Maintaining Good Water Quality in Your Pond

 Limit your fish load. A good rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish for every 10 gallons of pond water. Keep in mind that fish grow and reproduce. Take in account the fish’s maximum size when stocking your pond.

 Don’t overfeed the fish. Feed only what they’ll eat in a few minutes. Remove any uneaten food from the pond water.

 Maintain your pond filter. Sludge on the filter media in the filter can suffocate beneficial bacteria causing the filter to crash.

 Test your water quality regularly. Normal testing should include pH, ammonia and nitrite. The water quality in small ponds can change quickly.

 Do water changes. Change 10% of the pond volume weekly or 20% every two weeks. Remember to dechlorinate your water if you are using a municipal water source