Page 320 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

318 POND FISH: MAINTENANCE

Pond management

Ponds need regular maintenance if they are to provide A well-kept pond,
fish with a healthy and safe environment. Problems are that has healthy
planting and good
most likely to arise in the first year, before the pond water quality is an
attractive addition
is established, and are typically caused by overfeeding to any garden
and will provide
or overstocking. Frequent monitoring and an awareness a healthy habitat
of seasonal changes will help avoid the major pitfalls. for pond fish.

Spring checks
As fish begin to stir out of their period of winter dormancy,
spent in the depths of the pond, they are very susceptible to better able to fight infections. This surge in appetite, and the
minor illnesses, such as bacterial infections, which can rapidly resulting increase in waste products, causes a rise in ammonia
overwhelm their weakened immune systems. Thorough levels in the water, so now is a good time to maintain and
inspection of individual fish will help identify and treat service filtration equipment. The beneficial bacteria in
illnesses in their earliest stages (see pp.322–324). Once the water biological filters are inactive during cold weather, and such
temperature increases, fish regain their appetites and become filters may need to be reseeded with bacterial cultures. Live
and freeze-dried cultures are available from suppliers of pond
equipment. The addition of zeolite, a chemical that absorbs
ammonia directly from the water, may also be beneficial until
SEASONAL PLANT CARE
the filter is fully functioning again.
Plants around the pond may benefit from a layer of leaf mulch to protect Pond fish begin to show spawning behavior in late spring,
them in winter. Plants in the pond itself that are vulnerable to freezing when new plant growth provides surface cover for the fish
weather must be transferred indoors before the first frost. Although the and for any eggs and resulting fry in the pond. Check
winter pond may look bare (below left), the plants can be returned to regularly in case any fish have become trapped in reeds or
the pond in spring and will grow quickly over the summer (below right).

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