FISH:These are usually goldfish and koi. I’m not a fish expert, but I
can give you a start. I’m going to give you a warning that only half of you
will heed. It’s not your fault, you won’t be able to help it, and then the
person you help probably won’t listen, and they’ll do it too. Heck, I did it.
Don’t add fish to your pond until it’s been sitting with plants in it for at
least 2 weeks. If you do, all of your fish will probably go belly up. Next,
only add half the fish you think you want the first year. They will breed
and you will have many more fish next year than you want. Start out with
fish at least 3 to 4 inches. As fish grow, they will change color on you. Don’
t overstock your pond. The more fish you have, the more waste you will
have and the harder you will have to fight algae. 1 to 2 inches of fish for
every 5 gallons of water is sufficient. They won’t outgrow your pond, so
don’t worry. Goldfish and koi release a hormone into the water that
controls their growth. When it reaches a certain concentration, they quit
growing and spawning. Not everyone feeds their fish. That’s OK, they will
just eat on the plants and algae in the pond. If you do feed your fish, don’t
feed them anymore than they will eat in 5 minutes, scooping out anything
left after that. Also, every pond owner should have a book on koi so that
they can identify and treat diseases. A good koi book will also help you to
figure out what variety you want to buy.
Koi, or colored carp, are named basically using the Japanese words for
their colors. They are solids or combinations of usually red, yellow, white,
and black. A few also have blue on them. You can tell a koi from a goldfish
by the little barbels or whiskers that a koi has at the corners of its
mouth. They are also flatter on their bottom sides than goldfish which is
more symmetrical in shape. Koi in a pond have a bad reputation about
digging up your plants. This is mainly true if you introduce big fish to an
established pond. If you start with smaller fish, 8 inches or less, they will
have more trouble digging thru the gravel you have on your pots and will
learn that they aren't getting anywhere and will quit doing it. And they
usually won't try much anymore. It also helps to use larger pots for your
plants. Small pots are easier for your fish to push the pots over, which
they can't do with the large pots.
can give you a start. I’m going to give you a warning that only half of you
will heed. It’s not your fault, you won’t be able to help it, and then the
person you help probably won’t listen, and they’ll do it too. Heck, I did it.
Don’t add fish to your pond until it’s been sitting with plants in it for at
least 2 weeks. If you do, all of your fish will probably go belly up. Next,
only add half the fish you think you want the first year. They will breed
and you will have many more fish next year than you want. Start out with
fish at least 3 to 4 inches. As fish grow, they will change color on you. Don’
t overstock your pond. The more fish you have, the more waste you will
have and the harder you will have to fight algae. 1 to 2 inches of fish for
every 5 gallons of water is sufficient. They won’t outgrow your pond, so
don’t worry. Goldfish and koi release a hormone into the water that
controls their growth. When it reaches a certain concentration, they quit
growing and spawning. Not everyone feeds their fish. That’s OK, they will
just eat on the plants and algae in the pond. If you do feed your fish, don’t
feed them anymore than they will eat in 5 minutes, scooping out anything
left after that. Also, every pond owner should have a book on koi so that
they can identify and treat diseases. A good koi book will also help you to
figure out what variety you want to buy.
Koi, or colored carp, are named basically using the Japanese words for
their colors. They are solids or combinations of usually red, yellow, white,
and black. A few also have blue on them. You can tell a koi from a goldfish
by the little barbels or whiskers that a koi has at the corners of its
mouth. They are also flatter on their bottom sides than goldfish which is
more symmetrical in shape. Koi in a pond have a bad reputation about
digging up your plants. This is mainly true if you introduce big fish to an
established pond. If you start with smaller fish, 8 inches or less, they will
have more trouble digging thru the gravel you have on your pots and will
learn that they aren't getting anywhere and will quit doing it. And they
usually won't try much anymore. It also helps to use larger pots for your
plants. Small pots are easier for your fish to push the pots over, which
they can't do with the large pots.
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