WONDER OF PETS with WALLY ASHCROFT

MANY of you will be wanting to stock up your ponds with additional fish after the winter. Now is an ideal time as the water will have reached the right temperature.

Those who have constructed a new pond this spring will be anxious to stock up. This is only natural after all the hard work involved but patience is the key.

Allow any plants to settle in and when they are showing signs of growth, which takes about a fortnight, and the water looks clear and in good condition, it is time to introduce some fish.

Don't be tempted to put too many fish in at the beginning, as they will grow quite quickly. Don't be influenced by the number of fish you see in the tanks in our shop. A good guide is to imagine a lake about the size of Carr Mill and imagine how many fish are in a section the size of your pond. I think you will agree that it won't be many. As a rough guide a pond which measures six feet by four feet and is two feet deep should hold about 10 small goldfish. A pond measuring ten feet by six feet and is two feet deep should have no more than 18.

Before we go on to examine the types of fish which are best to stock, it may be intersting to look at some other creatures which could inhabit your pond. The European Terrapin is sometimes considered but it will not survive the winter. Water snails are reputed to keep the pond clean, but they are more likely to eat the plants, which do a much better job. They also eat food which is given to the fish. Fresh water mussels are another crustacean reputed to keep the water clean. They live and move about in the mud and dead vegetation at the bottom of the pond.

A new pond will not contain this and so they will soon die and the water could become polluted as their bodies decompose. Newts are often put into ponds but they only go into the water to breed and the rest of the season is spent away from the water on land. The common goldfish are the most popular fish to keep. They are cheap to buy, look attractive, are quite hardy. Introducing new fish into your pond in late spring or early summer will ensure they are well acclimatised by the time winter arrives. Most shops sell their fish in plastic bags which are ideal to get the fish used to the change in temperature. Simply pop the bag containing the fish into the pond and leave them floating for about twenty minutes.

If the sun is shining place the bag in a shady part of the pond otherwise, the water in the bag will overheat. When the two temperatures become equal you can release the fish.

There are several different varieties of goldfish available. Some are more suited to an indoor tank. These usually have long flowing fins and are more likely to contract diseases during a long hard winter. The Orandas, Veiltails, Fantails and Moors all fall into this category.

The Comet is an excellent variety for a pond. They are streamlined, fast moving and colourful. They may be found in gold, silver or a mixture of both. The Blue Shubunkin is another ideal fish for the pond. They are extremely colourful. They are a rich blue with blotches of red, brown, violet and yellow with speckles of black.

Koi are also a favourite for the pondkeeper but they are expensive. They can grow to enormous sizes, irrespective of the size of their environment, and so are unsuitable for any but the largest ponds.

The golden orfe is a fine fish to have in a medium or large pond. They are fast swimmers and spend a great deal of their time on the surface. They require water with a high oxygen content and are better if there is a waterfall or fountain. In a small pond in hot or thundery weather they will soon die.

Tench are easy fish to keep and are good scavengers. They are useful for clearing up any uneaten food left by the other fish. The Golden Rudd is a British fish which does very well in a garden pond.

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