12 Pond Fish Care Sheet

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Never release your aquarium
animals or plants into the wild

Checklist
Before purchase make sure that:

1

You have the appropriate equipment and position for
the pond.

2

You have researched all the species you are interested
in and your final choices are all compatible.

3

You are familiar with how to transport and release
your fish.

4

You are aware of the daily, weekly and monthly
maintenance your pond will require.

5

You are prepared to look after your fish properly for
the duration of their life.

Equipment
1 Pre-formed pond or good quality liner
2 Filter, pump or UV steriliser (optional)
3 Appropriate foods for each time of the year
4 Pond plants
You should also make sure that:

1 The pond is suitable to house the fish species you wish
to keep.

2 You are aware of the weekly, monthly and yearly care
required for the pond and the fish.

Never release an animal or plant bought for a home
aquarium into the wild. It is illegal and for most fish species
this will lead to an untimely and possibly lingering death
because they are not native to this country. Any animals or
plants that do survive might be harmful to the environment.

Important things to remember
Always buy...
test kits and regularly check the water for ammonia, nitrite,
nitrate and pH. This will allow you to make sure the water in
your aquarium is not causing welfare problems for your fish.
Establish a routine...
for testing the water in your aquarium. Record your results
to enable you to highlight fluctuations quickly. Also check
the temperature of the water.
Maintain...
the water in the aquarium within the accepted parameters
highlighted in this leaflet. You may need to do regular water
changes to achieve this.
Always wash your hands...
making sure to rinse off all soap residues, before putting
them into your aquarium. Wash your hands again afterwards
and certainly before eating, drinking or smoking.
Never siphon by mouth...
A fish tank can harbour bacteria which can be harmful if
swallowed. Buy a specially designed aquarium gravel cleaner
which can be started without the need to place the siphon in
your mouth.
Scan this code to
download an
electronic copy

3 The pond has some shade from sunlight to avoid high
water temperatures in the summer months.

4 You are aware of the signs and symptoms of the most
common fish diseases.

May 2013

If in doubt contact
your OATA
retail member
for further
information

© Copyright OATA Ltd 2010

How to care for...

Pond
fish
12 Coldwater fish

Introduction

Pond requirements

Feeding

There are various species of fish including goldfish, Koi, orfe,
rudd and tench which can be added to a garden pond. All of
these species are members of the Cyprinidae family and can be
widely found throughout Asia and Europe.

Water requirements

Ponds for fish should ideally be at least 45 to 60cm deep, preferably
over 90cm for Koi. This ensures there is a cool zone at the bottom
in warm spells and a warmer area at the bottom in freezing winters.
The pond should receive some sunlight as this helps to promote
plant growth and to maintain warmer water throughout the spring
and summer months. Shallower ledges around the edges of the
pond will help you to grow a wider variety of plants.

You should try to ensure the water in your pond remains within
the water parameters outlined below to help your fish remain
healthy, although these fish may acclimatise to a wider range
over time:
Temperature: 4-24°C
pH: 6.5-8.5
Ammonia: 0mg/l (0.02mg/l may be tolerated for short periods)
Nitrite: 0mg/l (0.2mg/l may be tolerated for short periods)
Hardness: moderately soft - moderately hard (5-15°dH)

Goldfish are suitable for most smaller pond systems, Koi, tench
and orfe get much larger and it is recommended they are kept in a
pond of 1500 litre or more. If a pond is only lightly stocked with
goldfish, orfe, tench or rudd, a filter may not be necessary.
However, when a filter is installed, it can help to prevent the build
up of toxic ammonia and nitrite. A pump and fountain will be
beneficial by circulating and oxygenating the water, especially
where a filter has not been installed.

All these fish are omnivores, normally feeding upon insects and
plant matter. These fishes metabolism and their appetite tends
to follow the rises and falls in water temperature. To avoid
intestinal problems, consider feeding easily digested food such
as wheatgerm as the water temperature falls. If the temperature
falls below 8 ºC, it may be better not to feed at all. In very
warm summers, over feeding must be avoided. Ask your OATA
retailer for advice.

Biology
Fish are all poikilothermic (meaning their body temperature is
the same as the water in which they are kept).
Tench, orfe and Koi can grow up to 75cm in length and therefore benefit from being kept in a larger pond.
Goldfish remain smaller making them appropriate for most
pond systems. The most common maximum body length is up
to 30cm. There are several popular colour varieties including
Shubunkins, Sarasa and red comets.
Currently there are many colour variations of Koi available
including yellow, blue, black, red and gold making them a
popular ornamental fish kept in garden ponds.
Orfe and tench are not as commonly kept as goldfish or Koi.
Orfe and rudd are shoaling fish while tench are bottom feeders.
A number of colour varieties such as Golden and Blue Orfe,
Golden Tench and Golden Rudd are popular and generally
available.
These fish can thrive for many years in a healthy pond with
good water quality.

Summer feeding will promote growth and can be used to build
up the body reserves of your fish for the cooler winter months.
Colour enhancing foods can be purchased to bring out the
colour of your fish. Different sized pellets are also available
depending upon the size of the fish.

Potential problems

Koi require specialist ponds and equipment including filtration
systems, pumps, UV sterilisers and different UV filters to keep the
water by reducing the amount of algae floating in the water.
Therefore, it is advisable to seek advice from your OATA retailer
regarding what is required to maintain these fish before purchase.

Water quality problems will affect fish behaviour and can be
shown by clamped fins, reduced feeding, erratic swimming and
gasping at the surface. Immediately test the water if any of these
symptoms are shown. If in doubt ask your OATA retailer
for advice.

Maintenance

Compatibility

Test the water in your pond on a regular basis. Any build up of
waste such as ammonia and nitrate can lead to health problems in
the fish and some pollutants such as nitrate and phosphate can
induce the growth of unsightly algal growth such as blanket weed or
green water. Ask your retailer for advice.

All of these fish species can thrive together in the same pond.
Therefore, more often than not, the question is whether or not
your pond is suitable for each fish species. Tench and orfe grow
to large sizes so only consider these species if your pond is
capable of housing an adult specimen. Keeping orfe in shoals of
four or five is recommended. Goldfish are compatible with most
garden ponds and do not usually grow as large as the other
species.

As winter sets in, dead plants and leaves should be removed and
marginal plants should be trimmed back. This rotting vegetation
will break down in the pond and can release toxic gases. Pumps
and filters could be switched off but are best kept running in larger
ponds and it is advisable to add a pond heater, or floating device to
ensure that the surface of the pond does not become covered with
ice.
Before the start of spring, the pumps and filters should be cleaned
with pond or rain water to remove sludge. If the system has a UV
unit, the bulb should be replaced as per manufacturer’s
recommendation. Be particularly vigilant about monitoring your
fish for signs of diseases as the temperature rises. The immune
system can be weakened following the cooler temperatures of the
winter months.

Breeding
Goldfish are the most likely to successfully spawn. Generally if
there are more adult males than females, and the temperature
reaches the correct level, there may be spontaneous spawning
events. A shallow area should be provided, which is heavily
planted to increase the chances of the fry surviving.
Goldfish are not good parents and will eat the eggs before they
can develop and their fry if they hatch.
Koi can be aggressive during breeding and the process can
stress the fish, in particular causing permanent damage to the
females and in severe cases death. This is more likely to happen
if the pool contains more males than females.



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