Pond Plants & Fish

Adding Pond Plants & Fish to a pond can be an exciting experience for the pond keeper, but needs to be carefully managed not to affect the overall pond ecosystem.

Before you buy any fish, the following should be taken into account:

Water quality has been checked and nitrate and ammonia are under control.

When adding new fish, float the transport bag in the pond for 15 minutes to allow the water temperatures to equalize, slowly mix the water in the bag with the pond water, to release the fish slowly.

Pond fish are mainly from the carp family and will live happily together, Koi carp are brighter in many different colors and will grow quite large. When adding other species like sturgeon or pike, seek advice from where you purchase your fish.

Plants make a pond look more natural and are a great habitat for beneficial insects and amphibians. There are three types of popular plants for ponds:

Marginals that sit on the margins on the ponds on shallow shelves (remember to add shelves that will accommodate these plants in the pond design.)

Lilies and Rushes which cover and add shade to the pond.

Floating plants like water hyacinth and water lilies. Check your local municipal laws regarding pond vegetation. Some water plants are illegal in certain areas.

All plants should be in an aquatic pond plant basket, so that the roots can be contained and the soil does not leech out.

For adding Pond Plants & Fish – check out pondh2o.com for some great choices!