A garden pond can be left to its own devices as
a miniature nature reserve, but will be a much
more attractive feature if it is stocked with
aquatic plants and ornamental fish. Get
the natural balance right and the pond will be
virtually self-sustaining, needing only occasional
attention to keep it is good condition.
If you are stocking
a new pond from scratch, get the plants established
before introducing the fish.
Always buy fish
from a reputable source, to ensure that they are
healthy to start with.
POND
PLANTS
There are several
distinct groups of plants you can grow in or around
a garden pond. These are the main ones:-
Oxygenators
are essential plants for keeping the pond healthy.
Some are rooted, but most simply float in the
water, absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing
oxygen as they grow. Since they multiply fairly
rapidly, start with a few small clumps and be
prepared to cull the plants ruthlessly as they
spread. Simply hook out excess growth with
a garden rake and put it on your compost heap.
Water Lilies
are planted in containers that sit on the bottom
of the pond and produce leaves and stunning flowers
on the surface in the summer. There are
many different varieties. Do not be tempted
to over plant, they grow rapidly and can soon
swamp a small pond.
Marginals
are planted in containers set in shallow water
on shelves around the pond margins. This
group includes various species of Iris, Flag,
Marsh Marigold and the Arrow Head.
Floaters
such as Fairy Moss, Greater Bladderwort
and Water Soldier are flowering plants that simply
float on the pond. The Water Soldier sinks
to the bottom in winter.
Marsh Plants,
such as Bulrushes, can be planted at the edges
of the pond, if the liner is extended and filled
with soil to create waterlogged bog conditions.
Get specialist
advise when choosing plants to suit your particular
pond size, containers and special pH-balanced
pond soil. Do not be tempted to use ordinary
garden soil, or to plant directly in soil spread
on the bottom of the pond.
Golden
Rule - Always top pond plant
containers with gravel to stop fish from disturbing
the soil and therefore discolouring the water.
FISH
FOR GARDEN PONDS
The humble Goldfish,
bred by Chinese and Japanese fish-keepers from
a dull brown wild species, is the most common
fish kept in garden ponds. The Goldfish
family now has more than 100 varieties, including
the Common Goldfish, the Comet with its long tail,
the multi-coloured Shubunkins, the oval bodied
Fantails and the Veiltails with their flowing
fins. Other species to look out for include
the Oranda and the Lionhead. Not all these
are hardy enough to survive harsh winter conditions,
the best survivors are the Common Goldfish, the
Comet and the London Shubunkin.
Other species you
could consider include Tench and Golden Orfe.
The former is a useful bottom feeder, scavenging
good wasted by the other fish and so helping to
keep the pond clean. The Golden Orfe with
its gold and black markings, is by contrast, an
active surface feeder and an excellent display
fish. However, it grows quite large so is
not suitable for small ponds.
If you have a larger
pond you can consider keeping Koi. These
are an ornamental species of carp, much prized
by the Japanese for their exotic colouring and
marking. They come in single colour, two
colour and multi-coloured varieties, further distinguished
by their scale development.
Always buy Koi
only from a reputable source and make sure that
your garden is secure. Koi, especially large
or well coloured specimens, are extremely valuable.
HOW
MANY FISH?
To assess how many
fish your pond will support, estimate its surface
area and allow 60sq cm of surface for every 1
cm of fish (equivalent to 24 sq. inches per inch
of fish). Since fish grow and breed, it
is best to start off with around one-third of
the theoretical maximum number. For example,
a 1.8 x 1.2m (6ft x 4ft) pond will, in theory,
support 360cm (144ins) of fish, equivalent to
36 individuals averaging 10cm (4ins)long, but,
in practice, you should have only about 12.
Golden
Rule - Your pond needs to have
part of the area at least 60cm deep for goldfish
and 1.5m or more for Koi if they are to be left
over winter safely in the pond.
BUYING
AND LOOKING AFTER FISH
Always buy fish
from reputable established suppliers and check
that all fish in their ponds or tanks appear healthy.
Transport fish
home in partly-filled plastic bags placed in cardboard
boxes in which the fish have enough depth to swim.
Float the bag in
the pond for at least 30 minutes to allow the
water temperatures to equalise before releasing
the fish.
Don't overfeed
fish; one meal every other day is enough in winter,
increasing to twice a day in summer. Use
a feeding ring to confine the food to one spot
and supply no more food than can be eaten in about
ten minutes.
Pond fish can suffer
from a range of ailments, including parasites,
fungal infections and fin rot. You can buy
proprietary preparations to treat these, either
in the pond or by catching and isolating affected
fish in a small temporary 'hospital' pond.
Golden
Rule - When you are creating a
new pond, get the plants established and the water
clear and balanced before introducing any fish.
LOOKING
AFTER YOUR POND
The biggest enemies
of your pond and its inhabitants are algae in
summer, fallen leaves in autumn and ice in winter.
- To discourage
algal growth, remove anything shading the water,
especially overgrown water lilies and oxygenators.
Treat the water with a proprietary algaecide.
Also see "Filters and Purifiers".
- In hot weather,
top the pond up occasionally to replace water
lost by evaporation. If you have a fountain
or waterfall, run it at intervals to help aerate
the pond.
- Net the pond
in Autumn to prevent leaves drifting into the
water and decomposing, reducing the oxygen level.
Clear the netting of leaves at regular intervals.
- Place a small
floating ball in the pond to keep part of the
surface clear of ice during frosty weather,
so that gases in the water can disperse.
Do not break ice by force, you may stun and
injure the fish which will lie happily dormant
in near-freezing temperatures.
FILTERS
AND PURIFIERS
If you have a pump
running a fountain or waterfall, you can fit a
mechanical filter to the pump inlet to remove
algae and other particles that cause cloudy 'green'
water. Alternatively, you can route the
circulating water through a tank filter sited
outside the pond; this sieves out particles
and also encourages the growth of bacteria that
remove toxic waste. Tank filters are best
for larger ponds.
If algal pollution
is a major problem and cannot be controlled by
natural or chemical means, you could consider
using a water purifier. This treats water
circulated through it with ultraviolet light,
so effectively eliminating green water.
COPING
WITH NATURE
Cats and dogs rarely
cause trouble to a pond or its inhabitants and
will often use the pond as a source of drinking
water. However, if you live in a rural area,
herons are likely to be a major scourge, returning
again and again to poach your fish. The
best way of deterring them is to string fine black
cotton threads between pegs round the perimeter
of the pond to snag their legs as they wade in.
Frogs, toads and possibly newts will find
their way to your pond quite naturally and will
make it their home. If a population explosion
threatens at spawning time, collect excess spawn
and transfer it either to a permitting neighbours
pond or to natural country ponds (best to seek
professional advice before undertaking this as
it can spread disease). Do not tip it down
the drains. If you have a pump in the pond
remove all the spawn or it will block the filter
inlet.
RUNNING
REPAIRS
The main problem
for any pond is springing a leak and mending one
will mean draining the pond down to the level
of the hole or tear so you can repair it.
If you have to drain the pond completely to make
a repair first transfer the fish and plants to
a temporary pond made by draping polythene sheeting
inside dry laid brick walls.
- Patch holes
in plastic or rubber liners with a proprietary
pond patching kit.
- Mend cracks
in pre-formed glass fibre ponds with a proprietary
car body repair kit.
- Don't waste
time trying to mend cracks in an old concrete-lined
pond. Drain it, clean it out and drape
a new pond liner over the shell to make it waterproof
again.
courtesy of http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/
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