Pond Winterizing Tip

It is time to put the second dose of Microbelift Autumn/Winter Prep bacteria in your pond. This specially formulated bacteria can withstand cold water temperatures and helps keep a balanced ecosystem as we approach the Fall and Winter months. If you missed the first dose in September, start now. Don't forget the enzyme packs. Please follow the directions for your size pond.

How many fish is too many fish?

One formula for determining how many fish you can have in your pond is: 1 inch of fish for every square foot of water surface. That gives you some different options. You can have a lot of little fish or a few big fish. For example, a 6ft by 8ft pond has 48 square feet of water surface. You could have 24 2 inch fish in that pond according to the formula. You could also have 8 6 inch fish or 4 12 inch fish. We all no thereis one problem with this formula and maxing it out oo early. Fish Grow. You should allow for the growth of your fish when deciding how many to put in your pond. Keep in mind there are many other factors that have to be considered when following this formula. Your pond needs sufficient filtration and/or aquatic plants to handle the number of fish. You don't want to overfeed them since that will produce more fish waste and could cause water quality problems. If you put in too many fish and they outgrow the size of your pond, what will you do with them. These all bring up topics that pond hobbyists deal with everyday. Please post questions, comments and solutions that may help a fellow pond owner.

Can too many fish cause algae problems?

Many pond owners experience two problems with their pond at some point in time. They have green water algae or string alage and they have too many fish. Are these two problems related? The answer is sometimes. The more fish you have in your pond, the more food you feed them, the more waste they produce. This can lead to poor water quality issues including algae. A simple rule of thumb for determining how many fish you should have in your pond is No more than 1 inch of fish per square foot of water surface. So if you have an 8ft by 10 ft pond, that is 80 square feet. So based on the formula you should have no more than 80 inches of fish. That could be 8 fish that are 10 inches long or 10 fish that are 8 inches long, for example. Some pond owners who have a lot of fish do not experience alage problems. Those pond owners most likely have sufficient filtration to handle the fish waste. We recommend a bottom drain to people who know they will have a lot of fish. It really helps clean the pond more effectively. They may have a UV light to kill the algae. They may also have large numbers of aquatic plants. These products can help keep the pond in balance despite a heavy fish load. If you want a lot of fish in your pond, you need the right equipment and plant material to properly filter the pond to prevent algae problems, poor fish health and poor water quality. Please feel free to post any comments regarding your algae problems or solutions.

My Pond Water's Green- How can plants help?

What can you do if your pond water's green and it really should be crystal clear? There are many reasons why a pond's ecosystem can be out of balance and water can turn green. Maybe one or several factors can be contributing to your problem. Let's start with plants. Alage, being a plant itself, will thrive in conditions where there is plenty of sunlight, lots of nutrients in the water and very little other plant life. Aquatic plants are an important part of a pond and will actually help control algae. The roots of the plants will absorb the nutrients in the water and if you have enough aquatic plants, will effectivley starve out the algae. How do you know if you have enough aquatic plants? Well, the pond industry generally recommends that at least 50% of your pond surface be covered with plants. That can be a lot of plants. Water hyacinth, parrots feather, creeping buttercup, forget-me-nots are a few "spreading" type plants that can help provide coverage. Plant bogs are very effective in keeping the water clear because the pond water is forced through the peagravel areas and the roots of the plants. Further discussion of plant bogs or types of plants that work well for controlling algae would be helpful. Please post any comments that will help out your fellow pond hobbyists.

How do I keep my fish population under control?

You started out with a few koi and a few goldfish and three years later you need a bigger pond. Not because the original fish have outgrown it but because they are breeding like crazy! What can you do? We have had requests at Aquatic Connections, for catfish because it has been discussed that they will help control the population. (by doing what? consuming the eggs or eating the existing fish?)You can scoop out the jelly-like masses of eggs when they are laid in the pond. Look for them in the areas where there are plants. You should notice some change in behavior of your fish before the eggs are laid. They seem a little more aggressive, swimming around a lot more with other fish chasing them. There should also be some change in appearance of the females when they are carrying a sac full of eggs, just as all pregnant women can attest to. Please help out your fellow pond owners with any tips you may have on controlling the fish population by posting them here.

If you need a new long-handled pond skimmer net to reach the eggs to scoop them out you will find them at www.aquaticconnections.com.

Help! I have too many fish in my pond!

So many customers have called, emailed or come in our water garden center, Aquatic Connections, over the years saying they have too many fish in their ponds and don't know what to do. We have often thought about setting up extra tanks and taking in customers fish. Taking care of tanks requires a lot of time and maintenance. The fish would have to be quarantined for a longer period of time because they would be coming from different environments, but it seems like there is a real need for this service. Tell us what you think. Should we set up tanks for these fish who need a new home? Should the customers who bring in fish be compensated for them? Should we resell them at a lower price because they are not direct from a breeder?

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