A fish pond requires a lot of thing. When seasons are
changing, especially during crucial times like winter
and fall, special kinds of attention are needed by
your pond and the things living inside it. Worry not,
because when summer comes, every single chore and hard
work will payoff quite nicely.

What are the important materials and tools that you’ll
generally need?

Pond filter basically, to filter every ounce of
dirt in your pond

Fish food to keep your fishes alive (obviously).
If you’re thinking about giving your fishes fresh
drinking water, that would be redundant.

Leaf netting to ward off falling leaves. Leaves
can make your pond look more like a garbage disposal
than a tranquil landscape.

Plant fertilizer a fish pond wouldn’t be complete
if there are no plants for they provide additional
nourishment to the fish. In the absence of fish food,
plants can be a good food substitute. That is why, it
is important that plants are fertilized to grow
healthy.

Other materials that can be used, occasionally, are
a water chlorination reduction product and the
floating deicer. Below are the needed procedures.

Step # 1

Before you turn your filter on, make sure that it is
working properly and is clean. Once the filter is on,
you’ll notice that unwanted debris is being flushed
out. Thus, making your pond spiffy clean. Clean you
pond filter at least once a week.

Step # 2

Feed the fish. Be sure its fish food. Just by
determining the water and weather temperature, you can
know when or how many feedings or what kind of fish
food should you give. If the temperature of the water
is more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, feed at least
three times daily. During spring, feed your pets cold
fish food then change it to a high protein diet the
moment the water reaches a warmth of 70 degrees
Fahrenheit. These will give them sufficient nutrients
to carry through the years.

Step # 3

Fertilize your plants at least thrice a week. If in
doubt, follow instructions given out for every plant
purchase.

Step # 4

Place the leaf net just above the pond to keep the
leaves from falling in your pond. Leaf netting is very
important especially during autumn when trees tend to
foliage.

Step # 5

Use the floating deicer especially when the weather
gets cold to prevent the water inside the pond from
freezing. This will enable your fish to receive
appropriate amount of oxygen needed during winter.
Another alternative is to cover the fish pond with a
thick tarp, straw and plywood that can help to provide
proper insulation.

Step # 6

Drain the water inside the pond when spring comes.
While you’re at it, scrape off all dead debris and
sludge. A clean pond will help your fish be healthy
and at the same time prevent the growth of bacteria
that can cause diseases in your fish.

Proper maintenance and care of your fish pond will
both be an advantage for you and your fish.

Remove the water, partially

You could either choose to remove your fishes from
your pond and put them in a container while draining
the entire water content of your pond or partially
remove the water and clean the pond while your fishes
are still in it. Your choice. But, the most advisable
thing to do is remove partially the water content to
refrain the fishes from becoming unfamiliar to the
temperature of their new environment. This may cause
your fishes to get sick.

By using a siphon or pump, remove only a portion of
the pond water, while you’re at it, dont forget to
remove decaying vegetation, other debris and fallen
leaves. You don’t want these things to stay inside
your pond because they tend to decompose and foul the
water which can promote diseases to the fish.

Inspect the equipments

Make sure that while the level of water is still low,
you allow yourself to inspect each and every equipment
thats suspended under water for damage or wear.
Include pumps, lights, liners, filter, connections,
tubing and cables that are involved. If there are
things that need repair and replacement, don’t
hesitate to finish the job. It would ruin your
relaxation days if you have to fix everything instead
of sipping a cup of your favorite cold drink.

Try to check the following:

Pumps scrutinize for damages which can result to
intake blockage, electrical shock, or oil leakage. As
necessary, you should open the pump and inspect the
impeller.

Tubes inspect for rupture, stiffness or a kinked
status. Constrictions like these can affect the flow
of water in waterfalls, fountains, or filters.
Therefore, these aerators cant work effectively as
you would expect it to be.

Pond liner be on the look-out for punctures or small
tears that needs patching. If evidences of larger
degradation or damage are present, this indicates that
upgrading or replacement should be done.

Electric cords pay attention to surface cracks or
frays. If not taken care of, this can cause hazardous
shock that can affect both humans and fishes.

Filter clean this to eliminate visible debris that
cause reduction of breakdown or flow of
algae-promoting substances.

