The majority of pond-keepers find fish as important as plants, especially those who have a young family. Children love fish, although there is a danger of over-stocking, for there never seems to be enough in any pond for young children. There is also impatience to get the new pond stocked immediately it is filled with water. This must be resisted until the plants have had an opportunity to establish. While there is no minimum requirement for fish, there is a maximum number that should not be exceeded.

The most satisfactory stocking rate is 2ins length of fish to every 1 square foot of surface area. This is not of the total surface area of the pond but of open water uncluttered by marginal plants. This rate of stocking permits growth and development of the fish and makes natural breeding likely. Fish enthusiasts will often stock more heavily than this, but an absolute maximum is 6ins to every 1 square foot of surface area.

When purchasing fish a good guide as to whether they are healthy is the condition of their fins. Stout upright dorsal fins and well-expanded ventral fins are an indication of good health and this can be confirmed if the eyes are clear and bright as well. An obvious consideration when selecting fish is their liveliness. However, while a lively fish is likely to be a healthy fish, it could equally be a very hungry fish. It is common practice with many fish retailers to keep the fish a little hungry. This ensures that they swim and dart about the tank in search of morsels of food and therefore appear livelier than they would ordinarily. An added bonus is the reduction in the fouling in the tank.

With small fish it is important to see that there are no damaged or missing scales as exposed tissue is very susceptible to fungal infection. The same applies to larger specimens, although it is not so critical, and the likelihood of finding a large fish that has no scales missing is fairly remote. If an otherwise healthy fish has a few scales missing, then dip it in a proprietary fungus cure. It is prudent in any event to treat all newly purchased fish in this way as a precaution before introducing them to the pond.

garden pond

James Hunt asked:


In the world of gardening and outdoor design, more and more people are opting to use what are called garden ponds in their yards. These are usually found in the backyard of the house and are there simply for decoration. These ponds can be man-made or for those who are lucky enough, they can be natural. The more natural the ponds looks the better then garden will look overall.

Ponds are not without their troubles and hassles however. If you do have a pond in your yard then you must take every effort to ensure that the pond is cleaned and well kept. For each season of the year there are different things that you can do to ensure that your pond is looking great.

In the spring most people are preparing for summer so they must prepare their ponds as well. If the pond is a man made pond then you should increase the circulation of water in the pond. If you have fish in the pond, then you should start feeding the fish when the water temperature reaches fifty degrees or higher. When the water temperature rises, the fish will begin surfacing again. Any unwanted weeds and leaves should also be removed from the ponds as soon as possible in the spring season.

Backyard ponds look great when they have flowers and plant life growing in them. Therefore when the summer season begins you need to begin taking care of your plants. You should begin feeding your plants. This means fertilizing them. During the summer you need to remove dead foliage from the bottom of the pond. If you pond contains any fish then you should remove any dead and rotting fish from the bottom.

The fall of the year is the worst season of the year for having ponds in the yard. This is the time of the year when the leaves begin to fall of the trees. These leaves will surely fall into your ponds and will cover the top of the water. IF the leaves are left in the pond then you could cause damage the water and the plant and animal life that live in the water. When leaves decay they can disturb the ecological balance of the pond, whether it be man made or natural. You should always make every effort to remove all leaves from the water.

Usually during the winter ponds are frozen over. If the pond is man made then you might want to remove the water from the pond if you do not wish it to freeze. In most cases ponds are usually left alone and they freeze during the winter months. Therefore people do not need to do anything to care for them.



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