Introducing Fish to Your Pond
- Post created by: Matt.E
- 1 Jan 2025
A well stocked fish pond will bring many moments of joy to you in your garden. However, before introducing fish to your pond, it is important to check the environment is right for them to thrive.
Populate according to size of pond
The number of fish you put into your pond will depend on the pond size and species of fish. Allow at least 50cm depth for goldfish, and double this for the large koi species. A general rule of thumb for fish stock numbers is to work out the surface area in meters (length x width) and allow no more than 25cm length fish for every square meter.
Ensure the water is chemically sound
The likelihood is that you will be filling your pond with tap water. However, this will undoubtedly introduce chlorine to the pond, which is harmful to fish. Therefore de-chlorinators need to be added to the water to make it fish-safe. In addition to this, you will need a testing kits to check that the pH of the water is neutral, and that ammonia and nitrate levels are checked, as these are harmful to fish in high amounts.
Some great brands would include - NT Labs, Blagdon and API. You may even be able to take a sample into your local Aquatics Centre and they will test it professionally for you! (Always contact the Aquatics Centre beforehand as they will need to prepare).
Test the temperature
It is important to get the temperature of your pond right for your fish, so they are happy and stress free when you release them into their new home. It is recommended to not purchase or transfer any livestock in the Autumn to Winter months due to low temperatures, however, this rule does have a few exceptions, e.g. European Perch, Northern Pike, Pickerel and certain species of Sturgeon.
A solution for a change in temperature
Put the fish in a bag (Unless they have just been purchased from a certified livestock dealer then keep in the bag) , filled with their current tank/pond water, then float on the surface of the pond for at least 10 minutes before opening the bag and adding a small amount of new pond water to acclimate them. Repeat this 3-4 times periodically , This will steadily bring the fish around to the new temperature of the pond , then net the fish out of the bag.
Add the fish slowly
Add the fish to the pond in small numbers at a time, not large groups, so that they can begin to establish themselves in their new environment. You should expect the fish to hide at the bottom of the pond for a few days before they are used to their new home. After a couple of days feed a small amount of food, after which they should stop hiding and begin to get used to the pond.
Use netting
Sometimes, when fish are introduced to a new environment, they will try and jump out due to stress. You can prevent this by putting netting over the pond.
You can use a pond net just until the fish settle, however there are added benefits to keeping it on the pond all of the time. A pond net will prevent leaves from falling into the pond, breaking down and releasing chemicals that are poisonous to fish. In addition, a net will help prevent predators such as cats and herons from taking fish from the pond.
See Also:
Pond Filters. Why Filtrate?
Building a Pond
Maintaining your Pond
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