Many people want a garden pond to keep ornamental fish. The fish animate the scene and bring the garden to life, quite literally. But there is more to introducing fish into a garden than setting them free inside your completed pond. There is plenty to discover about the proper selection and care of pond fish.

Here are some tips to guide you:

Types

There are two main types of fish commonly kept in water gardens: The common goldfish and koi. Each of these has a different requirement for space and design. For the common goldfish, a small pond usually suffices owing to its generally smaller in size. The larger koi, however, needs a bigger pond and some kind of protection for plant roots as they often feed on them.

A common mistake people make is putting too many fish in a pond. This is bad for the fish and for your water garden, too. Overcrowding leads to excessive fish waste, which becomes odorous and fuels algal growth and eventually poor fish health.

Water quality

Not all water is good for fish. In fact, water from your local water company is likely to be harmful to your fish since it has been treated with chlorine. Luckily, if you let the water sit for a few days, the chlorine will dissipate.

Secondly, the water should be warm enough for the fish. Water from pipes tends to be chilly and it is advisable to warm it up in the sun before you put the fish in. Hence letting your pond sit “idle” for two or three days has some profound benefits to the quality of the water.

Aftercare

Remember that fish are cold-blooded, and they need time to adjust to the temperature of their new environment. The best method therefore is to float them inside a water-filled container that they came in, on the surface of the pond for a few hours before your release them.

You also need to provide lots of hiding places to protect your fish from predators. Planting lots of aquatic plants can help realise this.

Also, to keep away predators such as herons and other large birds, the edge of the pond should abruptly fall off by 60 to 90 centimetres so these creatures can’t wade in to get the fish. You can also introduce heron decoys at the edge of the pond to frighten away other predators.

Don’t over-feed your fish. The general rule is that the amount of food they consume in five minutes is all they need. Uneaten food fouls the water and leads to algal growth.

Overfed fish are unhealthy and also generate too much waste. The truth is, you really don’t have to feed your fish at all.

They can survive on natural foods in the water. But because it is so much fun to feed the fish, do it - sparingly.