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Fish suitable for outdoor pond


Joel

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Hi guys,

I am looking to add a few new species to my pond.

I have a general idea of some species that are available but am wondering what else will work.

The pond specs are as follows:

approx 2500L volume with the majority of the pond around 300mm deep

currently have 4-5 water lillies (just starting to come back after winter) and various other plants.

Current fish: White Cloud Mountain Minnows & Rosy Barbs. Also have freshwater mussels.

There is no mechanical filtration or UV.

I have previously kept: Comet goldfish, Melanotaenia duboulayi (Crimson Rainbowfish), Buenos Aires tetra & Pacific Blue Eye.

I was sold the blue eyes from a fish store and was told they were suitable but they died off over winter - I am assuming they couldn't handle to temperature...

I am wanting to stick to native fish but am open to others. I am interested in some of the native gudgeon or rainbowfish species but am unsure which are suitable/available.

Does anyone have any ideas of some coldwater natives that would suit?

Alternatively, do fancy goldfish do well in outdoor ponds? I would be interested in ryukin, red cap oranda or ranchu.

Thanks

Joel

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Goldfish will do okay, but do not keep fast and slow ball shaped goldfishes together. You can keep empire gudgeons, rainbowfishes. Livefish have some from time to time. You could also keep some hardy cichlids now that summer is coming soon.

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There are a number of gudgeons that are available but you need to look at some of the endemic species to NSW. have a look at Striped Gudgeons (Gobiomorphus australis), Fire-tailed Gudgeon (Hypseliotris galii), Empire Gudgeon (Hypseliotris compressa) and Flathead Gudgeons (Philypnodon grandicep).

The Pacifc Blue-eye generally will not survive outside below the mid-North Coast of NSW.

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The pond is only 30cm deep so temperatures will fluctuate widely and quickly. Even cold water fish don't handle rapid temp changes. Its not the cold doing the damage, its the fast change. Sunny winter days and freezing nights.... You can help by keeping the pond out of the sun, inground, sheltered by floating plants/roof etc but try to get tough fish, not just cold water fish.

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Thanks guys!

I might try and find some of those gudgeon species. The empire gudgeons look amazing.

I may try the crimson red rainbows again also.

There is a fair bit of new growth coming through on the lillys. I put some slow release fertiliser tabs in a week or two ago. They usually cover a fair bit of the pond which I hope helps reduce the temperature swings. I do have parts of the pond undercover also.

Are there any aquarium stores around with the above species available?

Cheers

Joel

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  • 3 weeks later...

Also that fact you have no mechanical filtration means the smaller guys is the right way to go....with the plants going nicely you will be able to have a nice self sustaining set up if you get all your stocking levels right! :notworthy: ...purple spotted and empires are both nice..not sure to regualtions regarding species in each state etc but google will be your friend....the snakeheads are my favourite i like the big guys but not sure if allowed interstae etc..your pond is quite shallow at 30cm but at 2500l it must have a large surface area..if you can get some nice large permanently shaded areas near pond banks etc then you can control some of the temperature fluctuations...walk bridges,etc are real good for this type of thing..or even build a small pergola over half of it etc...with a waterfall and a cold beverage..ahhhhhh :drunk:

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Hey guys,

I picked up a few pairs of gudgeons on the weekend.

I got a pair of empire gudgeons and a pair of (what was sold to me as...) "brown gudgeons". From googling they appear to be flathead gudgeons. One was around 10cm in length and the other was about 7-8cm.

They just happened to pop up for sale in my area so i grabbed them. I may get a few more of the same if these do well.

I have seen a few aquariums in my area have the Murray River rainbows as well as the melanotaenia duboulayi but am yet to grab some.

I am also pretty keen to get some peacock gudgeons but I'm in no hurry...

I did get a few yabbies thrown in with the sale but I wasn't keen to put them in the pond. They may go walkabout or eat the fish. I have them in their own container with plenty of cover etc. There is two males and a female.

The lillies are doing pretty well. Have had a few flowers but there are also a heap of buds coming up.

I do have a walkover bridge which helps a fair bit for shading.

Cheers

Joel

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Sorry Chris,

I meant purple spotted gudgeon. Though not sure how they would go in a pond in a coastal environment.

Has anyone kept them in ponds around Sydney before?

Cheers

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