These creative koi pond designs will help you craft a truly distinctive and relaxing landscape feature.
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8 Backyard Koi Pond Ideas
Updated on Oct. 25, 2024
Storybook Pond
This gorgeous giant backyard koi pond built by @pond_koi_turtle_ started with four koi fish and four turtles. Within a few years, 40 turtles and hundreds of giant koi called it home — and all were born on site!
The walls are made with cinder block covered with flagstone for a more decorative finish. Thanks to the wooden bridge, waterfall and lush plant life, this pond looks like it came from the pages of a child’s picture book.
Waterfall Circulation
Here’s a koi pond (from @avaastudios) featuring a waterfall. Besides looking beautiful and sounding relaxing, waterfalls oxygenate and circulate the pond water, creating a healthy environment for the fish.
The red, birdhouse-shaped object hanging over the pond is actually an automatic fish feeder. The battery-operated device lets you choose the amount of food and number of feedings per day.
Renter-Friendly Koi Pond
The most labor-intensive step to building your own koi pond is digging the hole. To avoid that issue, you can opt for an above-ground koi pond. It’s also a great choice for renters because you can take it with you when you move.
This Lily Clear View Garden Aquarium, made with an interlocking wood frame, includes large viewing windows.
Brick Koi Pond
Here’s another above-ground pond, built by @whiteley_home with concrete and brick. The rectangular shape and clean lines give it a more modern look, compared to a traditional organic pond. It also includes a pump house and fiberglass window for easier viewing of the colorful fish.
Japanese Koi Pond
To create a true Japanese koi pond, you’ll need more than Japanese koi fish, according to @theponddigger. He says the specific choices shown here match the traditional aesthetic.
The placement of organic rock and terrestrial plants, including junipers, black pines, mondo grasses and mosses, are consistent. For the final touches, black gravel accents and a Japanese lantern or two complete the look.
Hot Tub Koi Pond
Did you know a hot tub can be converted into a koi pond? That’s what @adventurebc did here, filling it with a pond liner to avoid leaks. They added a small waterfall fountain and surrounded it with a rock border and flower bed. Once finished, you’d never know this happy new pond started as an old hot tub!
Observation Tower
Add an observation tower to your koi pond, like this one from @israelvega6005.
The UV-resistant acrylic tube sits on top of the water, and fish swim up to eat from the top. Seeing the koi fish up close like this is magical. Simply immerse the tower in the water and fill it completely. Make sure all the air has escaped, then raise the tower and position it in the desired location.
Shady Location
This picturesque backyard pond by @westchesterpondlandscaping is near a fence and rows of greenery that provide shade. The latter is key.
“I would recommend a location in your garden that is partially shaded,” the builder says. “Although your pond will need both sun and shade, try a spot with some tree coverage. This will lesson the amount of maintenance.” (That is, unless they are really messy trees!)
