The pond of Marc from Enschede
In our new column “The pond of” we are again pleased to let a true pond lover have his say. This time we discuss the pond of Marc from Enschede. Marc is a true pond enthusiast and also a loyal follower of our Facebook page. We asked Marc some questions about his pond and his fish and he also sent us some beautiful pictures of his pond.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Marc, am 33 years old and live with my girlfriend and dog in Enschede. We have a pond of about 9000 liters in the shape of an L with a nice waterfall attached.
How long have you had the pond?
I have had the pond for a little over 2 years now.
Why did you choose a pond at the time?
I have always been crazy about fish and aquariums. When we decided to drastically change the garden 2.5 years ago, I absolutely wanted a pond in the garden and so it came!
What kind of fish do you all have in the pond?
I have several species of fish in the pond. Besides some nice Koi, I also have a diamond sturgeon and an albino sturgeon in the pond. You can clearly see the albino sturgeon in one of the pictures. Also some goldfish, goldwindes and 1 Shubunkin. Finally there is a striped Chinese sucker carp, some algae eaters and a sunfish. All in all a nice variety of fish.
What kind of fish food do you feed your fish?
I give the Koi and the other fish SaniKoi Gold with a small amount of natural fish food. The sturgeons and the striped Chinese sucker carp I give SaniKoi Sturgeon Pro. These fish must have food that sinks to the bottom.
How much attention per week do you pay to the pond?
I feed the fish 2-3 times a day and then I check right away if I see some noticeable things. I try to measure the water once every 2 weeks and change about 20% of the water once every 2 months. I also flush the filter every week and remove some filamentous algae. Unfortunately, I have been bothered by a heron and so I have had to arrange some precautions by wire along the pond. 
What kind of equipment do you have in and around your pond?
I actually bought all my equipment from Velda, on the recommendation of the garden center. I have a Clear Control 50 as a filter along with a Silenta Pro for aeration. A Floating Combi Filter for extra filtration with nice little fountain and for the waterfall I have a High Stream pond pump in the water. Finally, I bought a Laser Guard for protection against herons.
What do you all do to keep your pond and the fish in the right condition?
I test the water once every 2 weeks and still try to look closely at the fish every day to see if they show any odd behavior. I also try to give them the best food available.
What are you still missing in or around the pond?
Actually, I’m not really sure what I’m missing. Sometimes I see those great pictures coming by with a glass wall along the pond that allows you to see the fish underwater. I think that is very cool, but I think there is a Fishdome for that as well. I do have some problems with dirt and grime in my pond. I scoop this out now with a fish net, but I may buy something for that too, maybe for next year.
We thank Marc for his story about his pond and the beautiful photos he sent us. Would you like to be included in this column now? Then send us a private message via our Facebook page or email us at info@velda.nl. If we invite you to participate in this column, we will send you a nice gift as a thank you.
