Pond Cover Plants During Winter
Summer is now well and truly drawing to a close. Like many other plants, many water lily varieties will stop flowering and retract their leaves or lose them all altogether. They go into a dormant state during the colder months and come back in spring. As a result, your pond might be left looking barren and empty in winter, leaving fish without cover. The good news is that there are a few options to keep cover for your fish:
- There are water lily varieties that only lose their leaves until new growth occurs in springtime
- Water Hawthorn is actually a winter grower, not only providing cover with its floating leaves but also bringing some life into your pond with its white flowers
- Other water plants such as Mare’s Tail and Dwarf Rotala (or Roundleaf Toothcup) will grow year-round creating dense floating mats
Health Benefits of an Aquarium
Ever wondered why waiting rooms of dentists and doctors’ offices often feature a fish tank? Or that communal area in a rest home where the residents enjoy the tranquility of an aquarium? We might generally know that there are benefits for health and mood, but there are in fact scientific studies which highlight and substantiate that aquariums have both mental and physical benefits to our health. Here are some of the top benefits:
- Decreases Blood Pressure
- Lowers Heart Rate
- Improves Sleep Quality
- Relieves Stress
- Reduces Anxiety
- Redirects Negative Feelings
- Improves Mood
* Cracknell, D., White, M. P., Pahl, S., Nichols, W. J., & Depledge, M. H. (2016). Marine Biota and Psychological Well-Being
*Nancy Edwards, (1999), Study: Aquariums may pacify Alzheimer’s patients
Pond Fish - Alternatives to Goldfish
We often get asked if we can put anything else but the plain old goldfish in ponds. New Zealand’s biosecurity regulations put a lot of constraints on the selection of goldfish in this market. Other than the orange/red, white or combinations thereof, or brown/black single tail Common Goldfish and Comets, there is not much else. However, there are some alternatives available for your pond:
- Shubunkins: effectively a goldfish, but coming with a multi coloured pattern of different colours (blues, reds, whites, oranges, yellows, blacks…) – very hardy and a great addition to any pond.
- Fancy Goldfish: fancy goldfish typically are goldfish varieties with split tails, and coming with a myriad of different other characteristics such as telescope eyes, growths on the head called a ‘wen’, long veil like tails, short tails etc. – can be kept in ponds but because of their fancy characteristics, they are not great swimmers and may require some special attention.
- White Cloud Mountain Minnows: In Auckland we have seen these little fish do well in ponds year round. Especially the albino variety makes for a great addition to small to medium size ponds. They are a schooling fish and seeing them swarm around in your pond adds for an interesting visual spectacle.
- Golden Barbs: These are from the same family as goldfish however less hardy and not as tolerable to lower temperatures. They reach a maximum length of 7-8 cm making them a nice alternative to goldfish in the small to medium ponds in the warmer regions of NZ.
For more information please contact us
RedFish BlueFish is an Auckland-based aquarium hire and garden pond design company servicing commercial and residential aquatic décor needs throughout Greater Auckland. At RedFish BlueFish, our goal is to develop and maintain stable aquatic ecosystems, whether it is an indoor aquarium water feature or a large outdoor pond. We design, build and maintain garden ponds, and outdoor water features for homes and businesses; and we design, lease and maintain fresh water and saltwater aquariums that breathe life into any workplace or home;
