First Birthday of a Koi-pond

// April 12th, 2010 // Eco Watch

Koi carps in the garden pond

Arun’s pond of Koi carps turns one this April. Arun conceived, designed, fabricated and built this beautiful tiny pond for Kois and Shubunkins and Goldfish in our small backyard at Gandhinagar, Kottayam a year back in April 2009. He used metal mesh, concrete and waterproofing materials to make his dream pond.

Yellow Water Lily in full bloom

I was also part of this exciting endeavor. We went up the Meenachil river to collect water plants, snails, logs and pebbles for the pond. He also planted lilac, pink and white native water lilies along with the plants. Some of them have flowered during the first year, but some of them are yet to bloom. We have a small yellow bamboo grove beside the pond; temple tree, Alovera and ferns adjoining it. A small rockery and a terracotta bird-bath adorn the banks.

Feeeding Frenzy of Kois

Magpie Robins and plenty of Dragon flies, Damsel flies and Butterflies like Southern Rustic and Blue Tiger regularly visit this cozy humid pond with a few potted ficus plants providing shelter and cool shade. A pond heron also came to fish in the pond in between and got away with a few Shubunkins. Then I started covering the pond with a thin net. And then on managed to keep the intruders out!

Red Dargonfly on a waterplant

We had earlier introduced two medium sized Whale-tailed Carps, two Kois, a few Goldfish and some mollies. Most of them are still going well! It is a rare delight to feed and watch them playfully gliding through the water lilies and submarine vegetation.

A Green Damselfly: An invisible visitor

We are really happy to celebrate the first birthday of Arun’s Koi-pond as it is not simply a stagnant structure but a dynamic ecosystem and a living organism with its own individuality and organic identity. All cheers to life and nature and its various manifestations!