Pond Fish - Koi, or Goldfish are an integral part of any ecosystem pond, Jonesboro, Georgia (GA)
Pond Fish are an integral part of any ecosystem pond. Unfortunately, fish are often seen as creating a maintenance nightmare. Contrary to popular belief, fish will actually reduce pond maintenance, as they graze on string algae and bottom feed from the pond floor. In fact any store can "Sell" Goldfish, KOI and other Pond Fish. However, it takes an exceptional amount of commitment and knowledge to successfully "Retail" Pond Fish. Every year we get several "Emergency" calls from panicked homeowners who start mysteriously loosing fish. Most of the time the cause can be traced to a parasite outbreak that came from purchasing a new pond fish from a retail pond store that quite simply did not know how to "Retail" pond fish. Now that is not to say that every store that sells fish does not know how to. However, it is important to know who you are purchasing fish from and more importantly who they are purchasing their fish from.
Koi The low-Maintenance Pets Koi … the jewels of the water garden! Have you thought about making them a part of your watery paradise. Everyone who has koi preaches of the joy they have while feeding them, watching them swim through caves and waterfalls, and even naming them. You’ll find koi of all different shapes and sizes named accordingly. There’s “Goldie” – everyone’s favorite yellow fish; and “Spot” – the fish with a precarious spot on the front of its forehead; the names can go on, and on, and on! One of the other things that is so wonderful about welcoming a fishy friend into your pond is that they are pretty low maintenance. You won’t see a koi scratching at the door to go for a walk, or choosing your prized sofa for a litter box. Nope. Fish live, breath, and eat in the exact same place … your pond. They truly are one of the most low-maintenance pets you can have.
When it comes to feeding them, you may notice that there are several different recommendations out there. If your fish are part of a balanced ecosystem, as is the case with the Aquascape system, your best bet is to feed them as much as they will eat in five minutes, being careful not to leave too much food floating at the surface.
Fish can also over-winter in your pond, so you can rest assured that they won’t be in a tub in the middle of the living room as the months get colder. After all, they won’t even pay rent!
More Than Just Koi Are there other fish, besides koi, that make great pond-living pets? There most certainly are! That same goldfish that stares at you from the glass at the fish store is a perfect fit for your pond. Goldfish are incredibly resilient and can be a great starter fish for a new pond owner. Best of all, they come in all, shapes, sizes, and colors and if you have a container water garden or preformed pond, they’re a great fit!
Another fish that is sure to find its way into your heart resembles the koi, but is much smaller. It’s called a shubunkin and it’s a kind of single-tailed, long-bodied goldfish that differs from the koi in the fact that it doesn’t have “barbells,” which are whiskers of sorts that are used to root through gravel.
