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Allotment Articles1.
Allotment Articles 2.
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Your First Pond
Most children are fascinated both by fish and when they visit pet shops or garden centres, they pester their parents for a fish pond. If the children are very young, the appropriate first venture into fish keeping is a goldfish bowl. Then as their fish grow, a small tank is the natural progression, after which, as the children grow older, it is safe to acquire your first pond.
Ponds can be made in a variety of materials and simple liners are generally the cheapest construction. Where children are likely to be around and about, though, a semi-rigid, preformed pond is advisable. Clearly, if the pond is poked with sticks as children are wont to do, a more durable construction won't puncture. Besides that, if the semi-rigid module is correctly installed, it will stand the weight of a child or the family dog falling in without shoes and paws puncturing it.
Large preformed ponds with long guarantees can be expensive but most manufacturers make what might be termed 'a budget range' of small ponds in a lighter weight plastic. Even though these are of thinner section, they should still last until the children grow up or the interest wanes. If keeping fish becomes a serious hobby then a bigger pond can be purchased but a few goldfish can be kept quite successfully in a 4-foot x 3-foot, (1200mm x 900mm) or so pond. To keep fish in a pond, all you need is water, of course, and a little food: Expensive pumps and filtration systems are not necessary. You will, however, have to put up with the water going a shade, or two of green. This can be counteracted to some extent by the addition of lots of plants: the more the better.
Plants are where mum can perhaps be encouraged to take an interest as some suitable plants can be quite colourful. The pond can be installed at any time of the year but fish and plants are best introduced during the spring and summer months.
When buying fish, always pick lively, healthy looking specimens as lethargic ones almost certainly have something wrong with them. After choosing your fish and getting them home safely, always float the bag that they're usually supplied in, for half an hour or so, before opening it and letting the fish out into the pond. This will allow them to become acclimatized to the pond temperature. After releasing the fish, don't commence feeding them for a few days and then be careful to supervise the children carefully at feeding times so that great handfuls of food are not thrown in. If the fish survive the first month after being settled in your new pond, they should live on and give many years of pleasure.
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