Q & A
How many fish can I add to my new pond?
Is there any difference between bargain fish food and premium food.
What should I feed my fish and how often should I feed them?
Are there any benefits of adding aquatic plants to my pond?
Why is my pond water green? Will a UV filter help?
What kind of filter should I install in my pond. What are the benefits?
I need to purchase a pump. What size do I need?
What size pump should I use for a waterfall.
Do I need special soil for pond plants?
My fish always seem to be up at the top of the water. Are they just hungry or is something wrong?
Do I really need to use a net over my pond?
How often should I test my pond water?
Do I have to leave the waterfall on all the time?
I'd like to get some underwater lights for my pond. Do I have to get some special electrical wiring for that?
Can I put a timer on my pump and just have the pump on during the day and off at night?
What should I feed my Koi in Winter?
How many fish can I add to my new pond?Make sure you don't overload your pond's ecosystem with too many fish. For a new pond, a good rule of thumb is one inch of fish per square foot of surface area. A mature pond can support two to three inches of fish per square foot. Once your pond is built, add the fish a few at a time over the course of 30 days to ensure that the pond and filter are biologically ready to support aquatic life. Simple precautions, such as testing water quality, neutralizing chlorine when adding water and protecting against common diseases, can assure your pond fish remain in optimum health.Back to Top |
Is there any difference between bargain fish food and premium food.Because Koi and goldfish do not have teeth or stomachs, easy digestibility is of prime importance. Highly digestible foods minimize waste, enabling filtration systems to operate more efficiently and keeping the pond ecosystem healthier. The vivid oranges, reds and whites of Koi and Goldfish are the result of a complete, balanced diet. The right nutrients ensure vibrant colors and proper body shape.Back to Top |
What should I feed my fish and how often should I feed them?Pond fish need the proper combination of protein, fats, fiber, minerals and vitamins. Too much or too little of any particular nutrient can have an adverse effect on both the health of the fish and the quality of the water. Fish should be fed one to two times daily. Only feed as much as they will consume within five minutes.Back to Top |
Are there any benefits of adding aquatic plants to my pond?Besides adding beauty to the pond, aquatic plants also provide welcome shade, which reduces algae growth, and natural filtration, which helps clean the water. After the bacteria in your filter break down harmful pollutants, plants are able to absorb and remove them from your pond. For optimal growth, remember to choose plants suited to your climate and to keep plants a reasonable distance away from moving water.Back to Top |
Why is my pond water green? Will a UV filter help?The most common complaint of new and experienced pond enthusiasts alike is green water. Green water is caused by blooms of single-celled algae, which not only cloud the water and obscure fish viewing, but also rob the water of valuable oxygen and release harmful pollutants. These organisms are so tiny, they pass through even the finest filter and grow quickly when fed by excessive sunlight. Over feeding your fish can result in high concentrations of waste and nutrients which can lead to algae problems as well. It is recommended that at least 60% of your pond surface is covered by floating plants which provide shade for your fish and helps control algae. One solution for controlling such algae is a UV clarifier. Clarifiers use ultraviolet light to kill the algae and cause them to clump together into particles large enough to be removed by filtration, leaving the pond cleaner and clearer.Back to Top |
What kind of filter should I install in my pond. What are the benefits?Filtration is an essential part of a healthy water garden. Filtration removes impurities from the water and helps to preserve both the pump and aquatic life. There are two basic filtration methods: mechanical and biological. With mechanical filtration it physically traps dirt and debris.The second type is Biological Filtration. It uses natural biochemical processes to improve the water. These types of filters create an environment for beneficial bacteria to colonize. This bacteria converts harmful ammonia from waste products into nitrates, which are relatively harmless to fish and beneficial to plants. The best pond filters offer a combination of mechanical and biological filtration. Generally, external filters are preferable to submerged filters because they allow more oxygen to benefit nitrifying bacteria.
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I need to purchase a pump. What size do I need?
The pump is one of the most important equipment purchases you will make for your water garden. It is the heart of the pond, circulating water to the filter and keeping the ecosystem healthy. Because it runs constantly, it must be both dependable and energy efficient. The pump you choose is based on the size of your pond and the pumping capacity in gallons per hour (gph). The pump should circulate the entire volume of the pond at least every hour. So, if you have a 1000-gallon pond, you need a pump that handles at least 1000 gph. When in doubt, you should purchase a slightly more powerful pump. You can always slow or divert the flow of a pump, but you can't increase it.
