It can be devastating when you realise that your pond has fallen victim to a predator attack. If you have been a pond owner for a few years you may well have a flourishing stock of mature fish. The last thing you need is to start your fish collection again from scratch.

The worst offender whose name strikes terror through all pond owners’ minds is the heron. If a heron decides that he likes to fish at your pond then he will be relentless until he has decimated your entire fish stocks. This long legged bird will not only eat your fish he will also cause stress to remaining fish and potential damage to your pond liner.

The tell tale signs that a heron has visited your pond are sometimes easy to see. The tell tale fish at the edge of the pond with a V mark across its back that the heron has left behind is of course a total giveaway but there are less obvious indications. Are your fish shier than usual? Do they rarely leave the sanctuary of the bottom of the pond unless to feed? Have you thought that all your fish have been taken only to find they have reappeared from there sanctuary at the bottom of the pond or from under foliage a few days later? These are all classic signs that a heron is visiting your pond.

There are things that you can do to stop this bird but each pond may require a different solution. We will discuss some of these in the next article.

It’s now dark when most of us get home from work so what better way to get the most out of your pond during the winter months than by adding some pond lights and garden lighting.

There was once a time when to only outside light you could find for your garden was a halogen floodlight that illuminated the whole space leaving little to the imagination of the garden or pond owner. Now however you can get many different types of lighting for your garden so that you can just light a certain area of your garden or highlight a particular feature – like a pond.

With the addition of solar lighting to the garden owner’s arsenal you don’t even have to run an electricity supply to the light to power them. These are great when used to light a pathway or the edge of the pond. You can also now buy novelty garden lighting so that you can jazz up your pergola or add a little sparkle to trees or large shrubs.

If you want to add lights into your pond then you can now buy submersible low voltage lighting that can even be controlled by a remote so it can be turned on and off easily. Or perhaps add a floating light to the pond surface to highlight a waterfall or fountain. The choice is really up to you.

If you are a serious pond owner you will know the importance of a quarantine tank. This can be kept in storage whilst you are not using it, but having access to a storage solution for your fish at short notice is definitely worthwhile.

Why do I need a quarantine task?

If you are introducing new fish into your pond they should always be kept in quarantine before you add them to your established stock. They may have a disease you are unaware of or be harbouring parasites that will infect the rest of your fish. About one month is considered a normal time span for such quarantine methods, and during this time you should make the environment suitable by adding water treatment agents to prevent infection and also eliminate infections.

If you have noticed one of your fish is sick or injured you can place the fish into the quarantine tank to keep it away from your other fish. You can also treat this fish easily if it is on its own because you can add medication just to this tank and not the entire pond. This can also save you money.

If you are moving home you will need a way to transfer your fish to your new home. And, if there is not a pond installed at your new address it may take some time to install a new pond and for the eco-system to become established. If the time span of this is likely to exceed a few weeks then perhaps you will need to look at another where your fish can be housed safely while you set up your new system.

Your garden provides a haven for all different types of wildlife whether you have a garden pond or not. Birds, small mammals and amphibians will all use your garden as a part of their habitat and it will provide them with food, shelter and warmth.

If you are a pond owner the main thing your pond will provide to all these different species is a source of water. Small mammals such as hedgehogs and foxes will drink at the water’s edge and during periods of dry weather this may be one of the only sources of clean water for quite some distance. This is why it is always a good idea to include a sloping edge into your pond design to help animals that fall into your pond climb out easily.

It is amazing how aquatic wildlife will find your pond so quickly after the installation of your new pond. Frogs, newts and toads will make your pond their home – even if you rarely catch glimpses of them. And with the number of naturally forming ponds and garden ponds falling in the UK, your pond provides an essential habitat to many more species than just your fish, so it is always worth remembering this when you initially decide your pond design and planting scheme.