A WELL EQUIPPED POND

You’ve just installed the pond you have been dreaming of, or maybe you have acquired a pond with the purchase of that new home; so now you have the pond, but are you equipped for it?
Like many passions, hobbies, pursuits, or acquisitions a pond is something that needs to be accessorized a bit once you have it. There is no end to the possibilities on how you can proceed to accessorize your pond: spitters, foggers, statuary, automatic feeders, lighting, sound systems, fire effects and the list goes on for creating a well equipped pond. My advice is that before you get to all the “fun” accessories, you need to get some of the necessary accessories.
It is a surprise to me how many pond owners will overlook having some of the basic, but invaluable equipment that will make their pond keeping experience much more pleasant and mind easing. The following items are what I would consider to be must haves for pond owners. These items are easy to acquire, take no special skill to use, low investment, and may even spend most of their time in your garage or shed but when you do need them, you will be very happy you have them. I have yet to see a pond fogger help any pond owner in an emergency situation but all the following items can!
• Fish Net: Having at least one good net to capture your fish is just a must. For most pond fish a medium to fine mesh met can be incredibly useful for time that you may have to remove a fish for any reason, catch a fish to observe closely, or separate a fish due to injury or illness. I actually recommend having 3 nets on hand: a small hand net, a long handle fish net, and a long handle leaf net to help scoop out debris from your pond.
• Thermometer: A $4.00 floating pond thermometer can come in very handy. Pond temperatures are important to track for the pond owner. Temperature readings on your pond can help determine feeding schedules, medication dosages, when to use particular pond treatments, and even determine problems that occur in ponds due to temperature issues. Invest in a thermometer, you won’t go wrong!!
• Aerator: OMG!!! Most pond owners do not have aerators for their pond! A supplemental air pump for your pond is probably the single best accessory a pond owner can have. Aerators can save lives, reduce stress, improve water quality, de-ice your pond, de-gas your pond, and function as the main source of circulation and aeration in the event of a pump failure. Stop reading now, and get your air pump and then come back here to finish this article. Actually finish the article so you can make one trip to get all your pond accessories at once!
• Water Conditioner: Water conditioner is important to have on hand to help dechlorinate new water to the pond, and stimulate slime production in fish if the pond is under stress or livestock is injured.
• Pond Net/ Predator Protection: At some point most pond keepers will have the need to keep excessive debris out of their pond, or, they may need to protect their pond from predators who think of the pond as more of the local sushi bar that YOU provide. A simple leaf net is great to have on hand when you need one, and they are not expensive at all for the disposable type that can be found at any pond retailer or garden center.

To have a well equipped pond really is not much of an investment and will bring you great peace of mind because when you need any of these items… you will NEED them.
So, if you find you are lacking these essentials go out and get them; because you need them, and while your out you can pick up that motion activated fiber optic color changing statue of a gargoyle spurting water from its eyes, into your pond, but that is a whole other blog, so keep posted!