Fishes examine your fishes if there are any signs of
swollen abdomens, blotches or wounds. These conditions
should be treated immediately. If you have no idea on
how to deal with these, take the injured fishes to a
vet for further checkup.

Refill your pond

This cant be done in one sitting. Refilling your pond
may take some time or even overnight. Its like
refilling a swimming pool, or at least half of it.

Proper care of your fishes health always depend on
the water inside your pond which serves as their home.

Stress can cause a lot of problems in people but did
you know that fishes become stressed too? You will
know more about this if you have a pond in your garden
or backyard. In fact, a lot of fish pond owners are
alarmed if their fishes die unexpectedly. One
effective way for the proper care for your fish pond
is maintaining the oxygen level in the right amount.

Fish can get stressed if there isn’t enough oxygen in
the water. This is an environmental stress that
causes frequent fish deaths in ponds. So what causes
the diminished supply of oxygen for the fish?
First, you have to give attention to the growth of
algae in the pond. Blooming algae is a major factor in
oxygen loss. During daytime, these algae produce
oxygen but at night time, it will consume oxygen. If
there is a large number of blooming algae in the pond,
all the oxygen content of the pond is consumed leaving
the fish to die very soon.

An alga blooming is not just the problem; its sudden
death can also deplete the oxygen supply of the pond.
Remember awhile ago, it was mentioned that alga
produces oxygen. Sudden death of algae can also
deplete the production of oxygen in the pond.
Decomposing algae consumes oxygen. You can notice this
if the fishes are always gulping at the surface for
oxygen every 6 minutes at the start of algae death.

If you have many fish in the pond, you have to give
enough attention to their oxygen supply. Environmental
imbalance such as warm water temperatures can also cause
death. If you don’t want the fish to be on a
critical state, you have to properly care for them.
Warm temperature of water also decreases its capacity
to hold or retain oxygen. If you want, you can also
use water-aerating devices like waterfalls and small
fountains however, this is not sufficient. When the
temperature reaches 80 degrees Fahrenheit, you have to
introduce brisk aeration for additional oxygen.

Not all fish pond owners have oxygen testing devices
and if you don’t have one at home, you should make
sure that you provide continual aeration. Observe the
growth of algae and the water temperature. If you
think that additional or supplemental aeration is
required, don’t hesitate to do it day or night.

At present, there are studies being conducted on
harmful and toxic algae. Make sure that your pond does
not host these toxic algae otherwise all your fish
will all die. This type of algae is hard to identify
and so you must always keep a close watch over your
pond. This is needed to efficiently maintain the
ponds healthy environment. If you want, you can
gather more information about these harmful algae
online. If you have the right knowledge, you can take
good care of you fish.

In order to increase the lifespan of your fish,
always check for the oxygen levels of your pond.
Taking care of fish is hard work and it demands
some of your precious time but the rewards are
priceless. Seeing the fish grow and the pond
flourishing with life is enough to make owners of the
ponds very happy and contented. Don’t forget about
this very important factor oxygen. Don’t allow your
fish to become stressed due to insufficient supply
of oxygen.

There are a lot of things to consider from the inside
to the outside environment of the pond. Before you sit
on that favorite chair of yours, embracing the fruit
of your ecstatic labor, perform the required labor
first. Get up and gather your tools. Work begins here.

Give your fish sufficient air,

Who can live without air? Aside from anaerobic
bacteria and creatures living in water, approximately,
there are about 80-90 percent of creatures living
inside planet earth that is in need of air. This
principle includes your pond fishes. During summer, it
is inevitable that water has the tendency to become
warm. And as it gets warmer and warmer, the lesser and
lesser the oxygen content becomes. Furthermore,
another effect of the heat of summer is that the
metabolism of fishes are increased. One very good
reason why oxygen is badly needed. If you have a wide
pond with only a couple or a small number of fishes,
this would not be a problem. But, if you have a crowded
pond, oxygen can soon be depleted. If the owner has
allowed something like this to occur, his fishes can
suffer severe levels of stress which can occasionally
lead to acquiring diseases. Fishes can die overnight
if put under extreme situations and the owner
neglected it.

To solve this problem, the owner can use aerating
devices, he can also choose to clean-up the fish pond
making it free from debris and algae or, if worse
comes to worse, he can lessen the population.

