Fish for pond? - Large Aquariums and Ponds

missewell · 08-06-2008, 01:23 PM

Hello all,
I am new to having a pond. I live in San Diego, CA. I have a 90 gallon pond. I wanted to know what fish, or any other species (Besides turtles) I can add to it. I know of Koi, Shubunkin, pond comets, and the minnows. What do you have in your pond? I have gone to other forums but, they have never gave me the same information that I have found on this website and so I ask for help. I currently have 3 shubunkin, 1 koi (I know he will outgrow and I have a breeder who will give me small ones for the larger one when it comes to that time), and 4 pond comets. I have a very good filtration system, and I do weekly water changes (My outdoor plants are thanking me with blooms). I do have plants in my pond. (To my fishes liking, and my dismay) I will post photos later. Let me know.

dukydaf · 08-07-2008, 04:57 AM

Well I have Brachydanio rerio and they breed last year and this year, now my pond is almost full of them.
Also you could try some livebearers.

I know that nothing compares to seeing koi or even goldfish in the pond but there are many tropical fish that prosper in the pond during summertime.

Just my 2 cents

LordSul · 08-07-2008, 02:44 PM

Hi,

I have Koi's Shubunkins and some comets also. And I live in a very similar climate with you, just a bit hotter, but still winters would be too cold for zebrafish and the livebearers IMO. Dont you think?

clifford · 08-08-2008, 05:42 AM

How cold do your winter temps get? I agree with dukydaf that there are a lot of cool tropical and subtropical fish that do ok (often even better than inside, due to the increased natural food sources outside and improved water quality), but as dukydaf said, that's pretty much a summer thing. Anything you can't net out at the end of the season will most likely die off.

If your winter lows aren't too cold, you might try some pretty sub-tropicals like Paradise Fish or White Clouds, I think they'd have a fighting chance of surviving a mild winter? There are also many pretty types of killifish that can take some cold temps, even surviving freeze-overs-- but the only ones I've kept are warm-water species.

I used to keep guppies on my porch and in my yard ponds in Buffalo, NY (which gets COLD!), and they'd do fine from late May well into September...lots of color, and as I kept some larger predatory fish as well they made good forage fish.

Cliff

LordSul · 08-09-2008, 01:20 PM

The water temperature can drop to about 9-10 degrees Celsius somtimes. The guppies would be defenceless against any microbes IMO.