What should I add to the water in my pond

[Gordon54]

Hi. I have just finished filling my pond with tap water. We now want to add fish to the pond. How long should we wait and is there anything we need to add to the water to make it safer for the fish. Any advice would be grateful.

 

[poconojoe]

If your tap water is treated with chlorine, add a dechlorinator made for ponds.
Hopefully you know how much water your pond holds so you know how much dechlorinator to add.

The chlorine may dissipate over time without adding dechlorinator, but I'm not privy on that. Hopefully someone else who knows better will chime in.

There is nothing else you need add. Nothing.

Your pond will probably turn green shortly. We call that new pond syndrome. It will do that until it all balances out.

You'll need lots of plants for it to balance out. The plants compete with the algae (green water).

Patience is important with this hobby. Nothing happens overnight.

 

[poconojoe]

How many gallons is your pond or what are the dimensions?

Do you have any type of filter? If so, what type?

Do you have an aerator or at least good water movement? Surface agitation is best for oxygenating.

What kind of fish do you plan on keeping? Some fish produce more waste than others.
Keep in mind that if you intend on keeping koi, they can grow very large and require a lot of space and very good filtration. It is said that one koi requires about 1,000 gallons and each one after that 250-500 gallons.
Shubunkin are nice fish. They don't get too large, have beautiful flowing fins and nice colors. Goldfish come in many varieties, can be very nice and also don't grow too big.