Feed them right

Since the heat of summer contributes to faster
metabolism, it is advisable to provide fish food that
is high in protein. This will help them grow faster
and live healthier. This is the best time to feed them
with protein to enhance rapid, beautiful growth and
development. And as the fishes store fat, they are
preparing themselves when winter comes. Body fat can
get your fishes through long, cold nights of winter.

When feeding, always see to it that fishes are given
only minimal but frequent servings. It is better to
give them several feedings a day than one big serving.
Fishes tend to die when given large amount of food. If
you wanted to introduce something different, mix it
together with a small amount of their standard meal.
This will make their unfamiliar taste of food become
more acceptable.

Keep the pond clean

Always see to it that their pond is without algae,
fallen leaves or wasted food. Keep your pond filter
running to ensure the filtering of debris and maintain
the cleanliness of the water inside the pond. Fishes
can be more irritated with their environment and
experience sickness. Furthermore, a dirty pond can
cause bacteria to grow and contribute to your fishes
disease.

If all these are properly set and arranged, you can be
more confident in watching your fishes swim happily.
Proper caring of your fish pond not only contributes
to your fishes but to you, as an owner, as well.

You have to take good care of the fishes, as well as
the pond itself. To ensure that you’re doing the right
thing, here are some procedures to follow so that you
can properly care and maintain your fish pond.

Digging a large hole in the ground is not enough if
you want to have a clean fish pond. You cant just
fill it with water after digging. The ground or soil
should be separated from the pond and so you will need
to line it with plastic. Some individuals prefer to
have the surroundings of the pond concreted. Well,
its all up to you; you can either use plastic or
concrete to line the edges and sides of the pond. If
you do this, you can prevent debris from getting into
your pond.

In most cases, there are excessive nutrients in the
pond. In this case, you will greatly need something to
absorb such nutrients aside from the fishes. Before
you put the fishes in the pond, make sure that you
plant some plants around the pond and also, you can
also place water plants like lilies in the pond as
well. There are still other water plants that you can
put in the pond; you just have to purchase them or
perhaps if you have a friend who owns a pond, you can
ask some plants from him/her. Do your work and you
will be happier once you see the ponds appearance
with the plants around. By having water plants, you
will also have another advantage because the plants
can decrease algae growth.

Choose the ponds location wisely. Remember that you
should not install your fish pond at the lowest area
of the yard because it can get flooded during heavy
rains. Another thing to keep in mind is that there
should be no tree near the pond. Otherwise, the pond
will always be full of tree debris like twigs and
leaves. However, if you don’t want to cut down a tree,
you simply have to remove the tree debris everyday to
keep the pond free from any pollution. If you don’t
want to encounter these kinds of problems, you should
already think about the ponds best location before
anything else.

You can also decorate the edges of the pond with
rocks. It can serve as the outline of the pond but you
have to choose the rocks carefully because some rocks
give off harmful substances that can endanger the life
of your fishes,

In short, layout is very important. If you don’t
commit any mistakes at this stage, you can easily care
and maintain the pond. Proper care for your fish pond
lies on your hands and decision; so you have to decide
wisely.

Fishing in the river is very much different from pond
fishing. If pond fishing is your primary reason why
you installed a pond in the backyard, you have to
ensure that you put fishes which are suited for this
type of activity. Fishing in your backyard can be so
much fun because your kids can also join. This is a
very special time to bond with the kids on a great
weekend morning. The swimming areas of the fishes are
limited and so you can surely catch a fish. Once you
throw the fishing line, you can catch a fish in a few
seconds or minutes.

Before anything else, you must already give attention
to the layout of your pond. It must be situated in a
high area of the yard to prevent flooding during rainy
days. The pond should also be placed far from the
trees and bigger plants. That way, you dont have to
remove tree debris everyday. You should also put water
plants in your pond. This discourages the formation of
numerous algae. Extreme attention should also be given
to the edges of you pond. Well of course, the sides of
the pond should be lined with plastic or concrete so
that the soil will not come into contact with the pond
water; the pond will also be cleaner if you line the
sides. Another very important thing is to decorate the
edges with rocks. If the edges of the pond are made up
of rocks, very little dirt will fall into the pond.
Fishing is conducted in the edges of the pond and so
you shouldn’t forget about this very important factor.
The pond can be small or big and it will depend on
your yard space and on how much time you’re willing to
exert on it. Bigger pond means more fishes to grow and
catch as compared to a smaller one.

