If you've just bought your first pet fish for your aquarium or tank then take a look at this guide by GJW Titmuss, packed with detailed information on how to look after them properly.

1. Loving Your Pet:
Caring For Your Pond Fish
Created By
GJW Titmuss

2. Contents
Your New Pond Fish Slide 3
Types of Fish Slide 4
Pond Setup Slide 5
Bringing Your Fish Home Slide 6
Moving Fish Into Your Pond Slide 7
Deterring Other Animals Slide 8
Safety Slide 9
Adding More Fish To Your Pond Slide 10
Pond Maintenance Slide 11
Diet and Food Slide 12
Diet and Food (Part 2) Slide 13
Supplements Slide 14
Winter Feeding Slide 15
Infections Slide 16
Social Details Slide 17
Image Sources Slide 18

3. Your New Pond Fish
Fish are extremely enjoyable and
relaxing to watch, however you must
give them the care and attention they
deserve so they live a sufficient and
healthy life.
Pond fish are unique pets in the sense
that you won’t interact with them in
the same way as a dog for example, but
this is part of their charm.
Remember - look after these amazing
animals properly!

4. Types of Fish
Here’s a quick look at some of the types of fish that are suitable for a pond
and those more suited to a tank/aquarium environment:
Fish suitable for a tank/aquarium Fish suitable for a pond
Barbs – Gold, Rosy, Ruby and Purple. Avoid
Tinfoil and Spanner due to size and also Tiger
barbs as they can nip
Goldfish – in British conditions they are more
likely to grow to 20cm
Rasboras – Harlequins and Scissortails Koi – 60-90cm when fully grown, so more suited
to larger ponds with at least 3ft depth
Rainbowfish – Neon, Celebes and Boesmans Tench – great for bottom feeders
Minnows – White Cloud Mountain Sarasa Comets – similar to Goldfish with red
patches
Danios – Leopard, Pearl and Zebra. Avoid Giant
Danios, as their name suggests they will
become too large
Shubunkins – similar to Goldfish with a mix of
colours
Catfish – Spotted Cory, Bandit, Bronze, Gold.
Avoid Plecos as they can grow quite large
Golden Orfe – can grow up to 40cm, should not
be kept in small ponds without a pump

5. Pond Setup
Make sure your pond is setup properly before your fish are
brought back to their new home:
• Does it include plants to help with the ecosystem?
• Have you installed a filter so the water balance is constantly at
the right level?
• Is the pump installed for efficient circulation?
• Have you cut back any overhanging branches to prevent the
filter becoming clogged?
• Is it large enough to house your new fish?
• Do you have a thermometer available to monitor the
temperature?

6. Brining Your Fish Home
When bringing your pet fish back home for the first time:
• Put them in a plastic bag and make sure there is no
leakage before you begin your journey
• Place a brown bag over the plastic bag to ensure the fish
remains calm in darkness
• Don’t keep them contained in the plastic bag for more
than two hours as this could cause distress
• Make sure the bag stays at a sufficient temperature on
the journey home

7. Moving Fish Into Your Pond
With your fish safely home, you now need to transfer them over to your pond
with minimal distress. Follow these steps for a smooth transition:
1) Place the bag on the surface of the pond to allow the water temperatures to
mix
2) Where possible, put the bag in a shaded area
3) Open the bag slightly and allow the fish to adapt to any differences in the
quality of water
4) After around 20 minutes, you are then ready to release your fish into the
water.
Remember to avoid handling the fish where possible

8. Deterring Other Animals
To keep predators at bay, you can add
netting across the top of the water. This
will deter cats from trying to reach in and
will also keep rodents away.
Another deterrent is to install a small to
medium sized wire fence around the
perimeter of the pond or alternatively,
use animal repellent to ward off threats.

9. Safety
Keep an eye on your pond and make sure that young children are
supervised at all times.
The netting you place over the
top to deter pray can also be used
to stop children putting their hands
in the water.
However, this won’t take the full weight
of a fall, so the best way to ensure their
safety is to watch them like a hawk!
Tell children not to get too close to the water.

10. Adding More Fish To Your
Pond
Give your fish three weeks minimum to get used to their surroundings
before adding any new fish.
• Adding too many fish can lead to disease due to a reduction in
water quality
• A pond of 500 gallons or less should have no more than six small
fish in it (3-4 inches fully grown)
• For larger ponds, five to six fish will suffice (5-6 inches fully grown)
Always account that for the fact that fish grow in size when
you buy them

11. Pond Maintenance
Look after the fishes’ living environment by carrying out the
following:
• Keep water levels sufficient
• Ensure water circulation is working
• Remove dead plants and weeds
• Clean pond equipment during the spring
• Increase shaded areas to reduce algae growth
• Add a fountain to prevent mosquito larvae

12. Diet and Food
Diet depends on a number of factors including:
• The type of fish you own
• Time of year
• Water temperature
Only feed fish as much as they can consume within two minutes
- overfeeding can pollute the water.
If your underwater friend is not eating properly, start to look for
any signs of disease.

13. Diet and Food (Part 2)
These animals will consume a range of foods
including algae, plants, insects and supplements.
Make sure that moisture doesn’t enter any
feeding containers you’re using and store food in
a dry place away from direct sunlight.

14. Supplements
A decent pet fish diet should also include supplements
such as:
• Pond sticks
• Mixed pond food
• Flakes
• Pellets
• Winter food – wheatgerm sticks and pellets

15. Winter Feeding
Dietary requirements will change during winter.
If the temperature falls below four degrees Celsius, your fish
do not require any food – the temperature controls their
metabolism.
When temperatures pick up again during early spring, you
may wish to feed them wheatgerm as it’s easier to digest.

16. Infections
Observe your pets closely to see if any common
infections/diseases have been caught:
Condition Symptoms Treatment
Fungus White or grey fluffy patches on the body Anti-fungus treatment
White spot Small round-shaped spots on the fish, common
on fins. The spots are the parasites’ egg sacks
Anti-white spot treatment
Velvet
disease
A series of tiny white spots all over the fish –
these are smaller than the above ‘white spot’
condition
Anti-velvet disease treatment
Fin, tail,
mouth rot
Pink and white patches which give the impression
that the infected area is wearing away. Fish will
appear lethargic and have a loss of appetite
Anti-fin rot treatment
Ulcers Red sores which appear on the fish Anti-ulcer treatment
Dropsy Raised scales, loss of appetite and lethargic Anti-bacterial treatment
Swim
bladder
Fish will display signs of not being able to swim
properly or float near the surface
Anti-bacterial or swim bladder
treatments.

17. GJW Titmuss
@GJWTitmuss/GJWtitmuss
Contact us today:
www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk
As a leading online pet store, GJW Titmuss offer a wide range of pet food,
products and accessories. Based in Lamer Lane, Wheathampstead,
Hertfordshire, customers can view our website or visit our store directly.
Web orders - 01582 839114 / store - 01582 833883
enquires@GJWTitmuss.co.uk
Store opening hours:
Monday-Friday 7.30am-5.00pm
Saturday 9.00am-4.00pm
Closed Sunday and bank holidays

18. Image Credits
http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-42652420/stock-photo-
feeding-fish
http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-48250007/stock-photo-man-
cleanse-his-garden-pond
http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-12763460/stock-photo-gold-
fish-isolation-on-the-white
http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-33816674/stock-photo-cat
http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-58383464/stock-photo-fish-
food
http://www.gjwtitmuss.co.uk/