Customer Ponds: Gurbir’s Low-Maintenance, High-Enjoyment Koi Pond
A Koi Pond with Purpose That Strikes A Thoughtful Balance of Fish and Nature
From vibrant reef tanks to the tranquillity of a garden pond, Gurbir’s journey into koi keeping is one shaped by experience, curiosity, and a passion for doing things properly.
After years of keeping marine and tropical fish, he returned to the hobby with a fresh perspective—seeking a simpler, more enjoyable setup that brings his family joy year-round.
Since building his pond in 2020 and adding his first koi in 2021, Gurbir has created a thoughtfully designed space that reflects both his engineering mindset and appreciation for nature. With a split-pond design that accommodates both koi and aquatic plants, his pond strikes an amazing balance between beauty and function.
We caught up with Gurbir to hear more about his setup, what he's learned along the way, and why he’s chosen to source all his koi from our farm.
In this article, we’ve laid out Gurbir’s story in a Q&A format to let his experience, insights, and advice come through in his own words.
Getting Started with Koi Keeping: Gurbir’s Journey
When did you first become interested in koi keeping, and what drew you to the hobby?
I've been keeping fish for over 20 years. I started with freshwater tropical (discus and cardinal tetras) and then a marine reef tank with a large collection of SPS corals.
After a break, I picked up the hobby again, but this time I wanted the fish outdoors and wanted more time enjoying the fish, and less time on maintenance. I built the pond in 2020 and introduced the first koi in 2021.
Can you recall your first visit to Adam Byer Koi Farm? What were your impressions?
A family-operation where passion comes first. To me, anyone that spends the time and effort breeding their own koi has to have a passion for what they do. I like the style of the farm too – It is what it says it is. Amanda and Adam are always there to greet me and have a chat, and there are few distractions beyond the fish themselves.
How has your understanding and appreciation of koi evolved since you started?
Koi develop in a way that is significantly different to tropical and marine fish. They are more individual, and have character. They require patience, and skill in selection (neither of which I have). The lengths that the breeders go to for us customers is nothing less than jaw-dropping.
I also now accept there are risks with koi – and it's part of the fun of the hobby. Not every fish will be a success, but sometimes the most unassuming tosai turns out to be a cracker.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in koi keeping?
Research, research, research. Don't rush the planning stage.
Koi keeping doesn't need to be complicated or expensive.
Design, build and operate a pond that is maintainable and cost-efficient.
On the hardware side, every piece of equipment will eventually fail, and at the most inconvenient time. For example, I work on the basis something critical like my drum filter will fail mid-August when I’m feeding heavily. Always have a backup plan, and this thought process comes from my marine keeping days. For example, I keep 1 spare pump for the main filtration and 2 spares for the skimmer. And on the electrical side, each pump and air pump are on their own breaker to ensure an electrical fault with one doesn’t affect the running of the others.
Keep on top of water quality before it becomes a problem (a time-consuming, expensive, stressful problem!).
Koi Pond Design: Building a Low-Maintenance Setup
Can you describe your pond's design and layout? What were your goals when planning it?
The pond is designed to match the style of the house. For it’s construction, it’s built on a concrete base with rebar coming up the sides, and we used poured concrete for the walls. The base has a gentle slope towards the bottom drains.The pond is entirely below ground and made of reinforced concrete. The type of concrete used would hold water on it’s own, but we also added a fibreglass finish.
The goals were:
- Minimal maintenance
- Simple
- Oversized filtration
- Backup pumps, with spare ones just in case
Grubir's koi pond's key stats:
Rectangular 8m x 5m. Of that, 5m x 5m is 1.2m deep, and the rest is 0.4m deep for lily plants and irises, with koi filter grid acting as a barrier between the koi and the plants.
2x bottom drains, 2 returns, 2 skimmers, profidrum combio bio 50, 110W UV.
How did you balance your love for koi and plants when designing your pond?
The koi and plants share the pond but are kept separate with a dividing screen constructed from plastic filter grids.
I avoided soil-based substrate for plants and I've learned that a number of plants require a substrate only for anchorage. A zip-tie and a brick works just as well. Also, lillies and irises can tolerate salt up to 0.6%.
What challenges did you face when creating a pond of such large size and surface area?
Due to a nearby family of herons, I have to cover the pond with a net. However, a 5m x 5m net sags, so I installed tensioned stainless steel wire across the diagonals of the pond to stop the net from sagging.
Other than that, larger volumes of water tend to be more stable than smaller bodies of water, which contributes towards smaller temperature and parameter swings.
Are there any unique features of your pond that you're particularly proud of?