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What size pump should I use for a waterfall.To choose the proper pump for a waterfall, you first need to understand pump head height. This is the water pressure generated by a pump. The maximum pumping height is the height a pump will raise water straight up resulting in zero gph of water flow at the top. As the height of any pump discharge increases, the flow will decrease. For example, a 1000 gph pump may pump 850 gph at a height of two feet, but only 500 gph at a height of ten feet. To calculate the pump size for your waterfall, decide the width of the spillover you want and determine the vertical distance from the top of the waterfall to the pond surface. Every inch of spillover width requires between 100-200 gph of water flow at the height of the waterfall. For example, if you want an eight-inch wide stream over a waterfall that is four feet above the pond, you need a pump with a flow rate of at least 800 gph at a height of four feet. Again, when in doubt always purchase a slightly more powerful pump. You can always slow or divert the flow of a pump, but you can't increase it. For a light flow, you can figure 50 gph times the width of your waterfall (in inches), 100 gph for a average flow and 200+ gph for a strong flow. Back to Top |
Do I need special soil for pond plants?Yes you do! You cannot use typical garden soil as it will cloud your pond water and if there are any chemicals or fertilizers in your soil, you will be adding them to your pond. Special pots may not be totally necessary but pots that are designed for ponds and water gardens have "slotted" sides that allow for water passing through. If water did not pass through it could create an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment and spur the growth of bad bacteria, which you definitely don't want.Back to Top |
My fish always seem to be up at the top of the water. Are they just hungry or is something wrong?
Depending on the type of fish you have, your fish may be in need of oxygen. If you see them gasping at the top, they are in immediate need of oxygen and you need to get some to them immediately or they will not survive. If they just casually swim about the surface of the water, they may be looking for food so offer them some food and see what they do. If they don't eat it, they're not hungry. If they are mosquito fish and other fish who get their food primarily from the surface of the water, then they are most likely looking for food. You just don't want them gasping for air and if they are, you have to act quickly in order to save them.
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Do I really need to use a net over my pond?
No, you don't but I will tell you reasons why people do use a net. Nets keep out blue herons, kingfishers, egrets and other birds who love to eat fish as well as racoons, cats, etc. who want to go for a swim and have lunch at the same time. If you don't have fish, then I wouldn't worry about getting a net but know that you're going to be skimming out debris that may fly into your pond. It's really nice to have a net covering your pond in the Fall especially if you have leaves falling off the trees and blowing into your pond. Either way, it's up to you if you want a net but it is not something you absolutely have to have.
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How often should I test my pond water?
You should test your pond water approximately every week. For small ponds it may be more often and for large ponds, it may be less frequent. For new ponds, test it every few days for the first few weeks in order to get a good basis of where you're pond is at, chemically. After that, you may be able to check it weekly providing you don't add a big change to your pond such as a bunch of fish, eliminating a pump or filter, etc. Sunlight will affect it as well, so you want to have a good idea of how the sunlight and warm temperatures are affecting the pond's ecosystem.
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Do I have to leave the waterfall on all the time?If your waterfall is the only source of water circulation and oxygenation and if you have fish, then the answer is yes, you have to leave it on all the time. If you have fish and your fish get enough oxygen from another source of circulation, then you do not need to have your waterfall on all the time. If you have no fish or other wildlife in your pond then you do not need to have the waterfall on all the time but if it is your only source for water circulation, then you may end up having stagnant water which can attract bugs and more algae.Back to Top |
I'd like to get some underwater lights for my pond. Do I have to get some special electrical wiring for that?
All electrical wiring should be done by a qualified electrician. The underwater lights are plugged into a transformer and the transformer is wired to a circuit breaker. Everything must be GFI protected. There are possible electricution hazards when it comes to water and electricity and an electrician who is familiar with local codes should be able to assist you. Most pond lights are 12v and therefore do not pose any hazards to fish or humans.
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Can I put a timer on my pump and just have the pump on during the day and off at night?IF your pond has fish and IF and you have other sources of adequate aeration such as an aerator, then you can have the pump turned off at night. If your pump provides the ONLY source of aeration for your pond and you have fish, then you cannot. At night aquatic plants consume a lot of oxygen and which will result in low oxygen levels which can cause death to fish or other live animals. So, we recommend pumps being on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you have a water garden (without fish) you can try turning off your pump at night but the water can get stagnant and cause the pH to increase, etc. Again, it's really best for the pump to run 24/7. Always check the amperage when purchasing a new pump. There are some very effecient pumps currently on the market.Back to Top |
What should I feed my Koi in Winter?When the pond water temperature drops, fish require a highly digestible cool-water diet. The cold water diet contains wheat germ which is more easily digested and contains higher level of fats. It is recommeded that you begin feeding them wheat germ food when the water temperature is around 55 degrees and that you discontinue feeding them altogether when the temperature drops below 50 degrees. By then your fish will be in a semi hibernation state and will not require feeding again until Spring when the temperature rises above 50 degrees. Keep feeding them a wheat germ diet until the water approaches 60 degrees.Back to Top |
