Must-Have pond equipment

[MikeyToo]

There are many "optional" procedures and equipment related to pond keeping. What I would like y'all to discuss is your opinion about MANDATORY procedures or equipment that pond keepers should consider in order to avoid disaster.

Over the years I have read of several instances where a pond keeper was adding water to their pond and they got distracted and walked off leaving the water running. They returned later to find their dear fish floating, killed from the excess chlorine or chloramine in the water. A personal friend of mine did this within the last several months and he lost all of his fish.

So for those of you who have water that is treated with chlorine and/or chloramine or other toxic additives there is an extremely simple solution to this problem. Go out and purchase a cheap digital timer and keep it right next to the faucet. They cost a dollar or two. Before you drag the hose to the pond, pick up the timer, set it for the time needed (ten minutes for me) and then press start. Put the timer in your shirt pocket. This little device has saved the lives of my fish more than once....

The amount of water you add to your pond and the volume of water in you pond will determine if you need to add AmQuel or another product to neutralize any toxics in your water.

What other suggestions do you guys have?

 

[koikeepr]

Here's a few I can think of off the top of my head.

Mandatory:

1. Do a 20% water change every week or two without fail. Use dechlor if you need it.
2. Have an overflow Plan: In a big rain storm or if you leave the hose running, have piping in place that will safely return water back into the pond, and/or allow it to exit properly without losing fish, etc.
3. Have pond salts and some common meds on hand to be ready in case of an illness or fungus or whatever hits your fish/pond (and it will sooner or later). You want to have some remedies in place to be able to use them immediately, and not have to run around trying to find things you may not even be able to get locally. When you see an illness the clock is ticking and you need to treat immediately--not wait for a remedy to come in the mail.
4. Have a water test kit always on hand. If you notice anything off with your pond, you can test the water parameters and make adjustments.
5. Thermometer: to gauge temperature of your water all the time.
6. Check your fish every day. Check your filtration every day. Even if you don't have the time, just do a pitstop for 5 minutes to make sure everything is functioning as it should and the inhabitants are ok. If on vacation, just have a neighbor pop by for a few minutes.

Optional (but strongly suggested)

1. Automatic Shut Off: Should your pond or skimmer empty, your pump will not run dry.