What to look for when choosing a Garden Bridge
 
When looking for a pond or garden bridge you should know exactly how long the bridge will span.  Our 4ft. bridge will actually span about 2 1/2ft.
 
You should make sure the bridge is made of weather and water resistant wood.  Cedar is a wood that naturally repels rot and insect infestation.
 
Every couple of years you should spray the bridge with Thompson's Water Sealer for extra long life.
 
You must provide drainage.  Any wood will rot if exposed long enough to water.
 
 

Add a Koi pond for your bridge to span
An increasing amount of people are getting interested in keeping koi fish, and so a decent Koi pond is a necessity.  Koi ponds are usually dark in colour to exaggerate the color of the Koi fish.  Koi ponds are commonly built around 2 to 4 feet deep and covered with a protective black waterproof liner.
 
One of the main troubles with keeping Koi is the attraction they recieve from predators such as cats, foxes and most commonly herons.  Herons are renowned for eating thousands of dollars worth of Koi fish in one sitting,  Koi owners often cover their Koi ponds with netting to keep herons from eating the fish.

Find the most suitable location for your pond
-Try to keep direct sunlight at a minimum
-Stay away from deciduous and /or large rooted trees
-Plan the shape you prefer
 
Decide what it is that you would like
-A Koi pond
-An ornamental fish pond
-A water feature
 
There are certain things you must absolutely include in your pond if you want your Koi to survive.
Adequate Pond Volume:
To stay fit and healthy, Koi must have adequate space to swim vertically and horizontally.
The minimum depth of a Koi pond should be 3 feet.
Length should be based upon available space and amount of Koi preferred.
 
Filtration:
An additional minimum of 1/3 of the Koi pond's water volume is needed for filtration: e.g., 1,000 gallons add an additional 300 gallons for filtration process.
 
Types of filters:
-Bubble-bead filters
-Gravity-flow filter
-Trickle-towers
-Settling chambers
Koi require a filtration system that will eliminate the solid waste they produce and convert the ammonia that is produced by their gills. Do not use a submersible filter.  They are inadequate for Koi.
 
Pumps for circulation:
It is important to provide adequate water circulation and aeration,  Without it, the beneficial bacteria are at a huge disadvantage, and the harmful bacteria thrive.  If you have no circulation or aeration at all, you will most likely end up killing your fish.
 
Bottom Drains and Skimmers:
Both are necessary to remove waste , debris, excess food, and plant matter that would accumulate on the bottom of the pond.
 
Liner:
Using a 45ml EDPM liner is recommended.

Ultra Violet Light:
Ultra violet lights are primarily used to kill algae, a natural occurence in all ponds. Algae will not harm Koi, but at times will make it difficult to enjoy your fish.  UV lights designed for ponds contain UV lamps that are placed in a housing unit.  Pond water passes through these units, and algae, when exposed to UV light, are killed.  Without a UV light, there will be algae-clouded water at several times during the year, depending upon the amount of direct sunlight on the pond.
 
The Koi:
What a fascinating fish...Not only beautiful and gregarious, they have a potential life span of 50-75 years!  Koi are relatively new to the pet industry, and some dealers sell their Koi at unreasonably high prices.  It is worthwhile to shop around to compare quality and prices. 
 
There is a vast amount of imformation published on pond construction, but little of it considers the habitat requirements of Koi.  When the basic elements of pond volume, filtration, circulation, aeration, and ease of eliminating waste are included in a Koi pond, the life and health of the Koi  is increased dramatically.