A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 Adding Fish To The Pond

Got a question for all you water gardeners out there.

When can I add fish? I have been chomping at the bit to have fish in my pond all summer, but didn't because I didn't have anything to provide shade for them. Cindy has so sweetly provided me with some salvinium, parrot's feathers, and some water hyacinth. I tossed it all in the pond this evening. Can I buy fish for it this week-end?

I am a very impatient person sometimes, but I will do what is best for the fish....

Dianna

For what it's worth, Dianna...
I had my fish in the pond before I added the plants, and they've all been just fine except for 1 that I lost at the very beginning, it probably wasn't healthy when I got it. They've been out there for 4 1/2 months now.

I am getting ready to bring them indoors, but CANNOT believe the prices of simple aquariums these days! A plain rectangular 20 gallon with lid is $50 at the chain pet store here!!! Used to be able to get them for $10! Our WalMart doesn't have a fish section so I can't check them out.

Anyway, I don't know if my luck with the fish was the norm or not. What kind were you thinking of getting? How many? How large is your pond?

Lynne, I figure three little goldfish would be enough from what was posted in the new pond. It is 85 gallons. I think I could just put them in a little goldie bowl for the winter, couldn't I? I am planning on putting some of the plants Cindy sent me in the house in a bucket or something to make sure something overwinters....

Dianna

I had my fish in the pond for a long time without ANY shade...except for...remember that big umbrella I kept moving around all day?

I originally bought the 22 cent "disposable" goldfish from Wal-Mart that were about an inch long...now they are over 8 inches long...with a hundred 4 inch "babies"! (Well...I guess the babies are teenagers now!)

Cindy - you did something right!!!
I bought 4 22cent fish from Petco - 1 died the second day, and the others are still there and seem to be happy, but only grew to about 4 inches and nooooooo babies. Wonder if it's because the bathtub is so small?

Dianna - I've been looking for an aquarium for bringing my 3 inside - I need one with a lid since we have 3 very inquisitive cats! The prices for a 10 gallon which looks too small are around $40 with lid and filter. For a 20 gallon it's more like $50!!! That is crazy - just for keeping 3 22cent fish alive over winter?!?

We already have two 10 gallon aquariums with fish in them, so we can't crowd these 3 in those, unfortunately!

Hi Dianna
I am no expert on ponds etc. But I have seen people when they buy new fish for their ponds. They do NOT put them in the pond straight away. They leave them in the bag in the pond until the fish are used to the temperature of the water. Maybe someone will correct me, I don't know. Its just what I have seen people do. Good luck if you buy some, and let us know what you got.

Cindy, do you think maybe I should buy just one fish for the pond? That would cut down on them breeding at any rate. Yes, I remember that purdy umbrella. I was getting ready to look for one, too....

Lynne, could you find a used aquariam at the Good Will or Salvation Army thrift stores around there? That would cut down on the expenses some.

Thank you, Lisa. I will remember to acclimatize them to the water before I toss them out of the bag. I imagine that WOULD take some getting used to coming out of an aquariam and then thrown into an 85 gallon pond.

I think I will be looking for a fish or two this week-end....

Thank you all for your input.

Dianna

Dianna - can you believe we have a really large Salvation Army training complex right here in town, but not a single thrift store in the area?!?

Can't wait to find out what you end up with!

You know what...if I bought just ONE fish to make sure it didn't breed, I bet you I'd end up buying a pregnant one.

:rolleyes:


Cindy

Knowing my luck, that is just what will happen with me, too!

Dianna

I lucked up when I got my first fish and got all girls.

Yes, they will. Shubunkins, comets, regular goldfish and koi will all interbreed. I am sure there are others too. I just can't remember the names.

When you do get the fish don't release the water they came in into the pond. It may contain bugs(viruses & bacteria). Also you only want to float the bag for about 30 minutes and not in full sun. It can cook the fish if it gets to hot.

