Questions tagged [pond]

Ponds are natural or artificial outdoor fresh water basins, commonly used to host a variety of aquatic creatures. Questions are about pets that live in ponds, such as fish, amphibians, clams and crustaceans.

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17 votes
4 answers
11k views

Is it true that goldfish growth is limited by container size?

As I grew up, I was taught that a goldfish will only grow to a certain point dependent upon the size of their container and how many fish are in the container; all the fish within the same container ...
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17 votes
2 answers
52k views

How to determine the amount of fish that can live in a pond?

How many fish can live in a pond? As ponds are normally not the natural habitat of the fish that live in them (ie: goldfish, kois and sturgeons in my case), how do I determine how much is too much or ...
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16 votes
4 answers
692 views

How can I protect a fish pond during the winter?

We have a pond with several fish in it (koi, sturgeon, goldfish). We live in a temperate area where the pond is covered by a layer of ice for several weeks during winter. How can I ensure the fish ...
  • 3,056
14 votes
2 answers
140 views

Does a pond have to be covered with a net during fall?

There are several different trees and bushes surrounding our pond. As fall season peaks, the amount of leaves and needles falling into the pond gets quite high. There are koi, sturgeon and goldfish ...
  • 3,056
14 votes
1 answer
319 views

Why does my European pond turtle rest on the back of my red-eared slider?

I have a European pond turtle and a red-eared slider as pets. They had been living together in harmony in an aquarium for about 8 years, but when I moved them both to a larger aquarium a year ago, I ...
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14 votes
1 answer
212 views

How should I feed sturgeons during winter?

We currently have two sturgeons in our pond. I heard that they are active during winter and need to be fed. How much do they need (in relation to their weight or number)? How often and at which time ...
  • 3,056
14 votes
2 answers
294 views

How to prepare a pond for crayfish?

We received some crayfish as a gift shortly after our new pond was finished. Sadly we had no idea under which conditions they had to be kept and as the only hiding place was the covering shield above ...
  • 3,056
11 votes
3 answers
13k views

Choosing a second fish for a lone goldfish

I have a lone goldfish, a comet, about 10 cm long from tip to tail. I want to buy a second fish and am wondering about size. Is it ok to introduce a much smaller goldfish, or maybe three smaller ...
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11 votes
3 answers
18k views

Why are my fish dying?

Since moving house 8 weeks ago I've inherited a fish pond, containing around 20 fish, which is 270cm in length, 130cm wide, and 35cm deep in the middle. It uses a Hozelock Cyprio Ecopower Plus 5000 ...
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11 votes
1 answer
215 views

How much to feed outdoor goldfish, that feed on insects?

I have gold fish in an outdoor pond. During the winter months I feed them a regular amount and they are doing well. As we are coming into summer there are more insects around, that fall into the pond, ...
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9 votes
1 answer
662 views

How high should our goldfish pond be filled from the top?

Our goldfish was recently found outside the pond, on the ground. The cat was playing with it. The cat may have fished it out of the pond or the fish may have jumped out, as the pond was very full. ...
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9 votes
1 answer
29k views

Why did my established pond suddenly have a mass death event?

For over 8 years I have had a pond in the corner of my home. It is of a triangular shape, about 10' x12' x15' (3 x 3.6 x 4.5 m) by two feet (60 cm) deep. For ...
  • 99
8 votes
1 answer
646 views

Is my goldfish ok on his own in a pot pond?

I have three big outdoor pot ponds for goldfish. There were three living in a pot together for 2-3 years. I then moved the biggest fish into a separate pond pot by himself, as he was bumping at one of ...
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8 votes
2 answers
2k views

What role does algae play in healthy pond life?

The answer to this question about surface area to volume led me to an interesting article: LOW OXYGEN AND POND AERATION William A. Wurts, Senior State Specialist for Aquaculture Kentucky State ...
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8 votes
1 answer
1k views

What plants and animals can naturally oxygenate a fish pond?

I have three freshwater fish pond pots. I do not have a man-made filtration system and the fish are doing well. "How do I balance surface area and volume in my outdoor fish pond?" asks about ...
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7 votes
1 answer
273 views

Do smaller numbers of goldfish form pairs?

I've been asking a lot of questions about goldfish, as I am preparing for a bigger pond. I currently have three comets that I will move to the bigger pond. The pond will be approx 350 L so there ...
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7 votes
2 answers
854 views

Is it necessary to cover the top in a pond with silver arowana?

