Peggy’s Practical Pond Points

Did You Know?

For optimal water clarity and fish/plant health, your pond should be circulating water 24-7.  The very minimum in hot weather, during daylight hours, is 8 hours of continuous  circulation. Check valves installed between the biofalls box and pump will prevent the filter media from becoming dry if you do turn your pump off.  Keeping the filter media wet keeps the beneficial bacteria active.

Plants not only add natural beauty to your pond, but they serve as water filters to encourage water clarity. Too many fish in a pond will result in cloudy water and increased health problems for the fish.

Taking plants out of the pots they are purchased in and planting them directly into the rocks of a pond, improves the healthy environment of your fish by more efficiently removing the Nitrates in your pond.  Using fabric aquatic plant pots serve the same purpose of allowing the plants to derive all their nutrition from the water.

You should stop feeding your fish when the water temperature drops below 55 degrees.  The nutritional needs of the fish decrease with the colder water when activity levels drop.  The GI tract works very inefficiently when cold and this can translate into slow digestion and food  impaction.

You can prevent fish food from entering your skimmer by utilizing a fish feeding ring.  This is a stationary, floating device that contains the food and allows the fish to dine from the depths.

Floating aquatic plants (Hyacinth for example) can also be contained in a floating flora island that prevents the fish from eating the roots and prevents the plants from entering the skimmer.

A decorative way to hide your falls box is to place a length of fishing line across the front of the box, then add floating plants (Hyacinth) or potted (in fabric plant pots with rocks for weight) aquatic plants (I like variegated water celery) directly into the box.  They will spread rapidly and completely hide the box, providing extra filtration and beauty at the same time.

Providing a simple fish refuge will help discourage predators from dining at your pond.  Two boulders with relatively flat sides can be placed in the deepest part of your pond. A piece of flagstone positioned on top of the boulders will provide an adequate hiding place for your fish.  If your pond is deep enough, a piece of PVC pipe (at least 8” in diameter) can also be used for a refuge.  It can be camouflaged  by placing boulders and rocks around it.  Broken terra cotta pots also work for shelter and they’re decorative.

Introducing plants or fish into your pond, that have been taken from rivers, lakes, or streams, is very risky.  The chances of these non domestic plants and fish bringing disease and parasites into your pond is high.  The bargain price does not justify the carnage that can occur.

On the other hand, do not dump your unwanted fish into the public water of any river , lake, or stream.  Huge die offs have occurred because some soul decided their pond fish would be just fine in a public waterway and that fish spread a communicable disease to the wild population.