I have over-wintered several of the tropical plants in my unheated basement. From my personal experience they need more light then anything.

Dixie Angel~ Didn't you buy a waterlily??

Donna

Yep, Donna. I bought a couple of water lilies, but I don't think they like the fountain in the middle of the pond. It is only a small pond (85 gallons). One has died, I think, and the other has not grown at all. It looks like it is struggling to live....

Thanks for the heads-up on not dumping the aquarium water into my pond. I never would have thought of that...

Dianna

Waterlilies truely don't like the splashing on their pads.

What other plants do you have for the pond?

Donna

My experience has been that fancy (round bodied) goldies don't work well in ponds. THey are slower and more bouyant and thus are easier to be picked off by birds and such. I had the same problem with the milky shubunkins. Comet (common and sarasa) have worked out best for me.

ANd please don't over winter them in a bowl. Goldies are oxygen hogs and very messy. Even a large bowl would quickly become toxic...most goldies need a minimum of 10g a piece to be comfortable and healthy.

Also, if you haven't done so before, please add a water conditioner to the pond before adding the fish. You can get a cheap pond chlorine/chloramine remover. Most water treatment plants use chloramine rather than chlorine. Chloramine does NOT evaporate out...which is why it is more readily used.

If you don't want the expense of an aquarium set up, how about a rubbermaid type storage container. You can get the clearish ones designed to hold sweaters and such and they come with lids. A few holes poked in the lid and you could comfortably keep the kitties at bay. Some of these things even come in 20-40g range and are less than $10 on sale. They are great for storing your aquarium and pond supplies when they aren't housing the fish too.

Donna - I had a water lily and a needle spike rush in it at first. Then I added two more water lilies and some sweet flag (none of which survived). Cindy sent me a lot of water hyacinths, salvinium, and parrots feather last week to help cover the pond. I can't wait to see them spread...

Giraffe, thank you for the suggestion of a container for overwintering pond plants and fish. I would have killed my poor fish from ignorance. I am wondering if all would overwinter in the pond in SC? I don't think we get too many "freezes" here in this area...

Is dechlor and water conditioner the same thing?

Dianna

Only have a sec. for now, but Dianna... did you get some fish this weekend?

Will respond to some things Donna said in a bit...

that is a great idea giraffe. lynne, i'm going to pm you some other options...

Thank you Jiffymouse.

Dianne, yes, dechlor is the same thing as water conditioner, just make sure it treats chloramines. (Most brands do...but double check.)

Lynne, I haven't gotten any fish yet. I will be waiting until this coming week-end when I go back to Summerville to work.

Jiffymouse, I would be interested in knowing the other options, too...

Giraffe, thanks for answering my ? about the dechlor, too...

Dianna

I have a question I guess fits this topic...

I have a new pond...it's right beside the old pond.

Do I have to get the fish out of the old pond, and put them in a bag and float them in the new pond before I release them?
Or, can I just dip 'em out of the old pond and release them into the new one???




Cindy Sue

ummm, i'd do the float thingy, 'cause there might be enough of a temp difference to make them unhappy...

I just have sooooo many fish (approx. 70)...
...can't imagine bagging them up. :rolleyes:

If it's a "temperature thing", perhaps I could use the pool thermometer and get the temps of both ponds the same (adding ice to the highest temp one) and just move the fish directly.
You think that would work?

If not... it's gonna be hard to get 8" goldfish in ziplock bags! :rolleyes:

i d try puting some water from the old pond into the new one so the temp. will just about be the same.

Cindy, if you can get the pond temperatures to equalize within a few degrees, the fish are not likely to go into temperature shock if you release them to the new pond without bagging them first. However, as the chemistry of the established pond is different than that of the new one, it will likely take the fish several days to acclimitize to their new environment. You probably already experienced that when you first introduced fish into old pond.

Cricket

I added three fish to my little puddle about two weeks ago. Jim found one dead that was stuck to the filter yesterday afternoon. Made me want to cry.....

Dianna