One of the cornerstones of fish husbandry is maintaining good water quality. Much as we may not choose to do so, as humans we could swim in some fairly unpleasant water with limited fear for our health. A fish is not afforded that luxury as the water is not just an environment they pass through (as the human swimmer does) but it is a key component for their very existence.

Basically fish do everything in water. This includes eating, respirating and producing waste. All of these activities are continuously affecting the make up of the water and without a mechanism for reversing these affects, the water will become too polluted to support healthy fish.

Fortunately, nature provides all of the necessary tools to provide this clean up service in the form of aquatic plants and a multitude of other micro-organisms that utilise and process these toxins to return them to beneficial water constituents.

The biggest challenge that faces the fish keeper is actually one of their own making. The densities of fish in the typical fish pond far exceed the levels that would be found in nature. An outcome of this is that the natural process are not sufficient to manage the excessive waste produced in a fish pond.

It is important to ensure that your pond has mechanisms to manage these pollutants. This is why water features, filters and pumps are commonly used to help aerate water, tackle ammonia build up and remove waste products.