About Pond Fish
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Goldfish Carassius auratus
The Most Popular Pond Fish
Goldfish are the most popular choice of fish for a water garden. These fish are well suited for almost any pond size. If cared for, they can live many years. Goldfish can be found in a number of varieties and colors. Through selective breeding over the centuries there are now many classified varieties of goldfish, but the "Comet" variety is the hardiest.
Koi Cyprinus carpio
Koi are descendents of the common carp. In nature they are brown, but through selective breeding by the Japanese, numerous colors and patterns were developed. Koi normally attain lengths of approximately 2 to 3 feet and weight up to 35 lbs. Because of their large size, they should only be kept in large ponds of at least 1,000 gallons. Koi that have been well cared for have a life expectancy of around 50-70 years and have been known to live to be over 200 years old. During the winter when the pond freezes over, the koi simply go to sleep for the winter (hibernate). Do not try to feed them at this time; you'll only pollute the water! Do, however, keep a hole in the ice to let CO2 escape and O2 in.
Golden Orfe Leuciscus idus
Golden Orfe are schooling fish which grow to around 18" in length. These yellowish-orange colored fish are quick moving and will be seen darting around the surface of the pond as a school. If you are considering the Orfe as a fish for your pond never introduce fewer than 3 as without a complete school the fish will not survive.
Pingi Logsucker Garra pingi pingi
A rare bottom-dwelling fish, Garra pingi pingi grows to about five inches in its native quick-flowing waters of Eastern Asia. The water should be cool and well oxygenated. Peaceful and can be kept with other cold water fishes, however, I doubt if they are hardy enough for ponds that freeze over. Care is probably similar to the Hi-Fin Shark (below). Currently available at www.azgardens.com for about $10.00. (Not an endorsement, just an observation.)
Mosquito Fish Gambusia affinis
Mosquito Fish are a small guppy-like fish growing 1-3" in length. While easy to keep, the name is a bit of a misnomer in water gardens. True, the mosquito fish eats its fair share of mosquito larva, but they are not really necessary in a pond containing goldfish or koi as these fish also consume mosquito larva. They are not hardy in cold winters.
Red Lobsters Procambarus sp.
Red Lobsters are extremely efficient scavengers that will also bring interesting behavior and variety to your pond. They feed upon wastes before they are broken down by a bacterium, which in turn, helps control problematic nutrients and algae. Red Lobsters are relatively small at only up to 5" long. They are extremely hardy and easy to care for. They will winter successfully with only a few inches of moderate to fine grain substrate for burrowing. If you plan to keep more than one Red Lobster, you must provide adequate room, since Red Lobsters are instinctively territorial. Generally, 40 gallons of water per lobster is sufficient. Red Lobsters will also prey upon fish that are both small and slow enough for it to catch. Fortunately, koi and goldfish larger than the lobster do not fit this description.
Killifish
(CYPRINODONTIDAE FAMILY) There seems to be a host of genera for this fish and lots of species therein (but typically a member of the genus Fundulus), so you'll need to do a little research on these guys. The Killifish are a beautiful group of fish ranging from ½" to 6". They all have colorful bodies and enlarged tails. There's a really great article on killifish appropriate for ponds at http://fins.actwin.com/nanf/month.9904/msg00041.html. Also, the American Killifish Association has a website that is very informative as well at www.AKA.org.
Blue (& Albino) Channel Catfish Ictalurus furcatus
Blue Channel cats have a small, narrow head. The back is blue-gray with light blue to silvery-gray sides and a white belly with some spots on the sides; Albino's are white. They feed primarily at night and may live 15 to 20 years. These will grow into the habitat they are released into (big!) and are hardy in cold winter climates. The Albino variety is nice because they can be readily seen by us, but beware; they are very visible to predators as well!
Hi-Fin Banded Shark Myxocyprinus asiaticus
AKA: Chinese High Fin Sucker, Sailfin Sucker, Topsail Sucker, Asian Sucker, Chinese Sucker, Wimple Carp, Freshwater Batfish, Hilsa Herring, Rough Fish, Entsuyui
The Hi-fin Banded Shark is a peaceful bottom-dweller. As a juvenile, it has striking contrasting colors and an inspiringly high dorsal fin. As an adult, these colors fad and they look nothing like its juvenile form. The adults are a peachy flesh color with faint horizontal stripes.
It is considered a true suckerfish, and is named for the absence of teeth in the mouth. This fish will grow up to three feet long, but is a slow-grower at about 2 inches per year (a 7'' fish is about 5 years old). Life span may be up to 25 years or more. The Hi-fin Banded Shark will accept a wide range of pH qualities, but is sensitive to nitrate. This fish is always in continuous search of food by sifting through the substrate and is thus a fairly good scavenger, feeding on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and rasp algae growing on rocks and logs. They prefer the company of each other so keep at least two. It is actually a "temperate" fish and can live in outdoor ponds in temperate climates with care similar to goldfish.
Golden Tench Tinca tinca
Another member of the carp family, but unlike the Orfe, it is a bottom feeder and eats all the decomposing debris at bottom of the pond. It is not at all bothered by dirty water, and can manage to survive in poorly oxygenated conditions where other fish would not. It can live through the extreme winter months when it buries itself and hibernates. They are easy fish to keep and have a high immunity level. Tench don't really have scales. They have a tough skin with tiny scales imbedded. Its eyes are small and dark red; the darker red the healthier. It feeds on crustaceans, larvae and bloodworms. Color variations of the Tench can often be found in ponds, usually gold in color and with a variety of markings, where they have been stocked for ornamental purposes. They live over 20 years and grow up to 15".
Bitterling Rhodeus sericeus
The bitterling is a small, 3-4 in. long fish of the carp family. They are a hardy fish, and can survive in water that is not very well oxygenated. The bitterling's diet consists of plant material and small larvae of insects. A small fish with a relatively deep body and a semi-inferior mouth, it has a body covered with large scales. For most of the year it has a greyish green back and silvery sides and belly; an opalescent blue-green line stretches along the middle of each side. In the spawning season the coloring of the males is intensified. The males in the spring look for a suitable bivalve (mussel) and if a mature female approaches the mussel the male attracts it towards the mussel by a complicated ritual. The fertilized eggs develop inside the mussel shell and the little bitterlings leave it three to four weeks later. Bitterling have a life span of four to five years. In recent years their once large numbers have started to diminish with increasing pollution and a consequent drop in the number of freshwater mussels.
