Fish Ponds

You can create a pond, small or large, in your garden that will focus on the life of a fish instead of the life of your plants. The use of water in your garden, with a focus on fish instead of on plants will bring a whole new outlook to your garden treasures and the path of life in your gardens.

Creating a water pond for fish is not as difficult as you might think. If you are building a water pond for fish, you can still use plants or you can keep the pond just for fish. After the initial expense of building a fishpond, your expenses are very minimal. The bugs and creatures that crawl in your gardens actually feed the fish and you don’t have to buy fish food at all.

The interest in creating fishponds has been growing in the last few years, where even small fishponds are a big hit in rural communities. Smaller type fish ponds that are home to just one variety of fish will still bring your gardens a great finish quality that you have been searching for.

When designing a fish pond, you can also implement many of the ideas that you have for a bog pond, a water garden and for plants that need the water to thrive by creating these smaller water gardens near the fish pond as if they were connected, but they are not.

If you are interested in creating a fishpond, one of the first things you must do is learn more about what type of fish you want to keep. Will this fish need a certain amount of water? Will this type of fish need plants to produce oxygen in the water? Will this fish need anything special in the winter months? Visit an aquarium nearest you to make a choice about fish that is right for your climate and your locality. You can also visit your local extension office for great suggestions about fish for your fishpond as well as finding out where local fish hatcheries are located for a good price.

taken from Pondsupply fish pond article

Transporting fish

Transporting fish from one place to another is not an adventure to be taken lightly. Much goes into a smooth introduction of fish into a new pond as well as the process of getting them there.

 

If you are purchasing fish from a local pet store, the fish should be put in a plastic bag filled with pure oxygen. Ask if the provider has a stress-treatment that can be squirted in the bag. If the transportation will be a lengthy endeavor, consider putting the fish in a bucket with an air-pump or be prepared to splash the water every so often to allow the water to stay aerated.

 

Keeping the fish in a cool and dark place while transporting is important as this will lower stress for the fish. Keeping an ice-pack under the bag will slow the metabolism and awareness of the fish while slowing their need for oxygen.

 

Once you’ve made it to your destination, you’re only half way there. Letting the fish into their new habitat immediately will cause immense stress and can possibly be fatal. Start by placing the plastic bag in the pond to be floated for 10-15 minutes. If it’s a sunny day, place a towel over the bag to protect the fish from direct sunlight. Adding a teaspoon of dissolved salt will also help to alleviate stress. After the first 10-15 minutes (longer if the fish were transported with ice) add a little bit of the pond water into the bag and continue to float the bag for another 10-15 minutes. A lengthy transition yes, but it will make all the difference in assuring the health and happiness of your fish.

 

At this time you are ready to introduce your fish into the pond. Gently untie the bag and allow the fish to swim out. If you went the route of introducing the pond water into a bucket instead of floating it, be sure to wet your hands before picking up the fish and placing them in the water. For bigger fish, it’s a good idea to use gloves or a net to avoid injury to yourself or the fish.

 

It is a good idea to keep an eye on the new fish after their transition because fish, especially Koi, are known for jumping up and sometimes out of the pond. If you have a pond cover, place it over the pond for a couple of hours or a day to keep the fish from jumping. New fish will usually stay at the bottom of the pond while they recover and gets accustomed to their new surroundings.

 

Lastly, feed fish sparingly for the next few days to allow time to recover and also because you will find they are not particularly hungry at first.

Fish Selection

Choosing fish to stock in your pond varies on the size of water garden you have and the price you are willing to spend. Fish such as goldfish are easily maintained and generally won’t grow to be bigger than six inches thus making them ideal for smaller ponds. The common goldfish, comet goldfish and Shubunkin are known to be hardy. However, fancier goldfish including fantails and lionheads are more easily preyed upon.

 

More desirable fish such as Koi take a little more consideration, time and maintenance. Koi require at least three feet in depth, better water quality and a bigger pond as a general rule of thumb. At one year of age, Koi will generally get to about 6-8 inches, 12-16 inches in two years, with the possibility of getting up to 24-36 inches in a decade. However, the size of Koi greatly depends on how big their habitat is as well as the quality of their environment, water and maintenance. Although much goes into the care and keeping of Koi, they make great pets and can become very friendly, even eating out of your hands at dinner time. They also help in keeping your pond beautiful as they graze on algae. 

 

Fish such as The White Cloud fish and Catfish variety aren’t typically kept as pets like Goldfish and Koi. The White Cloud Fish are often kept for the purpose of mosquito control, mostly in warmer climates while Catfish will get rather large, tear up plants and stir up sediment and most likely prey on smaller fish. 

 

Whatever your selection, with a little care and attention, fish can add color and fun to your water garden. 

Spring Sickness

Spring Sickness is a term that loosely describes poor health shown by some fish after the winter season. Spring Sickness is not a specific disease but an umbrella term for anything from excessive body slime or mucus production to Bacteraemia, also known as internal bacterial infections. Most cases of Spring Sickness will clear up on its own as spring progresses and the immune systems of the fish get going again. 

 

The best way to avoid Spring Sickness is to make sure your fish go into winter in good health. Fish that come out of the winter season in a weakened state will have greater difficulty fighting Spring Sickness and are at a greater risk of dying and passing the sickness onto others. Spring cleaning not only applies to a cluttered garage but also to ponds that need a bit of TLC after the long winter months. Just keep in mind that slow and steady is the key. Treating your pond with an anti-bacterial mix while gradually increasing feeding as well as splitting and rearranging plants is a must as this will help keep down the stress level for your fish and encourage a lush water garden for summer.

