MaddieLynn

I'm wondering if an Oranda goldfish could be kept in a larg-ish (probably 50-100 gallons) container pond year-round. Here is an exerpt I took off of Wikipedia about the climate of the area I live in (I edited out the name).

"_______ has a humid subtropical climate, though it is located in a region that also tends to receive warm, dry winds from the north and west in the summer, bringing temperatures well over 100 °F (38 °C) at times and heat-humidity indexes soaring to as high as 117 °F (47 °C).

Winters are generally mild, with typical daytime highs between 55 °F (13 °C) and 70 °F (21 °C) and nighttime lows between 35 °F (2 °C) and 50 °F (10 °C). However, strong cold fronts known as "Blue Northers" sometimes pass through _____, plummeting nightly lows below 30 °F (−1 °C) for up to a few days and keeping daytime highs in a struggle to surpass 40 °F (4 °C). Snowfall is usually seen 2–3 days out of the year for an annual average of 2.4 inches, and snow accumulation is typically seen at least once every winter.[1] A couple of times each year, warm and humid air from the south overrides cold, dry air, leading to freezing rain, which often causes major disruptions in the city if the roads and highways become slick. On the other hand, daytime highs above 65 °F (18 °C) are not unusual during the winter season. In sum, extremes in weather are more readily seen in _______ as a whole than along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, due to the state's location in the interior of the United States.

Would it get too cold for Orandas?

MaddieLynn

I just thought of something - I have an extra heater that I could stick in the pond in the winter! Problem solved!

gremlin

As long as the pond is located where it gets shade from midmorning on, it should be okay. The fancy goldfish do not tolerate the temperature extremes that the common/comet goldfish can. The heater in the winter is good, but also consider ways to keep the water a bit cooler in the summer as well. You don't want the water temp to go much above the 82-83 degree farenheit mark. Having lots of floating plants and placing the pond where it is shaded in the afternoons will help with that.

Bad Wolf

it should be fine, goldfish can withstand temps between 0C - 40C (32F - 104F) but prefer about 18 - 22C (64 - 72F).