A guide to make sure your fish are happy and healthy!
As fish grow (and spawn) it may become necessary to find some of them a more spacious home. We would recommend common goldfish, black moors, shubunkins or a variation on the common goldfish for a beginning pond. Japanese koi are larger fish that do not adapt as well to small water gardens, and have special care requirements. Koi are better suited for ponds of at least a 1,000 gallons or more.
Your fish will require little food the first few weeks. Try feeding them about the same time 3-4 times a week but remove any food not consumed within ten minutes. Do not be surprised if it takes your fish a few weeks to come to the surface at feeding time. Stop feeding whenever water temperatures drop below 45-50 degrees (usually about late-October in northern climates). Always keep in mind, feeding fish is optional as long as your pond is not heavily overstocked and has a full compliment of plants. There is plenty of natural food in the average water garden for your fish!!
Generally, smaller ponds require more plants and proportionately less fish than larger ponds.
When you purchase fish for your pond, try to buy from reputable dealers that quarantine their fish for at least a week before selling them. These dealers want to make sure they are providing their customers with healthy fish.
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