When building your first garden pond there are several factors to take into account. Forward planning is essential to ensure that the location is sufficient to sustain the fish you wish to keep, the size if adequate for the pond life to move around in and it is well protected for different seasonal changes.
A pond should be a feature in your garden and shouldn’t dominate the area. It also needs to have enough light and ensure it is not placed underneath any trees as the leaves will fall in during seasonal changes clogging up the pond. If the pond is in direct sunlight all day however, this can lead to the growth of the unpleasant blanket weed. Adding some water lilies or other surface plants can cover the water surface slightly and prevent excess sunlight getting into the pond.
If you are going to make your pond a feature with a waterfall or any other additions, ensure that it will not aggravate any neighbours. If this could be a problem, you may want to keep your pond in an area of your garden away from next door neighbours. Otherwise, the location is really a personal choice. Mark out the desired shape of your pond using a piece of string or rope to give an idea of how it will look and make sure it will fit in its location. It is advisable to plan ahead when thinking of building a pond.
The design of your pond is really a personal preference but there are some things to consider before building. For example, fish need a certain depth of water to live and it is always better to make the pond as big as possible to ensure fish have enough space. Fish can become stressed if there is not enough space to move around in and this can result in an increased susceptibility to illness.
Koi need the pond to be around 100 centimetres or more in depth as the temperature is evenly distributed in the water at this depth. Other fish such as goldfish and Tench may only require the pond to be around 60 to 70 cm in depth therefore it is best to get some advice on which fish you can add according to how big and deep you can make your pond.
Safety is also an issue, especially if there are children in your garden. This can be solved by placing wire mesh over the surface to ensure that children can’t fall in but the fish and plants still have the correct amount of light to survive. Additionally, edging your pond with stone, brick or paving keeps the water and the soil separate while adding to the look of your pond. Bricks are lower maintenance than rocks or wood as they do not upset the chemistry of the pond.
As with a home aquarium, the pond may need a pump and a filter. This ensures the water is clear and, if a lot of waste is produced by the fish after eating fish food, the filter will pump this out. The type of filter depends on what type of pond you have and its size. Larger ponds or highly stocked ponds may need a gravity return filter which can cope with large amounts of waste and smaller ponds can make do with a pressurised filter.
You can stock your new pond with any plants, fish or other life that you like as long as the animals are able to co-habit. The pond needs to reach a natural balance before fish are added so it is essential to add any plants first and test the water. Oxygenating plants live under the water and create oxygen bubbles helping fish to breathe. They also absorb mineral salts. These allow algae to grow creating cloudy water therefore it is beneficial to add a few of these plants.
Don’t overplant though; this can lead to too much carbon dioxide produced when daylight is gone leaving the fish unable to breathe. You can also add decorative plants to the surface of the pond meaning that carbon dioxide is released into the air not the water. Leave the plants in the water for a couple of weeks to ensure the correct water balance is reached before gradually adding fish.
The water balance is maintained when the pH is around 7 and there are very low to no levels of ammonia and nitrates in the pond. Also check which temperature the water should be for the types of fish you are adding. Tropical fish need warm water but some types of fish need colder water to live. When adding fish, ensure that they are able to co-habit with other species if you intend on adding different types. Also ensure this is the case with any other life added to the pond.
The pond should be regularly tested to ensure that the water balance is maintained throughout the year. However, during the changes in seasons some other situations have to be considered. During spring and summer, the oxygenating plants will grow and some may need to be taken out. Too many can result in high levels of carbon dioxide produced suffocating the fish.
In the summer, there is also the issue of blanket weed growth on the surface of the pond. This is a result of excessive sunlight and has to be removed. The fish will become more active at this time of year. Be sure not to over feed them as excess food will clog the pond and the fish can die from over feeding. Adding a supplement to the food should be enough. Obviously, be sure to keep the water at the correct temperature as the water will heat up during summer.
During autumn and winter, keep an eye on any mesh covering the pond for freezing as this will suffocate the fish. Also, remove any sensitive fish to a home aquarium and make sure leaves of any underwater plants are cut back as leaves dropping off can clog the pond.
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