How deep should my pond be?

• If you plan on wintering over koi or goldfish in our area, the pond must be at least 2 feet deep. We generally build our basic ponds to the 24" depth in order to keep the fish healthy. Many people have heard that a much greater depth, such as 4 to 5 feet, is the proper depth. This may be true if you do not intend to circulate the water in the winter, but if you have a bubbler and a heater to keep a small hole open in the ice throughout the winter, there is no need to dig that deep.

How many fish can I have in my pond?

• A good rule to go by is 20 to 30 gallons of water per fish. This gives the fish room and better water quality no matter what the size of the fish is. With that said, remember that this rule is not always going to be true in every situation. Fish can grow fast and many pond owners know that fish can multiply even faster. So to get a good balance of fish in your pond, try starting out with a few and let it mature over time. It's much easier to add more later than to try to find a new home for fish when it gets too crowded.

How much should I feed my fish?

• Our recommendation is to use common sense and not to overfeed your fish. You want to make sure that the fish will be able to eat all the food you put into the pond and no food gets into the filter. If food does get into your filter make sure you clean it out so that the nutrients in the food does not leach out into the water and throw your pond out of balance. When the fish stop eating the food, stop feeding the fish. Remember that in a well-balanced and properly designed ecosystem, the fish will not need to be fed at all. There is plenty of nutrients the fish feed on in the pond.