I have a 400 gallon (1500 L) pond with two oscars, two tinfoil barbs and a 10" silver arowana. I've had this arowana for like 2 months and it hasn't try to jump out, yet. It has plenty of room to ...
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6 votes
1 answer
116 views

Filtration of smaller ponds

I've asked some questions about my goldfish What indicates whether my outdoor goldfish are healthy or ill? and noticed a lot of response referring to the likelihood that fish would survive in such an ...
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6 votes
1 answer
336 views

How do I balance surface area and volume in my outdoor fish pond?

I have three outdoor fish pot ponds. They are taller then they are wide. Now this mean the surface area meeting the atmosphere is quite small compared to the volume. I was under the impression, that ...
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6 votes
1 answer
310 views

How do I know if there is too much algae in an outdoor fish pond or pot?

This question Would my fish benefit from snails in their pot pond? asks about having snails in a fish pond/pot to reduce algae. My fish are happily living in a outdoor ceramic pots, approx 80cm high ...
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6 votes
1 answer
373 views

Would my fish benefit from snails in their pot pond?

"How do I know if there is too much algae in an outdoor fish pond or pot?" tracks the potential issues with too much algae in my fishes environment. I keep goldfish outdoors in large, ceramic pots, ...
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6 votes
3 answers
713 views

Did the Bird's Eye chili kill my pond fishes?

I have a small garden pond (1x1m and a foot deep) that is surrounded by plants that bear red/orange flowers/fruits. When the chili plant became mature, the chili peppers just fell off into the pond ...
5 votes
1 answer
266 views

Goldfish with white spot/fungal infection/something else?

Does anyone know what this is and how to treat it? One has a white lump near its eye, the other some white stuff at the end of its fan tail. Both are usually in a pond with others, but are currently ...
  • 153
4 votes
1 answer
6k views

How can I tell if my goldfish is being bullied?

I was watching my goldfish swim around and one appeared to be chasing the other in circles. This did not last long and then they seemed to be relaxed and following each other and just swimming ...
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4 votes
2 answers
461 views

Would an alligator decoy work to deter herons in a state where alligators don't live?

I've heard that placing an alligator decoy in a pond will deter herons from visiting stopping by to eat all the expensive koi that live in it. This made me curious, because I live in a northern state ...
  • 15.5k
4 votes
1 answer
662 views

Do turtles need direct sunlight?

I'm working on an outside place for my yellow bellied slider and the best location would not get direct sunlight. It's outdoors, facing south (in Europe), but it's covered by an overhang and has some ...
4 votes
2 answers
6k views

Massive koi death in pond, without an apparent reason -- need help!

I am still experiencing unresolved problems. Shortly after 5/1/2018, I lost all of my koi due to a huge ammonia spike above 8.0ppm. I did multiple water changes to no avail, including a 100% water ...
  • 41
4 votes
1 answer
3k views

Why did my koi pond fish die?

My family got 3 pond fish which were koi. I realized one fish was getting bigger/swollen looking. After a few months he was getting really swollen or big and during the month he stopped eating. I was ...
3 votes
3 answers
94 views

What are the best mosquito-controlling critters for a pond?

While inquiring about the rules for building a backyard pond, my city suggested I have a plan some way to control the mosquitoes. I'm aware that some fish, frogs, newts, and turtles all eat mosquitoes ...
  • 353
3 votes
3 answers
1k views

What substrate/base should I use for this small fish pond?

I have bought a property that has a tiny decorative pond with waterfall and sizeable filter. It looks as though a larger pond use to be in its place. I plan to install this product: https://www....
  • 133
3 votes
1 answer
474 views

Which snails can I use to just eat algae?

I'm trying to optimize my ponds through natural means. Per "Would my fish benefit from snails in their pot pond?", I understand that my fish would benefit from snails, but I don't know which species ...
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3 votes
1 answer
132 views

What indicates whether my outdoor goldfish are healthy or ill?

I keep goldfish in large outdoor pots (homemade ponds). Other than noting their swiftness when surfacing for food, it is difficult to determine if my goldfish are unwell. It is only obvious they are ...
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3 votes
2 answers
483 views

Do pond fish need a pump, filter, or aerator, considering that this is not found in natural ponds?

Ponds in nature don't have pumps. I also have seen goldfish living in golf course ponds, that were large and healthy and had no filter, pump, or any aeration device installed. Yet, pet stores sell ...
  • 353
3 votes
1 answer
668 views

Can goldfish bully each other after an injury?

