How to Select Fish for a Garden Pond

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Fish create interest and help control unwanted insects in a garden pond. Special consideration needs to be made in designing a pond for fish. The pond should have a section at least 18 inches deep for adequate protection during winter and to maintain cooler water during summer. The size of the pond should be a minimum of 35 square feet of surface area for fish to survive.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step1

Decide whether to install a filtration system for your pond. A filtration system will greatly increase the number of fish you can keep in the pond.

Step2

Stock a new pond with 1 inch of fish for every 5 to 8 gallons of water. This allows for growth and reproduction of the fish population. Overcrowding a pond slows the growth rate of the fish.

Step3

Select fish, such as the comet goldfish and shubunkin goldfish, which are tolerant of variations in water quality and temperature.

Step4

Add scavengers such as tadpoles and snails to help control algae. Estimate 1 snail for every 1 to 2 square feet of pond surface.

Step5

Purchase koi if your pond is at least 1,000 gallons. It must also have an area deeper than the frost line. The frost line depth depends on where you live and is at least 3 feet deep.

Tips & Warnings

Koi and goldfish can co-exist in the same pond.
In a colder climate, place fish in an indoor aquarium over winter.
Slowly acclimate new fish to the temperature of the pond. Place the plastic bag with the fish in the pond and let it float for 30 minutes. Then add some pond water to the bag a little at a time for at least 30 minutes more before placing the fish directly into the pond water.
Pond plants or partial water changes are necessary to remove nitrates and build up of fish waste from the pond water.