12 Pond Fish Care Sheet

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How to care for...

Pond

fish

12 Coldwater fish

If in doubt contact

your OATA

retail member

for further

information

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download an

electronic copy

© Copyright OATA Ltd 2010 May 2013

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.

Never release your aquarium

animals or plants into the wild

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.

Before purchase make sure that:

You have the appropriate equipment and position for

the pond.

You have researched all the species you are interested

in and your final choices are all compatible.

You are familiar with how to transport and release

your fish.

You are aware of the daily, weekly and monthly

maintenance your pond will require.

You are prepared to look after your fish properly for

the duration of their life.

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Checklist

Equipment

Pre-formed pond or good quality liner

Filter, pump or UV steriliser (optional)

Appropriate foods for each time of the year

Pond plants

You should also make sure that:

The pond is suitable to house the fish species you wish

to keep.

You are aware of the weekly, monthly and yearly care

required for the pond and the fish.

The pond has some shade from sunlight to avoid high

water temperatures in the summer months.

You are aware of the signs and symptoms of the most

common fish diseases.

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Introduction

Maintenance

Feeding

Water requirements

Potential problems

Pond requirements

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)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 there-

fore 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.

Biology

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.

Compatibility

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.

Breeding