One of our goldfish was found outside of the pond, on the ground and the cat was sitting next to it, playing with it. We are not sure if the cat fished the goldfish out or if it jumped out, as the ...
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3 votes
2 answers
118 views

How to reduce excess micro-algae in pond

I have a small pond (I don't really know the volume, maybe 400 liters) with goldfish inside, they seem healthy with no apparent problem. The pond is constantly invaded by micro-algae that cannot be ...
  • 138
3 votes
1 answer
504 views

My koi started dying and I can't seem to stop it

I've had a small pond set up in current location for about 9 months. I transferred my koi from another pond. Some of them are 10-12 years old, others are only 5-6 years old. 4 weeks ago, two of my ...
3 votes
0 answers
61 views

Is it safe to catch and move hibernating fish?

I have about 50 mixed types of goldfish and koi in an outdoor pond. I want to remodel the pond, expanding it to double the volume of water. I will relocate them temporarily to a 2000 gallon (7600 ...
  • 353
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Can fish live in a plant-filled pond without being fed?

I have small fish (I don't know what kind they are) in a 500 gallon pond (around 2000 liters) that are very hardy. They survived their previous home (hundreds of fish in a 70 gallon / around 270 ...
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2 votes
2 answers
246 views

Are there any species of turtles that won't eat fish?

I have lots of pond fish, from tiny .5" (1.25 cm) minnow size to large fat goldfish. I want to add some aquatic turtles, but I found the pet store sells goldfish as food for the turtles. Are ...
  • 353
2 votes
2 answers
68 views

Are Koi Safe in the Summer?

I currently have two young koi fish, and they need a bigger pond. My dad and I are planning on making one in our backyard, but it gets incredibly hot in the summer. Is this dangerous to the koi, and ...
2 votes
2 answers
67 views

How to siphon a pond?

While building a pond, I accidentally got some dirt at the bottom. If that were a fish tank, I would siphon it out, but the pond is lower than anything else around, so it is impossible to get the end ...
  • 353
2 votes
1 answer
44 views

Goldfish breeding behavior?

I have an outdoor pond that has 6 large (10+ inch nose to tail) goldfish in it. These are fish that were originally bought as pet store feeder-type fish, so they're nothing special. I have a webcam ...
  • 123
2 votes
1 answer
80 views

Colour for turtle pond

I'm planning an outside enclosure for my yellow bellied slider. The idea would be to build a fiberglass tank with a basking Island and a partly shaded "beach". My initial idea was to make it a clear ...
2 votes
1 answer
178 views

Goldfish die in hours

I've had a pond for several months. Up until this week, there have been hundreds of toad tadpoles living in it. However, fish continually die in the pool. Not sure what to do. I left one in the ...
  • 123
2 votes
1 answer
1k views

What happens when a gold fish pond freezes?

I used to have a neighbor with a gold fish pond, and large (8 inch, 20 CM) or bigger gold fish (Koi?). The pond was only about a foot deep and would often freeze over and/or freeze solid. As I ...
2 votes
1 answer
72 views

Is a rock obstacle in a pond good for fish vitality - or is it an urban legend?

There are fables such as this one suggesting that fish do better in a pond whose surface is pierced by one or several obstacles, such as rocks. The rationale is that such "islands" turn the ...
  • 129
2 votes
1 answer
333 views

Will shubunkin and other fancy goldfish eat smaller fish in a pond?

I am building a 20,000 gallon (76,000 liters) backyard pond for some shubunkins and other fancy goldfish that have outgrown their aquarium. Our climate is such that the pond will only freeze ...
  • 353
2 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why did all 45 goldfish (and 2 mosquitos) in my pond suddenly begin an overnight, 4-day die-off?

I have a pond, which contains the water volume of 6000 liters (1600 gallons). I am very frustrated: my 45 or so goldfish and several mosquito fish were so happy. Then, literally overnight, they ...
2 votes
1 answer
49 views

Is there any species of corydoras catfishes that can live at pond temperatures?

My pond reaches temperatures as low as 20 F, rarely that low though. It does ice over from time to time in the winter. Is there any variety of corydoras catfish that can live there? I found some pond ...
  • 353
2 votes
1 answer
89 views

Do all koi have the potential to grow to 3 feet long?

I have seen many videos with koi that are 3 feet (around 90 cm) long. However, I also know that some koi from desired varieties are really expensive. If I am buying koi from Petco and Petsmart, does ...
  • 353