Pond Care

API Pond Stress Coat

PondAloe vera

API Pond Stress Coat is Stress Coat scaled up for the garden. It removes chlorine from tap water the moment it is added, making a top-up or a water change safe for koi and goldfish, and its aloe vera helps protect and repair fish skin — worth doubling the dose for when new fish go in or a fish has been netted, handled or damaged. Dose 120 ml for every 1 800 litres of pond water, using the pond volume rather than the tank size, and dose again whenever water is added. It comes in 473 ml, 946 ml, 1.9 litre and 3.78 litre bottles.

Size: 473 ml

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Live pricing and stock on jungleaquatics.com — purchase through Jungle Aquatics, with delivery across South Africa.

Dosage calculator

Enter your pond volume and the calculator works out how much API Pond Stress Coat to use for each rate on the pack.

Pond volume

Measured in

Use length × width × average depth in metres × 1 000 = litres.

Routine dose120 ml per 1 817 litres
Enter a volumeWhen setting up, changing or topping up water
Double dose — adding fish or promoting healing240 ml per 1 817 litres
Enter a volumeDose the full pond volume

For a top-up, dose only the volume of water you are adding.

A guide only — always follow the dosing instructions printed on the pack, and measure with the bottle's cap or a syringe rather than by eye.

Technical details

Product type	Liquid pond water conditioner with aloe vera
Sizes	473 ml · 946 ml · 1.9 L · 3.78 L
Dose	120 ml per 1 800 litres; double when adding fish or to promote healing
Removes	Chlorine
Key ingredient	Aloe vera
When to use	Setting up a pond, adding fish, changing or topping up water
Suitable for	Koi and goldfish ponds, water gardens
Safe with	Pond fish and aquatic plants
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

Work out the pond volume once and write it on the bottle — every pond product on this site is dosed by litres.

How do I work out my pond volume and dose?

Multiply average length × width × depth in metres, then by 1 000, to get litres: a pond 4 m long, 2 m wide and 0.7 m deep on average holds roughly 5 600 litres. Dose Pond Stress Coat at 120 ml per 1 800 litres, so that pond takes about 375 ml for a full treatment — or just the share matching the water you actually added, if you are topping up. Double the dose when you introduce new fish or when a fish has been handled, netted or injured, so the aloe vera can do its work. Subtract a little for rocks and planting baskets, and keep the figure handy: every other pond product is dosed the same way.

Chlorine gone before the hose is off

Municipal water is chlorinated, and a top-up from the hose can put enough into a pond to burn gills and knock back the filter bacteria. Pond Stress Coat neutralises chlorine on contact, so a top-up or a water change is safe as soon as it is dosed and circulated.

Aloe vera for skin and scales

Pond fish are handled more roughly than aquarium fish — netted for inspection, moved between ponds, occasionally caught by a heron or scraped on rockwork. The aloe vera in the formula helps protect their skin and supports healing, which is why the label calls for a double dose when introducing fish or helping a damaged one recover.

Dose the pond, not the guess

The rate is 120 ml for every 1 800 litres. Measure the pond first: length × width × average depth in metres × 1 000 gives litres. A pond 4 m × 2 m and 0.7 m deep on average holds about 5 600 litres and needs roughly 375 ml — which is why the larger bottles make sense outdoors.

Four sizes for four pond sizes

The 473 ml bottle suits a small water feature or a first fill; the 946 ml and 1.9 litre bottles cover most garden ponds through a season of top-ups; and the 3.78 litre bottle is for large koi ponds where a partial change runs to thousands of litres.

Frequently asked questions

Do I dose the whole pond or just the new water?

For a top-up, dose the volume of water you are adding. When setting up a pond, changing a large share of the water or introducing fish, dose the full pond volume.

When should I use the double dose?

When introducing new fish to the pond and when a fish needs help healing — the higher dose puts more aloe vera into the water to protect and repair skin.

Is Pond Stress Coat safe for plants and wildlife?

Yes, at the label dose it is safe for pond fish and aquatic plants. Keep concentrated product away from animals and dose to your measured pond volume.

Can I use aquarium Stress Coat in a pond instead?

You can, but you would need a great deal of it. The pond version is dosed for thousands of litres and comes in sizes to 3.78 litres, which is far more practical outdoors.

Which size should I buy for my pond?

A small feature pond is well served by 473 ml; most garden ponds by 946 ml or 1.9 litres; and large koi ponds by the 3.78 litre bottle.

Is API Pond Stress Coat available in South Africa?

Yes — Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg stocks all four sizes and delivers nationwide; live pricing and stock are on jungleaquatics.com.

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South Africa's leading pet and aquarium store since 2007 — with the API range on the floor in Fourways, advice from people who test water every day, and easy ordering from anywhere in the country.

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