How to look after your fish pond

Looking after your pond is important from the very moment that you get yours set up. If you don't get into a good routine of looking after the conditions of your pond, then you will find that it will soon become difficult to recover. This would be bad news not only for the look of the pond, but also for the life within the pond. Fish will only thrive if the water conditions in your pond are sustained at a certain level. If there is a buildup of sludge, debris, fish waste or other pollutants, then you will not be able to enjoy the wonder of a happy and healthy ecosystem of fish, plants and water that a top quality pond provides. A healthy looking pond is a good thing for the fish that live in the water, but it is also a good thing for you. The visual beauty of the colours of vibrant plants and fish as they float through clear water will be there to give you a fresh slice of peace, calm and relaxation each morning.

Water quality is one of the single most influential factors in the health of your fish. So many health issues, and even deaths, of fish could be avoided with an active plan to keep the pond's environment in a good condition. If this all sounds a bit of a big responsibility, then fear not. The pond can easily be looked after by combining a number of simple and easy practices and treatments. Read more below for our outline of some of the most important aspects of looking after your pond.

Clear loose debris with a net or skimmer

If you have a net or a skimmer, then you will be able to clear natural debris from the pond's surface. This is highly advantageous as it means that you can get rid of the stuff before it has a chance to decompose. It is this process of decomposition which, when combined with fish waste, can release ammonia into the water. This would be bad news as ammonia can be extremely dangerous for fish should the levels reach a toxic point.

Make sure your filtration system is effective

A good quality filtration system is extremely important for your pond. It is the job of a high quality filter to skim out physical debris, as well as to provide a level of biofilter, breaking down and removing harmful bacteria. This day to day filtration will make for water which is able to sustain vibrant and healthy fish.

Make use of pond treatment methods

There are many pond water treatment products from the likes of Tetra that you can pick up for a relatively low cost which are not only highly effective but also quick and easy to use. If you have a newly constructed pond, or if you have needed to replace the water with fresh water, you can make use of Tetra's bacteria starter treatment. This will give the water a foundation of the kind of good bacteria that a healthy pond ecosystem naturally develops over time.

There are also sludge removing treatments available which can be save you should a sludge buildup start to effect your pond and your fish. We would also recommend picking up some treatment which will make tap water safe for your fish. This means that you can easily replace water if it has become too much clogged with debris and other pollutants. For fresher water such as this, you can pick up water balance treatments which will add trace elements and vitamins that make for a healthy, balanced pond.

Replacing the water is not always the best route, however, as it will restart the ecosystem which has been building up, therefore it is also important to make use of products such as Tetra's CrystalWater treatment, which is able to effectively remove excess dirt in a matter of hours. There are additionally products which have been specially made to target algae growth, meaning that your pond will be free from murky green water. The great thing about all these products is that they have been made to carry out their job without causing any harm to the fish and plants that your pond is helping to support.

Algae Treatment

Find out how the Tetra water treatment products can help control the algae in your fish pond in this short video.

Don't overpopulate your pond with fish

A healthy amount of fish per size of pond is thought to be roughly 10 fish per 450 litres of water. If you have much more than this amount, you will find that the quality of the conditions in your pond will suffer. Most notably, there will tend to be a large build up of fish waste in the water. This in turn means that an imbalance will be created in the delicate ecosystem of your pond.

Seasonal care

There are some pieces of pond care which only apply to certain times of the year, and this indeed depends on the weather where you are. If you live in a cold area that generally tends to have freezing spells over the winter, then this will effect the kind of care that your pond will need. Crucially, you will need to be watching out for the pond freezing over. If it does, then you will need to carefully melt or cut a hole in the surface so that the pond's oxygen supply is not depleted.

In autumn, you might similarly want to think about the increased amount of fallen leaves. Some pond owners even purchase net frames which are positioned above the pond so that this mass of leaves does not clog the water. Similarly, there can be patches of extreme heat in the summer and this can spell bad news for your pond and fish because water over a certain temperature has trouble retaining its dissolved oxygen levels. This is where garden design comes into play. Part of the care for your pond in this case can come in the form of some well placed garden features and plants which will cast a partial shade over the surface of your pond.