Adding fish to your pond can be one of the most exciting parts of being a pond owner. Not only are they fun pets they are also are a fantastic addition to a ponds ecosystem. You can, however, go overboard when it comes to the amount in your pond so it is important to maintain the right amount of fish for the size of your pond.
If you have too many fish can lead to a decrease in oxygen and to too much extra fish waste which builds your ammonia and nitrate levels.
The size of your pond filter can also dictate the amount of fish you can have to keep your water quality healthy. A small filter will allow less fish which obviously means the larger the filter the more fish your pond can sustain.
Most pond owners likely carry an average size pond filter which means that the amount of fish you can hold will be based on the surface area of your pond.
The amount is fish can also vary depending on the type of fish you have. If you have goldfish the rule of thumb is 1 fish for every 4-square feet of surface area. Koi fish get quite larger which means 1 koi for every 10-square feet of surface area. It may be safe to keep fewer than the maximum amount of fish to allow water quality to stay clean simpler.
Keep in mind your fish can survive in ponds even if they are slightly overcrowded. The tips that we give here are ideal conditions based on our experience and research. In the end, you make the choices for your pond or water feature we simply do our best to provide the best information we can base on our experiences.