Recommended Items & Helpful Calculations

Recommended Items For All Pond Keepers

• Thermometer: THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT! All pond activity is gauged by water temperature, not air temperature, or the calendar.

• A Fish Net. Use a net designed for catching fish, it should be sturdy.
• 5 gallon Bucket: The bucket should be used just for pond and fish maintenance & should be labeled as such.
• Utility Pump: Recommended for water changes, excess water from heavy rains. Purchase a 550gph-1,200gph pump. If you are considering over wintering fish I recommend the 1,200gph pump. It can then be used for winter aeration. You will need to purchase the proper size hose to outfit the pump for seasonal work.
• Debris Net. Needed for seasonal maintenance & removal of leaves and other surface debris. (Pool Net)

• Water Detoxifier: We use Kordon Pond AmQuel detoxifier/chlorine remover. Kordon Pond NovAqua water conditioner can be used when fish are under stress and to replace electrolytes & add a protective slime coating. Available at PetSmart
• Water PH Test Kit: For a simple test I use Mardel AquaLab 1 test strips. It will test PH, buffering capacity, and hardness of your water all on one strip. Includes a water quality booklet. A PH adjuster may be required.
• Ammonia and Nitrites Test Kit: Recommended for all pond owners to assist in solving water quality issues and especially important for ponds with expensive Koi or large fish loads.

• Bacteria: Used to “seed” the biological filter, speed up biological maturity and used periodically throughout the season to maintain a healthy ecosystem. I  have been successful with and recommend “Cycle” liquid bacteria (PetSmart) and Aquascape Designs AquaClearer bacteria.
• Fish Food. Flake food sinks & can foul the water. A quality floating pellet is recommended, many brands exist, I use NutraMax Goldfish “Color Enhancing” medium/small floating pellets. Don’t feed algae! Look at the label for low phosphate content. A food low in fat and protein should be used in spring & fall

• Most of these products are available at most pet supply (Pet Smart) or fish stores

By spending a few minutes a week testing and monitoring your ponds water quality you will soon find your own recipe for success. These products are only recommended from our pond keeping experience, many variables can take place from pond to pond. If it works don’t fix it!

Helpful Calculations

The following is used to figure gallons, 7.5= gallons in a cu. ft. of water and the formula is:

Average Length x average Width x average Depth x 7.5 = gallons of water. Example: 10’x 10’x 2’ x 7.5 = 1500 gallons

How Many Fish?

The following formula is used to figure out how many fish your pond can handle. (Bio-load)

Figure the ponds surface area square footage, Length X Width, then multiply by 1”  This is the total inches of fish the pond may support. The common rule is 1” of Goldfish or ½” of Koi per square foot of the ponds surface area. It is always best to under stock, your pond and fish will be much happier. Example: A 10’x10’ pond = 100sq. ft. of surface area. 100 x 1” = 100” of fish or 20 5” goldfish, or 10 5" Koi

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