Fish for your Pond

If you are interested in putting fish in your homemade fountain or pond, you will have to make sure the water is purified. Chlorine is an additive that is used to neutralize the contaminants in drinking water, however it is not good for fish. Dechlorinators are available to get rid of the chlorine and there are chemicals that can adjust the ph.

There is a difference between koi and goldfish.

Koi are more expensive and require more commitment from the gardener because they can grow up to two feet long and live up to one hundred and seventy-five years. Koi require a high level of water quality. They like to eat plants and to root around them, which can make the water murky.

Goldfish are very easy to deal with and they do not eat plants. They are also very colorful and if you are a plant lover then goldfish are your best choice.

Both koi and goldfish need to be fed about once a day and it is a good idea to feed them at the same time every day. Avoid overcrowding your pond. You should have a balance of aquatic life including plants, fish, and scavengers can help control algae and maintain water quality.

Before adding goldfish to the pond, you need to acclimate them. Add some of the pond water to the goldfish bag to help them adjust. Let it set for twenty minutes. While the fish are being acclimated, add the plants. You can put some bricks in to give height. Add a floating plant to give fish something to hide under and to help cool the water.

The best thing to maintain your pond is to keep it clean. A hand skimmer is good for getting out unwanted debris from the pond. Keep the water moving. This will add oxygen to the water and helps prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.

taken from PondSupply fish for your pond

Choosing a Liner

You have sited your pond, calculated measurements and dug a hole. Now comes the hard part, what type of liner do you use?

 

There are many types of liners available varying in materials, color and of course price. As with many things in life, it is a good idea to get the best quality for your budget as the product will last longer and cause fewer headaches down the road. Liners made of Butyl rubber and PVC or low-density polyethylenes are used in better quality liners. These are available in different thicknesses and some even have a Glad bag type web design to offer added strength. Different colors and liners with pebbles glued to the edges for a natural look is an aesthetically pleasing option for some butyl and PVC liners available on the market. But you’re not done yet. Adding an underlay (a cushioning material to go between liner and earth) is a wise decision to get your pond off to a good start and protect it from punctures and the elements. Purchasing a specific underlay material is not entirely necessary however. Sand and even old carpet scraps can be used with basically the same results. 

 

While the aforementioned liners will get the job done for most pond enthusiasts, there are others to choose from. Polythene liners are cheaper but should be avoided if possible. Lacking pliability and prone to becoming brittle and cracking due to sun exposure, polythene is a cheaper option best used only for temporary projects. Geotextiles or “clay-impregnated” liners are on the other end of the spectrum as far as quality and price. Infused with clay, these liners are able to plug small holes and thus sustain minor punctures. While the idea of never having to deal with leaks is a pleasing thought, geotextiles are ideal for larger, wildlife ponds and aren’t necessary for smaller, backyard ponds.  

 

Now that you’ve decided what type of liner is best for your project, you are ready to shop! Remember to add a couple of inches to each dimension before cutting your liner and underlay. It is far better to be left with an overlap than to run out after all your hard work.  

Breeding Basics II

Increasing the number of fish that you have, or breeding certain types of fish in your water garden, you will need to know more about what the good conditions are, how fish breed, and strategies for promoting fish spawning in your water garden. Here we are going to talk a bit about breeding, spawning, and how to increase your rate of return on fish when you want to increase the number of fish in your water garden.

Commercial breeders will use mats and brushes to promote and aid in the spawning process. A mat is a flat piece of material that is not chemically treated or harmful to the fish or the plants in the water garden at all. This mat is a layer of fibrous materials that are very very soft. The brushes that are used in commercial breeding at similar to a bottle brush, with very short brush like looks but the material is a very soft material that will not harm the fish eggs as they are collected or moved.

more of Breeding Basics for ponds

Fish and Breeding

Fish consist of two different types of breeding type, egg layers, and live bearers. Most all fish that are kept in the water garden where the ponds are kept at a consistent temperature are egg layers. Fish will lay their eggs in various places; some keeping them very near or on their body and others, the eggs are so small you might not realize that the eggs are really there. There are unusual fish that will produce both livebearers and that will lay eggs, but these are fish that are very rare. With in the egg laying fish categories, there are fish that will have their eggs fertilized internally by the male, there are eggs that are laid, and then the male will fertilize the fish.

How are you going to determine the sex of your fish? There are various ways to determine which fish is a male out of a batch of fish, sometimes this is done only by looking at the color, the size, the fins, or the sizes of the chest of the fish.  the entire article is here about Fish and Breeding

Circulatory System of Koi

The overall composition of the Koi fish is one that makes this fish a good swimmer and a survivor over the winter months. the internal systems of the Koi are more complex than that of the external make up. The skeleton of this fish is what makes up and holds the interior organs in place as it forms a protective skeletal shell for the organs. The internal organs and tissues placed systematically along with the bones in the Koi make the fish one that is muscular.

The Koi heart does consist of four chambers where the blood is pumped in and out at it reaches all the areas of the body because of the muscular walls of the heart pumping blood through the ventricles and chambers for the benefit of the entire body.

the complete text of Circulatory System of Koi

Choices - Fish and The Water Garden

Water gardens that include fish are very different from the water garden that contains only plants. Fish in the water garden add movement and additional life to the water that you can’t achieve with plants alone. Often people are going to think about goldfish or koi fish when they are stocking a water garden, but in reality depending on the size of your water garden, you can have many different types of fish in the water garden.

First you will need to choose the right type of fish for your water garden. Some fish need the deep water, others need a shallow area, learn more about the types of fish that you adore most before purchasing fish for your water garden.

Secondly, when you have made a choice about the types of fish you want to stock in your water garden, learn to look for healthy and thriving fish that will fit your grow zones. Some fish need warmer waters all year around while others are more hardy through the harsh winters.

complete article on Fish and the Watergarden