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Plants are a large part of the biological cleaning system of a well-balanced pond ecosystem. They consume nitrogen components in your pond water, which
deprives algae of these nutrients. There are 3 main categories of pond plants you should consider: |
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Surface plants provide shade, which helps regulate water temperature
during the warm summer months - and also helps limit the sulight that algae requires to grow.
For those reasons, we recommend you try to maintain a cover of forty to sixty percent plant material on the surface of the pond.
Lotus and water lilies add
surface cover and blooming beauty to your water garden. Using fertilizer tabs near the base of these plants throughout the
growing season encourages more prolific blooming.
Submerged plants such as Anacharis, also known as Elodea canadensis, oxygenate the water during the day, and help consume the nitrates that would otherwise feed algae. They also give your smaller fish (and developing fry) a place to hide as they grow. The recommended stocking level for Anacharis is one per square foot of surface area. Marginal plants, such as arrowhead, cattails and ferns also pull the nutrients they need right from the pond, so it's not necessary to fertilize them. |
Types of Koi
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A common mistake is to overestimate your pond's water volume and overload it with fish. This will put a
tremendous strain on the balance of your pond's ecosystem compared to a "natural" pond, making it more
difficult for your plants and beneficial bacteria to break down the excess nutrients caused by fish waste.
To estimate
the volume of your pond, see our "Pond calculations" page. A good rule of thumb
for stocking goldfish in an established pond is one inch or less of fish for each ten gallons of water.
Add fish slowly to a new pond, say a couple of fish a week for the first few weeks, until your pond's bacteria colony is established. This will help prevent higher nitrate and ammonia levels from fish waste slowing the bacteria colony's formation. You can also add bacteria starter kits to your new pond, or early in the spring for established ponds. If you use municipal water to fill your pond, it must be de-chlorinated first. If your municipal water contains chloramine, you must remove it before adding water to your pond. Chloramine will kill your fish. |
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If your pond is less than two feet deep or has less than eight hundred (800) gallons, do not add koi - they simply will not do well. Even in larger ponds, you need to be careful about adding koi. We strongly recommended that you research koi if you are interested in this type of pond. See our Pond & Koi Clubs page to help you get started! |
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In the spring and fall, feed responsibly. Use a special spring/fall feeding pellet at temperatures
below 65º, such as Zeigler's Pond Fancier. These foods are designed to help lower ammonia in fish waste at a time when your
biological filtering is not as active. Feed once a day, and at temperatures under 60º, reduce your feedings
to two or three times a week. Do not feed your fish at all unless the water temperature consistently
remains above 50º. If you feed your fish at lower temperatures, you run the risk of killing them.
Summertime feeding: Feed your fish a high protein food in the summer, such as Zeigler's Koi Fancier, to help them "fatten up" for the winter. Zeigler's Koi Grower is an ideal higher protein food for young and rapidly growing fish. Be careful of overfeeding. Uneaten food will add excess nutrients to you pond, depleting oxygen and encouraging algae blooms. A good rule of thumb is not to feed your fish more than they can eat in a period of two to three minutes. |
Even when you buy from a good supplier, any new fish you buy may have parasites that you can't see. However, there are some excellent fish medications that can help, especially if you must add your new fish directly to your pond. Just remember to carefully read the directions before using fish medications. Some require disconnecting the filters to protect your biological filtration. And since some types of fish are more sensitive than others, the dosage levels must be carefully observed. See the looking after your fish page at Pond Expert for more information!
