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| Hi all. Just recently started adding fish to my 5000 gallon pond (about 20'x10'x40 inches). Added 3 shebunkin goldfish and 3 comet goldfish. They seem to be doing pretty well right now. Looking for more fish to add.
Anybody ever add Golden Orfe to their pond? They seem like a really cool pond fish, but may not do well in the extreme heat of Texas. What are the pros/cons of mosquito fish (gambrese?) / minnows? Any other fish people add to ponds (besides koi). Not interested in koi due to the extra maintenance needed. I would like the goldfish to be able to survive on their own for the most part, maybe get fed supplementally once a week or so. For filtering I have a Savio Skimmer, Atlantic Filter Falls (filled with Savio Springflo, lava rocks, stainless steel sponges), and will be adding a 7'x3' bog soon. Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| mosquito fish will breed like crazy in there and you soon may regret adding them. Once you have them, you will never be able to get rid of them. In your area, you might be able to keep a plecostomus in there. You could also have Chinese Hi-Finned Sharks. They are fairly hardy and love eating algae. You could also keep the fancy goldfish, such as Oranda and Ryukins. Wakins are another neat variety of goldfish. They get pretty large and friendly. Now as far as feeding goes....fish can survive on their own but they will not thrive. They really do need to be fed at least once a day. A liner pond just won't provide enough food to keep them healthy. |
Here is a link that might be useful: hi-finned shark
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| Hi and congrats on your new pond, it sounds wonderful! Pix Please!!! Our pond is only 3000 gals but 3'+ft deep. I really wish we could have gone deeper (with our hot summers) but not without dynamite ;D (Texas Hill Country) We have a few shubunkin,and sarasas comets plus a bunch of rosy minnows. Nothing that gets too big so our frogs stay happy and poo stays small too. I hope this link works, it might give you some ideas. http://www.skylineponds.com/articles/pond_fish.aspx |
Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.skylineponds.com
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| All of the fish on Fireants link would be good, except I will caution you against keeping any type of catfish in with goldies. Catfish can be very predatory and will eat anything that will fit in their mouths, including goldfish. |
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| You can try rosy reds too. They are a pink form of the fathead minnow. They get along well with gold fish and will lay eggs and replenish themselves. They also eat mosquito larvae. |
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| Thanks guys. I'll try and post some pix later. Looks like rosy red minnows will be a good addition, and more goldfish. Possibly a golden tench if I can find a source for that. |
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| I think I read somewhere that Golden Orfe are so quick to grab any food that slower species (like some fancy goldfish) would possibly go hungry being in the same pond as them. |
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- Posted by sharon_greenacre (My Page) on Mon, Oct 18, 10 at 15:53
| I had a few small orfes but unfortunately lost them. They may go after natural food greedily, but were not too excited about the fish food and generally didn't join the feeding frenzy with the goldfish. |
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| Hi all. Here are photos of my pond, which is not quite finished yet. Side view
Front view of pond
Flowers in pond
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- Posted by pashta_2006 Z4 ADK NY (pashta@aol.com) on Fri, Oct 22, 10 at 14:50
| Lovely pond. Big too!!! You have done a great job on the waterfall and rocks. Thanks for sharing. Anne |
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| VERY NICE! I love the size and how you hid the liner around the edges. You are really going to enjoy it and as it changes from year to year it will only get better. Thank you 4 the pix! |
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- Posted by cweathersby NE TX 7b/8a (My Page) on Tue, Oct 26, 10 at 23:19
| I started out with goldfish and didn't want the hassle of koi. But I've got to admit, as long as you don't overstock, the maintenance is the exact same. Plus they are prettier and smarter! |
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- Posted by sharon_greenacre (My Page) on Wed, Oct 27, 10 at 2:16
| Smarter, maybe. But "prettier" is a matter of opinion. I have some beautiful goldfish, and I've seen a lot of ho-hum koi. Two things are certain. Koi are bigger and more delicate. To each his own. |
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| I think Goldfish are more beautiful too... Koi somehow seems too big for a pet fish... and their barbels are off putting too.... |
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| as long as you keep the load low you wont need to feed them. Mine are doing just fine after two years. Five goldfish in 1000 gal. The only time I feed them is when I want them to come to the surface. yankee Dog |
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| Hi all, thanks for all the great info! So far my six goldfish are doing fine. |
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