Nothing can beat a pond in the garden with fish swimming around through the weeds, but how do you add fish to your pond? Whether your pond is new or more established there are certain things that need to be done before you can add them to the water.
For New Ponds
Ideally the first thing you will have done is to have purchased the proper equipment. If you’re looking to have a pond installed, simply search for fish pond builders near me online. A pond pump and filter are required to maintain the water quality for the fish. Indeed the full volume of the water needs to be processed in about two hours. The filtration system is to get rid of any solid and semisolid matter and any dissolved waste material from the fish. Pond equipment is readily available from most online suppliers such as Swell UK.
The next most important thing is to decide on which fish to add to your pond. Both goldfish and koi are a great addition to a pond. They are relatively easy to look after, though they do have specific pH and temperature conditions and do not respond well to rapid changes. Other choices include orfe, rudd, tench and shubunkins. The fish you choose will ultimately be influenced by the size the fish grow to you and your pond size.
For a new pond you need to let the pond age first. The plants need time to establish and the filtration system needs to be fully functional. Ideally you should leave a pond at least a month for it to establish itself. Ponds require a level of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria that occur naturally in the cycle of a pond which can only be realised once a pond is established, and it allows the filtration system, including an RO system if you have one, to become fully functional.
Adding the Fish to Your Pond
This is the how you need to add fish to both new and well-established ponds. Once you have bought your fish you need to place the plastic bags containing them into the pond water for between 30mins and an hour. This allows for the temperature to even out and reach the ponds level. Once you open the bag allow some of the pond water into the bag to further allow the fish to acclimatise to the pond for a few minutes. Once this is done you are free to let the fish go. It is important to monitor the behaviour of your new fish to check they are ok and that they are getting on with any current fish you have.