Proper care should be exercised with fish ponds. You
must remember that the fishes are contained in the
pond. You have to clean the pond regularly to get rid
of algae and other debris on the water. That way, you
can prevent pollution. You should also note the date
when you dropped the fishes so you can at least
determine the right time to start fishing.

With pond fishing, you don’t have to get a small boat
because the space is just small. You can just position
yourself in a good shady spot and that’s it; throw the
fishing line and wait for the fish. Don’t forget about
the proper care for your fish pond and you will surely
grow more fishes. Spend time, effort, and money and
you will have a beautiful pond.

1. Use plastic to line the fish pond edges so that it
is separated from the soil. If you follow this tip,
the soil nutrients will not intrude with your pond.
You will only attend to dealing with some elements
present in the pond or with other elements created by
your fishes.

2. Never install your pond in the lowest area of your
backyard. You see, if the pond is located in a low
area, the runoff from the higher portions of the area
will all go down to your pond. It is much easier to
maintain if the pond is situated on the highest area
of your backyard.

3. To make a beautiful landscape with your pond
included, you must put various kinds of plants in the
surroundings. And also, don’t forget to put some water
plants in the pond. With the presence of water plants,
the growth of algae is decreased. Excess nutrients are
absorbed by the pond plants. By doing so, you dont
have to get rid of algae from time to time. You must
remember though that algae growth is definitely a
major problem with fish ponds. You must prepare for
this and even if there are water plants, you still
have to clean your pond regularly. That way, your
fishes are healthier.

If this is your very first time to install a backyard
fish pond, perhaps you want to seek help from persons
who know how to put up a pond. You can also make use
of the internet in determining other effective ways of
caring for your pond. Another consideration in having
a pond in your backyard is to choose the fishes well.
There are a lot of fishes that you can raise in the
pond and if you don’t know which fishes to purchase,
you can ask friends and colleagues who also have fish
ponds. That way, you can get a little idea about
properly caring for your pond and the fishes as well.

There are also online resources that you can check out
to obtain helpful information regarding fish ponds.
Conduct a bit of research and you will surely benefit
from it. With know how, hard work, and dedication, you
can maintain your fish ponds beauty.

Go ahead, work your way in installing a fish pond.
Its not very hard but its not so easy as well. You
should know your responsibilities in having a pond.
Just follow the cool tips and somehow, you can
properly take care of your pond. By spending enough
time in taking good care of your pond, you will also
reap some benefits. Your fishes will be healthier and
your visitors will surely admire the beauty of your
pond.

If you’re living in a country where winter is the most
prominent season of the year, better build a pond
wherein a portion of it is about 30-45 inches deep.
This will protect the fishes from long periods of cold
spells. Even more drastic than cold water is the
building up of gasses which are toxic in a pond that
is iced over completely for a certain amount of time.
Therefore, it is mandatory that a part of the ponds
surface is kept open to enable the pond to circulate
air that results to the disposal of deadly gasses and
adds oxygen. You can accomplish this by:

a. Aerator. This is a large air stone that is operated
by an aquarium air pump which can constantly create a
small opening inside the ice. Unfortunately, placement
is quite critical and hard to be arranged precisely.
Ideally, the aerator should be placed halfway
measuring from the deepest part of the entire pond and
should be monitored frequently. Chances are, if the
aerator is placed too near from the surface, it has a
tendency to freeze, if placed deeper, it can chill the
entire pond.

b. De-Icer or Heater. There are different kinds of
de-icers that can be safely used for performed ponds,
liner or even in concrete. Out of the use of
electricity, a puncture can be made through the iced
pond where it serves as breathing hole for fishes.
Sometimes, the most efficient de-icers or heaters can
produce an ice-free pond even if the winter weather is
overwhelming.

b. Water pump. Same limitations to an aerator, a water
pump can provide an opening on the surface of the pond
but with several conditions. One condition is that the
pump must be mounted on the deepest part yet should be
far enough from the bottom to avoid water circulation
and far enough from the surface so that it wouldnt
solidly freeze. Regularly inspect the pump because it
can freeze solid or run dry, these can destroy the
integrity of the pump.

