Koi pond vs Garden pond – What’s the difference?

With spring quickly approaching it is time to start thinking about projects for your landscape. Maybe you have been thinking about building a pond for your backyard, but don’t know where to start? Have no fear New England Aquatic Landscaping is here to help! 

In this post we wanted to discuss the differences between garden ponds and koi ponds. While these water features might look similar, there are quite a few differences that distinguish these ponds from one another. This discussion could help you get closer to creating that pond of your dreams or renovating an existing pond.

A garden pond can be either formal or naturalistic in design and come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and styles in both residential and commercial settings. Garden Ponds are water features that usually contain plants and small fish. They can be lush living habitats for many native species.

Koi ponds are water features designed to showcase and care for fish. They can be either formal or informal in design but require minimum dimensions, volumes, and filtration that must be accommodated for optimal performance. Through proper design, koi pond filtration systems collect and neutralize fish waste and control outside environmental effects on the pond. A well designed and installed koi pond and filtration system is essential in order to maintain a healthy environment for the fish, as well as providing an aesthetic water quality that koi enthusiasts expect.

Garden pond filtration systems should use both biological and mechanical means and are generally smaller, less complex and less costly than that of a comparably sized koi pond. These water features accentuate and enhance the natural environment and are often the focal point of the property. We believe garden ponds should be a balanced and healthy aquatic ecosystem.

If you would like New England Aquatic Landscaping to help you with a pond design or installation, or have questions about your existing water feature and filtration system, please contact us. We are happy to help and love to talk all things water features! Click here to get started.