There’s nothing quite as soothing as the sound of a waterfall or trickling stream. Many backyard enthusiasts like to landscape with a water feature. If you live in the Seattle area, you might also wonder what kind of fish to get, once your pond or waterfall has been installed. We can help!

First, we’d like to offer a few guidelines. Non-native species of reptiles, amphibians (especially bullfrogs), and fish wreak havoc on the local environment if they escape your pond. They can take over habitats and food supplies, as well as introduce diseases to wild populations. Choose from a quality pond supply or garden store when selecting your fish.

The introduction of fish will alter your pond’s ecosystem. Plus, if your fish reproduce resulting in overpopulation, the fish can end up stressed, add excess ammonia to the water from waste products and deplete the oxygen of the water, resulting in an unhealthy ecosystem. We’ll have more tips on proper filtration coming soon.

Here are a few of our favorite fish for the backyard pond:

• Koi – Koi are ornamental varieties of common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens. They add color to your pond and are relatively easy to keep.
• Goldfish – A popular choice of fish for a water garden, these fish are well suited for almost any pond size. Goldfish come in a number of varieties and colors.
• Golden Orfe – Orfe are pretty rocket shaped fish, yellow orange in color. They often have black spots on the head and silvery flanks. They’re very fast and surface feed primarily. They eat insects, small worms and possibly fish fry.
• Plecostomus – These catfish-like sucker fish are great bottom-feeders. Known to clean up what other fish leave behind, they can be great assets to your pond.

Need help installing a water feature in your backyard landscape? Give us a call. We excel at designing and building pleasing backyard water features.