Pond Life

Having installed your pond and set conditions for the perfect environment, you will have stocked your pond with Koi and goldfish. The vivid oranges, reds and whites of these entertaining fish are a result of a correct and balanced diet. Getting the right food has many benefits; the health of your fish being the top priority followed closely by water quality.
 
Pond fish need the proper combination of protein, fats, fibre, minerals and vitamins to maintain health. Too little or too much of any particular nutrient can have a destabilising effect on their health and consequently your water quality.
 
Goldfish and Koi do not have teeth or stomachs, so easily digestible foods are of prime importance. These will minimise the amount of waste produced, enabling your filtration system to work more efficiently to maintain a healthy ecosystem in your pond.
 

Fish health and water quality are inextricably linked.

 
The golden rules when feeding your fish is to only feed them one to three times each day and only feed them as much as they will consume within five minutes. 
 
Changes in seasonal temperature affect the metabolism of your fish and you should adapt their feeding accordingly. If the temperature drops below 10ºC, a fish’s metabolism will slow and you will need to feed your stock with the most digestible food available. Wheatgerm is perfect and can be used in a temperature range from 3ºC to 10ºC.
 
For water temperatures below 3ºC, it is advisable to stop feeding your fish altogether as their metabolism rates are slowed to such an extent that food will not be processed, leading to health complications.
 

Only feed your fish from one to three times a day.

When the weather is warm and the water temperature is above 10ºC, switch your feed to a more appropriate blend. Tetrapond’s Variety Blend has three different foods and provides an ideal basic diet with pond sticks; Koi Vibrance to enhance natural colouration and wheatgerm sticks for health and vitality.
 
Care and attention are the keys to building a vibrant and healthy ecosystem robust enough to survive environmental changes. The team at your local Mitre 10 has all the information, advice and products for your needs and has been trained to supply you with the tools you need to build you backyard bliss.