Picture this. Three years after installing your Koi pond, you realize the decaying watering hole in your backyard is not what you or your Koi wanted. Or, maybe you started with a really nice water garden and, as time went by, you started focusing more on the Koi than the plants. Then again, maybe you were just starting out in the Koi hobby, dug into your life savings to pay some guy who claimed he could build you a Koi pond, only to find that it just isn’t working. Whatever the scenario, there are times when almost every Koi hobbyist feels like all hope is lost and considers just filling the hole in and giving up. Does this ring a bell?
This issue’s pond focuses on the ugly side of the Koi hobby. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a water garden. I actually love water gardening and have a great time with it. But, I don’t put all of my children into a Mini Cooper, I drive a minivan. I have seen a lot of couples who have been told they were getting a Koi pond, but actually ended up with a water garden. At the end of the day, we all need to realize that our Koi, just like our children, will not stay small forever. This is when I see hobbyist get into trouble. The Koi simply get too big for their home and must leave their nest, so to speak.
Joey Acevedo of Hanako Koi Ponds in Southern California ran into this exact situation. A couple came to him in need of help. They exhausted their budget on a pond three years ago and now felt helpless in their current situation, because starting all over wasn’t in the budget. So, Joey came up with an alternative to filling it in or starting from scratch. With a little planning and some DIY, he was able to rectify the situation by using some of the pre-existing system. He proved that you don’t have to break the bank to convert a water garden to a Koi pond.
Monica La Chapelle
Showcase June/July ‘08