Caring For Your Fish Pond During The Summer

The summer is the most pleasant time of the year to be seated in the garden with your favourite ice-cold drink and gaze at your fish and the rest of your garden. It is the busiest time of the year for both your pond and your garden flowers and the birds and the bees are at their most lively too.

If you would like to keep on enjoying your garden and pond into the evening, you can position external lighting at strategic points to draw attention to the best bits. However, in spite of wanting to just relax in the warmth, there are still some chores that you will have to carry out to care for your fish pond during the summer.

The first thing you have to do is ensure that you fish are getting enough oxygen. The problem is that warm water holds less oxygen that cold water, so you must take extra precautions in the summer. This is quite easily rectified by mechanical, automatic means. There are three basic methods of oxygenating fish pond water.

The most important technique is the use of a fish pond filter. Endeavor to have the water pumped several feet above the pond water level. The water is then passed through the filter and it should fall down several steps back into the water. Every time the water falls, it will pick up more oxygen, which it will take back to the pond.

The second technique is also the most spectacular - the fountain. Most fountains have a couple of settings to allow different water patterns. All the patterns will aerate the water. A high, single jet of water will make the most noise when it falls back into the pond, while a pattern of say, ten less-powerful sprays will hardly make any noise at all.

The third means of oxygenating the pond water is the 'bubbler'. This device sucks air from above the waterline and blows it out it below the water line - it is the type of oxygenation device that indoor fish tanks utilize, but on a bigger scale.

The use of these three techniques in the summer will make certain that your fish always have enough oxygen no matter how hot it gets.

The next consideration is feeding. Fishes' metabolism increases during the summer. They also have to put on fat, because they will not eat much throughout the winter. You can ensure that your fish get loads of insects to eat by fitting a light by the water side. You can either take a line off the pond pump or you could place a solar powered light there in stead.

The insects will be attracted to the light and fall into the water. The fish will soon find out about the insects. Insects are fishes' natural food, so this is the best means to fatten them up without running the risk of putting too much food into the water which could decompose and negatively affect the quality of the water. Lighting up your pond in the twilight is also a fantastic way of getting more enjoyment from your pond.

This is the last chore that you have to carry out in order to care for your fish pond during the summer - keeping the water clean. There will be a build up of algae which has to be cleared, but basically, you are now set to get pleasure from your pond for the summer months.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece writes on quite a few topics, but is at present concerned with exterior lighting fixtures. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at Outdoor Wall Lamps.