The ability to keep koi and plants in the same body of water, separated by filter grid, and avoiding the use of substrates that could pollute the water and contribute to parasite issues.
On average, I estimate I spend less than an hour a month on maintenance. In Autumn, I clear out all the plants, trim off the leaves and store the tubers somewhere cool, ready to be re-juvenated in Spring.
Choosing and Sourcing Koi: Why Gurbir Chose Local
What inspired you to stock your pond exclusively from Adam Byer Koi Farm?
I trust Adam and Amanda.They have the knowledge, the experience, the bloodlines, and the ability to fill any gaps with imports from Japan. To me there's something special about a fish that is born and bred locally by someone I've met, and where I've met the fish's parents. An import from Japan is a less 'personal'.
How do you go about selecting koi for your pond?
I wish I had a strategy. I buy what takes my fancy out of what becomes available.
Initially I went for the prettiest looking fish but my current focus is on selecting koi for their growth potential.
Over the years, have you noticed changes in your preferences for koi in terms of pattern, colour, or growth potential?
Yes. I started off with visually appealing, and those that were of general interest. I'm irritated by showa because I'm so bad at choosing good ones, which means I now invest time learning about their development. Because of the size of the pond, I feel I need a few show pieces. I have 21 fish and thus far all are alive and well.
I think I'm gravitating towards go sanke, hi utsuri, shiro utsuri, and ogon.
What do you look for in a koi today compared to when you first started?
Potential. In the early days I looked at what was there, not what could be.
What types of plants do you have in the pond, and what maintenance or cultivation processes are required ?
Lillies and irises. They're very low maintenance. The biggest headache is blanket weed, and this year I'm going to medicate against it, for the first time.
Maintaining Water Quality and Pond Equipment
What's your routine for keeping the pond and its inhabitants healthy?
Water changes! Nothing beats water changes. I think they are hugely underestimated.
Sometimes I'll use activated carbon to remove discolouration form the water during heavy feeding.
I keep the pond pump speeds high, and carry out water changes every day all-year. The drum filter is working 24/7.
I do not use clay, or any additives (other than sodium thiosulphate for dechlorinating).
Have you faced any challenges with maintaining a pond of this size, and how have you overcome them?
The pond is set up to be easy to run, and it’s working well. The bottom drains are great. I haven't removed the net from my pond in over 2 years. I keep the pond water moving as much as possible.
There are no trees near my pond – not great in the summer as there's no shade, but it also means the pond doesn't get any leaves falling in.
Living with a Koi Pond: Family Life and Future Plans
How does having a koi pond enhance your daily life?
The pond is located outside the kitchen window. I can view the fish all-year round, and I do, and the children love feeding the fish. It's a focal point for the family. By keeping on top of water quality and buying from a reputable breeder, touch wood, I've had next to no issues, ever.
What have been the benefits of splitting the pond and having both koi and plants? And, what have been the disbenefits?
Benefits – plants and flowers are beautiful, and attract wildlife. Dragonfly nest in the iris plants, and the planted section of the pond is full of pondskaters, waterboatmen, mayfly larvae etc. Free live food for the koi!
The downside is that, undoubtedly, there is some impact on water quality, particularly around Autumn when the plant leaves start dying off. That's when I cut everything back and remove it from the pond.
What's the most rewarding part of keeping koi and maintaining your pond?
The way the koi rush towards me or my children when we come near the pond. They are very tame.
The hobby also serves as a useful distraction from some of the more mundane aspects of life.
Are there any specific goals or projects you have in mind for your pond in the future?
Yes – backup filtration, which I am currently investigating.
How do you think the pond reflects your personality or interests?
Koi are quiet, a bit slow and eat all day – just like me.
If you could start over, is there anything you'd do differently with your pond?
If I were to start over with another outdoor, unheated, uncovered pond – no, I wouldn't change anything.
A Smart, Low-Maintenance Koi Pond with Heart.
Gurbir’s pond is a great example of what’s possible when careful planning meets a clear sense of purpose. It’s designed to be low maintenance, yet it supports a thriving ecosystem with both koi and plants coexisting in harmony. We especially admire his focus on keeping things simple and reliable—oversized filtration, backup equipment, an electrical set up that protects the pond system against individual equipment failure, and thoughtful layouts all contribute to the success of his pond.
It’s always a pleasure chatting with Gurbir. He brings the same thoughtful curiosity to koi keeping that he’s applied to his previous hobbies, and we love how he’s embraced both the technical and emotional sides of the hobby. His story is a reminder that you can achieve a fantastic koi pond and hobby with the right mindset, and a bit of planning upfront.
We’re honoured to play a small part in his journey, and supporting koi keepers like Gurbir is at the heart of what we strive for at the farm.
