midnightwolf

hi im starting to get my new 90g pond set up and have a few ?s

1. right now i have a black moor in a 10g tank and he is about 3 in long. i was wondering if i could put him in my pond add a heater and get a couple other fancy goldfish. i know i should be careful when putting fancy goldfish in a pond but if i only have fancy goldfish they should all be able to get food, right? would this work?

2. can i use the stress coat i use for my tropical fish when making WC in my pond or do i have to use specially made conditioner for ponds? or would Prime work?

3. can rain water affect the temp. or stress out the fish? will it change the water perimiters or anything?

4. what food is best for the fish, flake or sinking pellets?

5. in the winter should i break the ice so that they get enough oxygen?

sorry for the long thread and thanks for any help.

Amanda

Wow, everyone is getting ponds this summer!

gremlin

1. As long as you only have fancy goldfish in the pond, they should be fine. Even with the fancy goldfish, you need to be careful which ones you mix. The bubble eye and celestial goldies are more delicate and (in my opinion) not suited for outside. The moor should be fine. Orandas, ryukins, basically any of the fancy goldies that do not have the sacs around their eyes or eyes that stick way out.

2. Prime is fine. Stresscoat + and any of those other water conditioners that are for "tropical" fish would be fine for goldies. I have Prime and I keep Melafix on hand for any injuries.

3. Rainwater is basically like topping off the pond. It can wash dirt and crud out of the air and into the pond, so you may have to do a clean out. I have a pond vacuum that I use every once in a while. The dirt and stuff in the bottom of the pond isn't going to hurt too much, but leaves that get blown in can clog the pump/filter. A rake or a skimmer net works well to lift out debris. As for the temperature, it would depend on how large your pond is. Smaller ponds will allow the water temp to change more drastically than larger ponds. Goldfish can handle (and actually prefer) the temperature variations from cooler night to warmer day and from warmer summer to cooler winter temps.

4. When feeding pond fish, I prefer the floating pellets. Flakes dissolve too quickly and can make a mess of ponds and tanks. Sinking pellets are ok, but they do sink and can get lost in the natural muck at the bottom of the pond. The floating pellets stay just under the surface of the water and will eventually sink (slowly). You can pre soak them and drop them in one or two at a time and watch the fish chase them down. My goldies will come up under a pellet and suck it in then swirl and dive - splashing me with their tails. Some people worry about the goldies sucking in too much air with the floating pellets, but I have never had that problem. The come up right under it and slurp it down into the water before they swallow it. They get more air from sucking the algae off the bottom of the lily pads (it sounds like they are kissing when they do this). Mine also enjoy freeze dried tubifex worm cubes as a treat. And of course, all the moss they can eat off the sides of the pond - and the occasional ant or fly or caterpillar or grasshopper or cricket or . . .

5. You will want to keep the ice open in at least one area for the gas exchange. Be very careful when you break the ice because the concussion of the ice breaking can stun (or kill) the fish. You can float a couple of tennis balls in the pond, or a beach ball, or a balloon (not blown up all the way so it is squishable). Or you can have a water feature like a waterfall or a bubbler or fountain. Where the water is moving it is less likely to freeze. I had a dish of water sitting by my pond that froze solid (3 inches deep) while there was not even any ice on my pond (two waterfalls circulating the water).

I hope this helps.

midnightwolf

thats so great to hear!

good because the pond made stuff is super expensive.

my only consern about that is that when my black more comes up to eat the flakes and swims trying to eat them bubbles come out of him gill so i always let him eat them out of the gravel like a treasure hunt!

thanks so much for your help it really did help me out and my future pond fish appreciate it. just one more question, how much of a WC should i make each week?

TedsTank

yes ice can be a problem...good suggestions listed above. I have a short waterfall...about 12" high, and have a low rise, high volume pump that runs 24/7. Hardly any noticible rise in the electric bill. Pond has been running now for 8 years and no winter problems. For food...whatever works, I recommend high protein food in the 37% range...not to mention cheerios, and other occasional sweets., they will beg for them..but makes fat fish and ammonia...so not too often.

gremlin

Look at the way a flake sits on the water. It is right up on top with nothing below the surface for the fish to hold on to. If you look at the way a pellet sits in the water, it sticks down below the water line a bit and as it soak up, it actually sits down in the water even farther. This means that there is enough of the pellet below the water line for the goldfish to get hold of and suck in without having to get the air.

In the pic you can see (sort of) how the fish food floats just under the water line. It makes it sit low enough that the fish doesn't need to gulp air like with the flakes.

Attached Images

fish food floating.JPG (428.9 KB, 41 views)

midnightwolf

oh i get it, but if he even turns vertical bubbles come from his gills i dont have to worry about that do i?

Alessa

If you are going to have plants in the pond, I would say that there is no need for weekly water change, Only top-offs. , I would do water change/vacuum depending on the dirt/stocking level of the pond.

midnightwolf

what are top-offs?

Alessa

when the water evaporates and you need to add more because the pond/tank begins to look empty.

platy ben

I would suggest not breaking the ice as it is very loud for the fish, in the winter i leave a ball floating in my pond so that there is a hole for gas to get in and out of

midnightwolf

great! thank you so much for all your help everyone.

gremlin

You shouldn't have to. Goldfish will swallow air and release air to adjust their own flotation.

midnightwolf

oh good .

betta-cat

I'm not sure how cold it gets in VA, but around here, a 90g pond would freeze to the bottom in winter. Also, I've been reading that high powered water movement would mix the cooler (higher) and warmer (lower) layers of water. I overwintered my 1000g pond using a very small fountain pump to agitate the surface. Of course, it depends how cold it gets. Around here, we had weeks of -30C to -40C, even colder.

midnightwolf

oh wow it barley ever gets below 15*F here and my pond is a good 2-3 ft. but i still need a heater for the black moor unless my brother can get a 20g or somthing.

Red1313

hmmm I've heard a good way of over wintering is to use a ball ect and let the pond freeze across the top then to drain the water so it's 6" or more below the ice, the air buffers the cold and prevents further freeze up. Though I've only read about it.

Good luck with your pond.