is one of the country's best koi pond builders - he's also based in Las Vegas. I don't think weather in LV will be an issue as long as the pond has adequate depth and some form of shade as koi can literally get sun burnt. It's the harsh winter climates that I would be more concerned with.

[@cynthiaordonezgrana1676]

Again, you are awesome! Thank you, thank you!

[@makleslie3917]

V cool pond thanks for all the technical show round nice pond ❤️👍❤️❤️

[@sal9842]

Just one word.... BEAUTIFUL... love how you explain how all the functions of the pond ..one question, did you have to have like permits for the sewer part ? I’m sure you did probably for the digging for 4 ft right ? Wow what a wonderful job you did.👍😁👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@MikeOwens1952]

Really enjoyed that! Excellent set up !

[@61Slughi]

What is the hole in the fence? 6:48 Is that for the dog to stick its head through and check things out?

[@jcardona1]

Yup, it's a doggy window!

[@RS20O0]

Very nice set up. Very similar to our koi ponds and filter systems in the UK. Just mind your eyes looking at that UV!

[@jcardona1]

Thanks! Much of my inspiration came from ponds in the UK and throughout Europe. You guys definitely are on the high-tech side of koi keeping. We're about 10 years behind here in the US. But the nice thing is RDFs are starting to become more popular here, just a matter of getting more brands and dealer here in the states, we only have 2-3 to choose from. But a lot of people still are still turned off by the price. Most folks here are still using gravel/bog filters which are very inadequate for a koi pond.

[@RS20O0]

@@jcardona1 A lot of hobbyist's here are now building their own drums to save money. Draco are a budget friendly UK drum company trying to build a dealer network in the States. Drums are definitely a business opportunity on the U.S if you have the engineering know how.

[@tookmyhandle2]

This pond is a work of art! How common are protein skimmers in koi ponds? I'm from the reef aquarium hobby and I have always wondered if people could use them in fresh water.

[@mattsonhobbies6966]

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😍😍😍😍😍 That water and fish. I hope my water is this good when my pond build is finished 👍👍👍

[@mikey673442]

Excellent video. Lovely pond. So well thought out. Great job 👍

[@josephkuncoro712]

WOW , you got all figure out !! NICE DUDE ...

[@williampeters7730]

Love it, I'm looking for inspection for a 200gal little turtle pond and water fall. Nothing this grand. Trying to figure the best way to water fall it with fogger and lights

[@ЗурабФ]

Молодец! Много труда, но зато результаты хорошие!!!

[@rgarcia1563]

Really nice setup, congrats, how many watts total does the whole pond equipment consume? I imagine ita considerable on the electrical bill right now

[@barbaranarducci9778]

Absolutely impressive. I DIY'd my backyard pond in 2003. Unfortunately, made plenty mistakes, but kept diligent upkeep and care for it. Not nearly as deep, but approximately 10'x14' with 18" raised planting bed surround. I lost all 20 fish this month from a pesticide kill from neighboring yard...My largest koi was 24 years old at 31 inches. A brutal loss...

[@Xiedubbel]

Awesome pond

[@ToothyBeej]

Nice set up dude!

[@mikesenga7072]

Awesome pond with nice koifish. Can you tell me where you bought the submurged fake plant. Maybe a link??? Best regards Mike👍👍

[@jcardona1]

Thanks! I bought it from an arts & crafts store (Michael's).

[@rickershomesteadahobbyfarm3291]

This is a really nice setup

[@charshire9713]

Whew! A plumbers dream....you thought of everything! I'm exhausted...LOL nice job!

[@madmax16117]

Really nice, I'm going to make mine a close copy, just awsome

[@briancarp9463]

Wow. Awesome. Thank you for sharing!

[@KoiMan61]

Wow - your fish are growing like crazy! You say they're 18 to 20". How long were they when you purchased? I have 25 fish as well - 21 koi and 4 comets in a 5000 gallon pond in Dedham, MA. I love them but they're not growing well. I've had them 3 years now and only about 1 is greater than a foot. Thanks for sharing. All the best!

[@jcardona1]

Thanks! All of these fish were purchased in 2019 as tosai ranging from 6~10". There have been some slow growers that are about 14-15" right now, but many are in that 18"+ range. I'd say reaching 16-20" at the end of their first year is fairly common for fish that are fed right. To grow properly, koi need to eat about 3% of their body weight every day, spread throughout multiple small feedings. Temperature also plays a big role as well. I'm in CA and we enjoy much warmer temperatures here we means we can start feeding earlier in the year and feed longer into the fall, giving the fish more chance to grow in their first year which is crucial for establishing their future potential.

[@KoiMan61]

Thanks for the reply. What kind of food do you feed them? Do you like Hikari brand?

[@jcardona1]

@@KoiMan61 last year I fed Ultra Balance. This year I'm using a mixture of Hikari Saki and Nijikawa.

[@vcougar12]

Amazing set up...how much did it cost you total on filtration?

[@spicypeteinthailand8732]

I sure would like to know how much electricity is used to keep your pond working. it must be a lot.

[@stevekovalick3806]

What a fantastic pond!

[@jcardona1]

Thanks!

[@ronaldc1582]

🤔 What if your main pump just fails (in a non-power outage situation) you have to be physically on site to turn off your auto refill & main filter sump pump? I get in a full power out situation the whole cycle shuts down, but what saves your pond in a partial (ex: pump fail) down situation? maybe i missed something...

[@juddwillard]

Very cool pond. Thanks for sharing. Could you explain how protein skimmer is built? Or build info.

[@jcardona1]

Thanks! Here is the DIY guide for the protein skimmer: www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?107532-How-to-make-a-phoam-phraxionator-1300-1500-gph