goldfish pond?

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I have a goldfish pond my dh made and my goldfish live under inch thick ice during the cold of winter. They are just fine...swim around like nothing is cold

 

[Imp]

I've had lots of cats show interest in the goldfish. Only once had one snag a fish out of the water. The goldfish wiggled off the claw and was fine. I also have catfish in the pond. The black channel cats survived the heron, and grew to about 2 feet long, but succumbed to raccoons that swam to the bottom and proceeded to strew catfish parts all over the backyard. I was kinda glad they went. I didn't know they would get that big. There still may be more catfish in there just haven't seen them in a while. I also had Dojo loaches. They got big and survived at least 3 years, haven't seen them in about 5 years. They looked like foot long eels the last time I saw them. Friends told me to buy about 40 feeder goldfish first and expect them to all die, then in a couple weeks I could start adding the fish I wanted. Well the feeders mostly all survived and grew and bred. I've never had to buy more. I do have a couple Shebunkins in with them as well. None of the fancy goldfish ever survived. I think the catfish ate them, before they got theirs. Lol. Currently there are about 30-40 goldfish, and the pond is about 800 gallons. As far as algae, I mostly have an issue during early summer. The heatwave we had a couple weeks ago killed it all off. Crystal clear now, and throughout the winter.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Your pond does not look that big? Am I just not getting the whole picture?

 

[Imp]

I had to go back and look at the pix. It is somewhat deceptive, and it's about 10x6x4 feet deep, and the water level is down about 10-12 inches. I was told making it deeper than 3 feet would keep the raccoons from going in. That worked out well didn't it.

Imp

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I had no idea they would swim down to get the fish though! I thought they just caught them in the shallow parts!

I can't believe you had channel cats in yours, and they didn't eat all your goldfish!

My dad keeps telling me to turn our goldfish out on the 'real' pond, but I've caught cats out of there as long as my arm, I know this poor fish would be fish food real fast!

 

[Imp]

I can't believe you had channel cats in yours, and they didn't eat all your goldfish! My dad keeps telling me to turn our goldfish out on the 'real' pond, but I've caught cats out of there as long as my arm, I know this poor fish would be fish food real fast!

As they got bigger that was my worry. I was feeding them sinking food, but that got so expensive I switched them to the chicken layer. Lol (same nutritionals)
When I bought them 4 black channel cats and 4 blue channel cats they were about 1 inch long. No one warned me they would get huge. So i'm grateful that the herons & raccoons got them. Very surreal waking up and looking out the window to see a catfish sliding across the lawn, then the next morning picking up the fins etc. And yes they swam down straight sides and clambered out over the rocks. Last fall I saw 3 still left-1 about 5 inches 2 very small.
Before the herons wiped out all but 6 that second year, the goldfish were very tame. They would come up to the surface and let me pet them and set in my hand. Now they are pretty skittish.


Imp-BTW Petting goldfish is not a big thrill.​