Stocking the Pond

Stocking Your Pond with Fish and Amphibians

Your pond is in the ground, the lilies and marginal plants are in place, and the pump is running. There is something missing? You bet there is. Amphibians will make your pond come alive. Your pond is a mini eco system and if properly balanced with plant and animal life, it will require very little maintenance on your part.

Fish should come first. The choices you make will largely depend on where you live. If your pond will freeze in winter, you must choose hardy fish. Common goldfish are a good choice. They are very hardy, providing your water is deep enough not to freeze solid. They are very economical, about 39 cents each, if you purchase the feeder fish at your local Wal Mart. Stay away from the fancy fantail varieties if you don't live in a mild climate. If you see a white fish, grab it. It may not look like much at the time, but these white babies often turn into a beautiful lemon yellow.

Koi are also a possibility. They are somewhat exotic and may require more care. These fish are great jumpers, if you plan to use them, make the necessary adjustments to the edges of your pond. These are a bit more expensive, and sometimes they are hard to find locally.

Frogs are very entertaining and add activity to your pond. Introduce them as tadpoles and odds are they will stay for awhile. The tadpoles act as pond cleaners, and they will keep the algae at bay. If you don't know where to get tadpoles in the wild, there are pond suppliers that have them for sale by mail. Stay away from varieties not native to your area. Adult Bullfrogs, Leopards, and Green Frogs will eventually find their way to you pond. Remember, amphibians do have lungs so be sure to provide some means for them to climb out of the water. Make no mistake about it, they can and do drown. Don't be surprised if a few newts show up eventually. Maybe even a garden snake or two.

The amphibians will take care of themselves, no feeding necessary. The fish, on the other hand, appreciate a supplemental feeding of a good quality fish food when needed. Caution: Don't over feed the fish. Don't feed them anymore than they will consume in two or three minutes. Algae love fish food too, and boy does it make it grow, and grow and grow. Feeding the fish is not necessary once the water reaches a temperature of 40 degrees.