Fish Ponds

Maintaining Your Fish Pond's Balance

Fish ponds are not much different than other garden ponds; they just require more care and work! Regardless of whether you're interested in a swimming pond or a garden pond, fish can be an appealing and calming addition to your backyard.

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The orange and white Koi are the most popular type of fish for garden ponds. Keep in mind there is considerable maintenance and upkeep required in order to have healthy and long-lasting Koi. Your fish supply store can provide you with specific chemical limits for your pond water, but following are some general guidelines for keeping Koi:

Chlorine	less than .05 ppm
Oxygen	more than 5 ppm
Ammonia	less than 0.1 ppm
Nitrites	less than 0.2 ppm
pH	6.5 -9
Alkalinity	50 - 170 ppm
Hardness	75 - 150 ppm
Salinity	0.1 - 0.3%
Phosphates	algae blooms
Copper	less than 0.1 ppm

As well, the pond must be kept at a certain temperature - around 59 degrees F. Thus, a heater or de-icer is usually a good idea to keep ice from forming and to assist in the decomposition of organic matter.

An aerator can also be a wise accessory for fish ponds. They provide the pond with oxygen and help with decomposition of organic matter. This process releases the toxic gases that form because of decomposing matter at the bottom of the pond and allows the pond to get the oxygen it needs. A thermometer is another definite necessity for fish ponds.

Be sure to look into the proper nutritional foods that Koi require and what they can and can't eat. Barley straw bales are often a great addition to your pond which will provide your fish with healthy food and help control algae at the same time.

There are many other types of fish suitable for a fish pond like carp, shubunkins, ruyakins, fantails and comets. There are many things to consider when purchasing or breeding fish . It's all about balance. You need to ensure your water, vegetation, bacteria, temperature and many other things are balanced in your fish pond. If you live in a zone where the temperature stays between 55 and 60 degrees, you can almost use any kind of tropical fish.