Rob Walker

Does anyone know anything or have any decent web resources about keeping fish in a pond outdoors?
I inherited a pond full of fish when I moved house but I don't really know what i'm doing.

Cheers

JackClark

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...+pond+outdoors

David Lock

We built a pond a couple of years ago and learnt quite a bit so if you want to contact me off-board I would be happy to offer some amateur advice. However a very good first step would be to find a decent garden centre with fish and pond outlet. Then get chatting to one of the staff – they are all anoraks who will be delighted to chat all day about all things fishy. Tip 2 – watch out for the Herons! David.

Dr Lurve

Dont forget to feed 'em!

gregh

don't overfeed them
Make sure the water gets air into it, by waterfall/fountain or other means.

If you have a pump/filter/UV then I leave mine on running 24x7, remove the UK through winter, and clean the foam filters once or twice a year. Thus get clear water with no horrible green water!

cheers,

greg

Rob Walker

thanks for the (mostly) helpful replies.

At the moment I've got about 15 goldfish in the pond, and I'm not sure how much to feed them. I usually just chuck in about a 1/4 of a handful every couple of days. On the packet of feed I've got it says to throw the food in till they stop eating it. But mine never come up to the surface when I throw it in. Would you say I'm underfeeding them?

Any tips on keeping my pump clean? I have to take it out every 3 or 4 days and clean the filter in it which is getting to be a bit of a pain.

Thanks a lot.

Rob

David Lock

Hi Rob, Our fish come to the top to feed but not first thing in the morning and will stay down on the bottom if something has frightened them (e.g. Heron or neighbour’s cat). I also noted that they stayed on the bottom if there is a storm brewing – guess they notice an air pressure change? I suspect you may be overfeeding them slightly but it does depend on size, of course. Also fish are fairly dormant in the winter and will only have recently started to feed again now that it is getting warmer. Re the pump sounds like you have a submersible (rather than a suction job) and if it is resting on the bottom will be sucking in all the muck and excess food etc. Would it be feasible to sit the pump on something – say a brick or upturned pot – so that it is clear of the pond bottom and will not get so blocked. You can get things to de-sludge the bottom if you get keen! David.

Dr Lurve

More food required, definitely, keep throwing it in bit by bit till they stop feeding (2 or 3 times a day) at this time of year. Dont put excess food in the pond, otherwise it will degrade and cause waste/nitrates etc. Jen.

gregh

ref pump, put it on a brick to stop sucking up all the cr*p! Maybe it's worth cleaning the pond out, you can hire a vacuum cleaner which sucks all the cr*p out of the bottom of the pond and sends the water back!

We even half drained ours and manually scraped alot of rotten leaves etc out - not a pleasant jon!

greg

Rob Walker

Putting the pump on a brick sounds like a good idea.. I'll give that a try when I get home. The water has definately got a bit murkier over the last few months. I can't even really see the bottom any more these days (its about 2 to 3 feet deep). It used to be crystal clear.

Cheers for all the help
Rob