Covering the pond can be helpful for the fishes and
the devices used. It can protect the pond from extreme
coldness and will reduce the amount of electricity
that your heater needs. Although, the cover must
always be raised to enable gas exchange and prevent
toxic substances to reside in the pond. The structure
would turn out like a wooden frame is built over the
pond at its surface then it will be covered with
plywood. Insulating materials can follow. The covering
must possess sturdiness to withstand the long days of
snow accumulation.

Last concern is feeding your fish. Actually, you can
drop this idea for even if your pets seem to be quite
interested, they will just ignore the food that youll
give. This is because during cold days, metabolism can
be quite sluggish. Although, to prevent starvation,
you can supplement them food that can easily be
digested like the ones that are made from wheat germ.

Proper care of your pond fishes during winter can be
crucial to your pets especially when it is located
outdoors.

This liner system is perfect for any backyard or courtyard and can be installed by homeowners. Plus, there’s a variety of shapes and sizes to fit every need and budget. This item includes a pre-shaped geo-membrane BLACK PVC 30 mill liner, an underlayment template to insure a professional look with easy to follow instructions. The template makes finding the right location and digging out the design easy – you just mark out the template and follow the inside perimeter. The top of the (more…)

One of the most popular interests of people all over the world is to have pets; dogs, cats, rabbits and even exotic animals like snakes and iguanas. But most households, especially those who have ponds at home, love to have fishes as their pets. And why not; fishes dont only make lovely pet, they are also beneficial. Fishes can make your ponds look beautiful, colorful and interesting. Aside from these, they are also helpful as they eat mosquitoes and algae.

Now, among the most popular options when it comes to fish pets is the Koi fish. This type of fish is considered as the ornamental and domesticated variations of carp fish. Koi fish originally came from China but it is now widely available in Japan.

If youre planning to have Koi fishes in your aquariums and ponds for the first time, the very first and most vital things that you should know are the different types of Koi fishes. Knowing what type of Koi fish youre going to buy is essential so youll know what type of food to give them, how to properly take care of them, and even how much budget you should have.

Types of Koi Fish

According to Koi fish experts, there are at least thirteen different varieties and sub-varieties of Koi fish. Here are among the most common varieties:

Asagi
This is a Koi fish type that bears pale blue color and has orange belly. It also has regular scales and net pattern on the back. Asagi means pale blue in Japanese.

Bekko
The word Bekko means tortoise shell in Japanese and this Koi fish type was so named because of its markings. Usually, youll see Bekko in white, yellow or red colors and have black markings.

Hakarimono (Ogon)
This is a Koi fish type which bears no markings and is single-colored metallic.

Hariwake
This is a metallic Koi fish type with two colors and have Doitsu scales pattern.

Karasugoi
This is a black Koi fish type that has orange or white bellies.

Kohaku
This is the most popular type of Koi fish. This is basically a white Koi with spots and red markings.

Koromo
Koromo means, robed in Japanese. This fish was so named because aside from its red markings on its white body, it is also robed with scales outline bearing different colors.

Matsuba
This type of Koi fish has scales patterned as pine cone; this is a single-colored fish that has darker color-inlay in its scales.

Sanke
This was famous from 1912-1926. A white Koi fish with black and red markings, this fish has spots but dont have black spots or markings on head.

Showa
This is the Koi fish type produced since 1926 until today. It has white and red markings on its black body color.

Shusui
This is a pale blue-colored fish and has orange belly. It has a large line of scales with dark blue color on its back.

Tancho
The tancho is a Koi fish type with red spots on the head. The spots may be triangle or circular in shape.

Utsuri
This is basically the Koi fish type bred from the Showa. This is a fish with black stripes and has yellow, red or white markings.

As you may have noticed, Koi fish are being categorized according to their colors, markings and body patterns. The arrangements of the scales and the deepness or quality of colors are also used to determine the Koi fish types. And depending on the designs of your landscaped-ponds or aquariums, you can get any type of Koi fish to suit your needs. Just be sure to ask your pet shops about how to properly take care of your Koi and if they are suited for the environment and locations you intend to have them placed.