Summer
Summer is the peak of pond season here in the Chicagoland area. To fully enjoy the “Aquascape Lifestyle,” you want to make sure your water feature is healthy and functioning optimally throughout the warmer months.
Health of Pond Fish
Add Aquatic Pond Plants
- Stock your pond with a lot of plants to provide shade for the fish, such as waterlilies or other floating plants. A good rule of thumb is to provide plant coverage of approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the pond’s surface area.
Add Oxygen to your pond
- Warm water has a low capacity for holding oxygen, so you may start to see your fish gasping for air close to the water’s surface, or especially close to a fountain or waterfall. Add oxygen to your pond by placing an aerator or AquaForce® pond pump in your water garden. You can also install a fountain with a pump if your pond doesn’t have a waterfall or stream.
Feeding Pond Fish
- If you feed your fish, feed them in the morning and be careful not to overfeed. They’ll be able to consume what they need in about 5 minutes.
- Use a high-quality fish food such as Aquascape Premium Fish Food Pellets which include protein sources as a top ingredient.
Pond Water Evaporation
Depending on your location, hot summer days can increase the rate of evaporation of pond water. When adding water, we recommend using Pond Detoxifier to remove and detoxify chlorine, ammonia and heavy metals that can harm pond fish and aquatic plants.