Maintaining Your in the Summer

Warm water has a low capacity for holding oxygen, so you may start to see your gasping for air close to the water’s surface, or especially close to a fountain or . As your fish struggle for oxygen, they’ll become increasingly stressed. And stressed fish are more likely to develop diseases… a scenario you want to avoid.

To optimize during extreme heat, you’ll want to ensure your fish have the best environment possible. It all starts with a well-designed water feature. Depth, plant coverage, shade, and circulation should all be considered when building a pond. A minimum depth of two feet is suggested so the bottom can remain cooler.

You’ll also want to stock your pond with a lot of to provide shade for the fish. A good rule of thumb is to provide plant coverage of approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the pond’s surface area. Waterlily pads provide great coverage, but if your pond lacks the proper amount, you can easily add floating plants such as water lettuce until the waterlilies fill in.

Summer

During these hot days of summer, try some of these to keep your pond performing optimally:

  • Add oxygen to your pond by placing an aerator or AquaForce® pump in your pond. You can also a fountain with a if your pond doesn’t have a waterfall or stream built in.
  • If you feed your fish, feed them in the morning and be careful not to overfeed. Uneaten food decays faster in warmer water and can pollute the pond.
  • Be sure to remove dying leaves and flowers before they have a chance to decay in the warmer water.
  • Be extra cautious when using algaecides in warmer temperatures as the sudden death of will consume a large amount of available oxygen.
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