Tips for Maintaining a Fish Pond

A fish pond in the backyard is a perennial source of attraction to guests, of fun to children and of pride to the owner. Besides adding beauty to your landscape, a home-grown fish pond also teaches you to learn about nature and work towards maintaining the ecosystem harmoniously.

Common goldfish are a good fit for most ponds because they tolerate cold well and do not require special care. Koi is another popular type of fish that survives well in a small fish pond. Koi feed heavily on plants - so you have to protect the roots of your water plants to keep your water garden's vegetation alive. While a fish pond is generally easy to look after, a few careless missteps can ruin the little ecosystem.

Here a few tips for proper maintenance and care of your fish pond:

* Never overfeed your fish. They cannot eat more than they need to sustain themselves. All the unconsumed food will turn putrid in the water making the pond smell foul and exposing the fish to illnesses.

* Never add too many fish to your pond. An overcrowded pond can quickly accumulate a lot of fish waste and become a breeding ground for algae and insects.

* Excess chlorine on our pond water can be fatal to your fish. Check the pH of your pond periodically if you suspect contamination by chlorine and accordingly replace the water.

* Make sure that the pond is designed well enough to keep predators like cats and herons away from your fish. Having thick vegetation around the borders of your pond is one way to achieve this.

* In the winter float a plank of wood on the surface of the pond to keep the cold from freezing the upper layer of water. A frozen pond usually loses its plants and fish because they cannot get oxygen from the air.

* During the summer your pond will lose some water due to evaporation. Check the water level in your pond periodically and replenish the water through a hose gently lowered into the pond.

* Clear excessive vegetation in the pond so that there is enough surface area for oxygen to enter the water body.

* Periodically clear out decaying roots and foliage from the pond to keep it clean and fresh.

* You must regularly clear off any algae growing in your pond. Thoughtful plantation of vegetation can reduce the abundance of algae because some plants compete with algae for sunlight and nutrition.

When you buy fish for your pond from a pet store, be sure to find out if it needs special care.Pay attention to the instructions especially when you transfer them into your water garden. Keep these simple tips in mind and enjoy your fish pond round the year !