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Garden Ponds For All Uses

Fish Ponds

by Michael O'Brien

There are quite a few different options when it comes to stocking fish ponds. The most common fish used are goldfish and koi. There are some major differences between the two species that should be kept in mind, however.

Stocking Fish Ponds with Goldfish

Goldfish are an extremely rugged breed of fish. They thrive in many differing temperatures, and are fairly resistant to slight variances in pond conditions caused by chemical changes in water and the addition of new plants. They can grow up to 12 inches in length depending on the size of the pond, and are pretty inexpensive too.

Don't be Koi

Koi are a beautiful breed of fish that belong to the same family as goldfish. They're main drawback is price and maintenance. They too are a rugged fish, but eat massive quantities of food. This means that plants don't thrive well in a koi pond unless the volume of plants far exceeds the fish population. Koi also produce a lot of waste, requiring much filtration. These fish are expensive too.

It's not that koi are a bad fish to stock a pond with. They are quite beautiful, and grow to be much larger than goldfish. It's just that you don't teach your kid to drive in a Porsche. For the beginner, goldfish are a safer choice. Koi fish should only be attempted by the experienced owners of fish ponds who have a large, ecologically successful pond.

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