Fish?

[StarLover21]

Hmm...yeah, didn't think of that. Would one goldfish be lonely? Maybe I'll just stick a turtle in there and he'll eat all the little fry...heheh.

I just read that comet goldfish do well in coldwater aquariums/ponds. So would a climate like texas not work for them? I just realized I guess the water would get kinda hot...so will I need a heat hardy fish?

 

[StarLover21]

Oh, and would something like this work as a goldfish pond?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_88996-1569-...nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

 

[StarLover21]

Or, well, something more small like this?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_88996-1569-...nbr|0||p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=

It's only eighteen inches deep, would that be too shallow?

I have alot to learn...

 

[barbiegirl]

I have shubunkins, watkins, and a fantail with my koi. They all swim together and come up to eat. Shubunkins are very aggressive feeders lol. They all get along and are very pretty fish. I love to sit out by the pond at night watch them swim around. Remember to protect your pond from predators, this will include frogs. I had a frog eat all my goldfish one year and then I gave up my pond for many years. I just got my pond going again last year. Its painful to come out and see a very fat frog and no more fish.

Good luck!

 

[AuberyMirkwood]

Ok, to your hot question. Put it in the shade you should be fine. Full sun will boil them. I live in NM so I know from experience

Shallow is fine if you are not going to freeze but make sure to add a hiding place so a passing by blue heron doesn't decide they look yummy lol You could put two maybe three goldfish in the smaller pond. Try to aim for at least 50 gal per fish. That is WITH a pump. By aerating the water you triple the oxygen load. If you don't have a pump then one fish for the smaller pond. Warm water does not hold oxygen well!

 

[carolinagirl58]

sorry if I didn't make that clear...it's 50 gallons per goldie, but yes you do have to have more than one. Fish stress terribly if they are alone. I like the 275 gallon one from lowes. Shade is good, but then you won't have blooming water lilies. I don't know if you wanted plants or not. If you do put plants in there for cover, plan on leaving half of the water surface uncovered. You will need to keep a good eye on water temperatures in your area. I don't know if herons are around your area, but they will clean a pond out in just a few minutes. I use a floating alligator in my ponds and they work great!! I use this one....

http://compare.ebay.com/like/390191748667?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

 

[StarLover21]

Okay, here's so more questions (sorry about all of these, never had fish before) All these are about comet goldfish. I think that's what I want to go with...

I've heard they(comets) can live up to 20 years. Is that right?

Comets are usually around 12-18 inches, right?

What do you feed them? How much do you feed daily?


Can anybody point me to a good filter/oxygenater that would be good for these fish?

For the smaller pond showed, would I have to dig a hole and set it in the ground, or sit it on top of the ground? Which would be better?

They are pretty freindly, right? I'm sure my 2 year old brother would want to feed them.

When will they be big enough to go outside? We'll probably have a shade cloth over it, to protect them from herons, eagles, and heat, but we have other predators, and most pet stores sell them as really little fish. We only have a 20 gallon tank- how long could I keep them in that before they outgrew it? Or would it never be enought room?

I'm thinking maybe just two, but if one died, of course we would get another one. Would the one that didn't die not accept the new fish? Would it be happy just getting a new buddy? Or should I get three just in case.

Thanks! Sorry for all the questions.

 

[silkiechicken]

Never had pond comet gold fish, but I don't think i've ever had a fish not respond to me during feeding time. When feeding time comes, all the fish will come out of their hidy holes and pace the glass till food comes in. Tetras, gold fish, danios, bass, sunfish....I don't think friendliness will be an issue! Have fun!

 

[StarLover21]

Thanks!

 

[carolinagirl58]

AZponds.com is a good place to look at filters. The filters tell you how many gallons they can handle but they WAY overestimate. If you have a 2000 gallon pond, get 4000 gallons worth of filtration. A separate aerator is nice but if you put in a small waterfall it may not be necessary (especially if you are in the shade). I don't know how strong the walls are on that pond but it probably has to be in the ground. If you get some of those landscaping blocks, you can build a small wall and have the pond half way out of the ground which makes interacting with them easier and it's also safer for your brother....he's not as apt to fall in a slightly raised pond. Fish don't bond with other fish....they will accept new fish easily. But then you have to worry about bringing in parasites on the new fish, so I'd get maybe 3 of them instead of two. Comets can live for 20 years easily with good care. And they can get to 18" pretty easily, including the tail. Feed...it's hard to say how much. Feed them all they will clean up in 15 minutes, maybe twice a day. They love special treats like lettuce, watermelon, and shrimp. They also like cooked sweet potatoes and most soft fruits and veggies. Oh also figs and peaches...they love those!