STANDING out like a beacon of light beneath the murky depths of many of Edinburgh's garden ponds are the gold, yellow and silver of the Capital's pond fish.
Ponds are the centrepiece of many gardens and letting some brightly coloured creatures live in them often helps to keep visitors to your garden impressed for even longer with the feature.
Although they are among the easiest pets to look after, the
re are still a few things that people need to be aware of to ensure their pets are healthy and happy.
According to Gemma Barbour, of the Scottish Society for the Protection of Animals said: "Fish are not the most difficult pets to keep as long as you keep the filter clean and the water clean."
Perhaps the biggest question on fish owners' minds at the moment is how to make sure that fish remain well fed whilst their owners are away on holiday.
Gemma advises owners to buy food blocks from their nearest pet shop or aquarium. These typically last between two and four weeks. As Gemma says: "You put the block of food in the pond and the fish just nibble away at it." This advice also applies to fish being kept indoors in a tank.
Gemma does point out, though, that pond fish are highly vulnerable to predators.
Chief amongst these are birds, particularly heron and gulls. Gemma recommends that a protective cover or grille is placed over your pond to protect the fish.
"Food is short for birds right now with food litter being put in plastic bags," she says, meaning a pond full of fish could be the dinner that the bird is looking for.
When we think of animals that like fish, one that normally springs to mind is the humble household cat. However Gemma says: "Sometimes cats will be more intelligent but you will get cats going up to ponds. You can get sprays to deter cats from gardens."
The new fish predator on the scene according to Gemma is the runaway terrapin. "We get a lot of them coming in" says Gemma.
"They will eat everything if they get into the pond."
The most surprising threat to your garden fish though may be the predator you are most familiar with – the common or garden human being.
With some garden fish like the Koi Carp commonly retailing at over £1000, garden fish can be a popular target for thieves.
To deter this particular predator, Gemma recommends installing security lighting in your garden and investing in either a fake CCTV system, or, if the fish are extremely valuable, splashing out on a real CCTV system.
DIVE IN TO THE WORLD OF KOI• The common carp is a hardy fish and Koi retain that durability. Koi are cold-water fish, so Koi ponds have a metre or more of depth in areas of the world that are warm during the summer.
• In areas that have harsh winters, ponds should have a minimum depth of 1.5m.
• The average Koi carp can grow to 36 inches. The size of the pond and feeding methods affects the growth of the fish.
• Herons, kingfishers, cats, foxes, and badgers are all capable of emptying a pond of its fish.
• Koi have many different colours. Some of the major colours are white, black, red, yellow, blue, and cream.
• Koi are valuable and there have been a number of reports of them being stolen from fish ponds across the UK.
• If kept properly, they can live for about 30 to 40 years.
PETS IN THE NEWS• DOGS who were walked in Toronto's High Park – also known as Dog Hill – were poisoned this month, resulting in two deaths. But rather than it being premeditated killings it has been revealed that a nearby allotment gardener had been using antifreeze-soaked bread to take vengeance on thieving foragers . . . which the unsuspecting pets had eaten.
• A PIG that survived 36 days in the rubble of the Chinese earthquake is being put forward for a place in the record books. Nicknamed Zhu Jianqiang (Pig Strong Will), the animal reportedly lost two thirds of its body weight while trapped under rubble, but survived by drinking rain water and eating charcoal.
• TOWN hall staff in the Polish town of Radkow have put a chimp on the payroll as a tourism promotions inspector. The 17-year-old ape called Bobby is being paid £70 a month to plug local beauty spot Table Mountains, which has a cluster of outcrops known as Monkey Rock. Bobby is doing such a good job he is already up for promotion. And a payrise.
• A FAMILY in York claim their trampolining pet dog bounced over their garden fence earlier this month to freedom. The disappearance of Staffordshire bull terrier Harvey's has left Chloe Beattie, 4, heartbroken.
• A FOUR-FOOT yellow and black Californian King Snake was found in a toilet of a family home in Quedgeley, Gloucestershire. Kay Robins, 26, spotted the snake peering over the loo seat earlier this month, tried flushing it away but it slithered on to the bathroom floor. It was trapped under a bin and the RSPCA took it to a nearby wildlife centre. Experts believe the non-poisonous snake travelled through pipes after escaping a neighbour's home.
• AN American Bulldog recently made it into the Guiness Book of Records for giving birth to a record-breaking litter last month. Kaiser, from New Barnet in Hertfordshire, gave birth to an eye-watering 20 pups – the average is ten. Dog owner Kerry New was initially shocked by the huge delivery but will be soon reaping the benefits as each dog is set to fetch up to £1000.
The full article contains 970 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
