Goldfish are the most famous pond fish. When first discovered by a Buddhist monk in China, they are domesticated in ponds which makes them feel entirely at home.
A backyard pond will bring interest to your landscape, especially one that includes aquatic plants and fish such as the inexpensive, hardy, and strong goldfish. Like koi fish, goldfish are a friendly fish, especially when feeding.
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Goldfish Brief Description
| Name: | Goldfish |
|---|---|
| Length: | Up to 14 in |
| Appearance: | Orange |
| Lifespan: | 20-30years |
| Pond: | Minimum 40inches deep, propagate quickly and easy |
| Feed: | Easily digestible, High-quality feed with vitamins and minerals |
| Temperature: | 65-85°F |
Under the right conditions, goldfish can reach 14 inches in length. This carp-like fish was then imported from China to Europe in the 17th century. In Asia, the fish has been bred as an ornamental fish for over 4000 years. The most common varieties of goldfish include Sarasa goldfish and the comet’s tail.
With proper care, goldfish can live longer than a decade. A goldfish pond needs routine maintenance to keep its inhabitants healthy.
How many fish can you stock in a 1000-gallon pond?
As a general rule of thumb, 1 inch of goldfish for every 20 gallons of the pond.
So for 1000 gallons pond, you can stock 50 goldfish 1 inch long each.
For 400 gallon pond, you can stock 20 goldfish 1 inch long each.
For 100 gallon pond, you can stock 5 goldfish of 1 inch long each and
For 50 gallon pond, you can stock 2 goldfish 1 inch long each.
An overstocked pond can be maintained with a lot of filtration using both mechanical and biological filters, but it’s always safer to start with a low stocking density.
So for 1000 gallons pond, you can start with 10 goldfish, and over the years, they will begin to reproduce and populate the pond.
Calculations to Determine Water Holding Capacity of a Pond
You can do so using this simple equation
Gallons of Water = Width (ft) x Length (ft) x Depth (ft) x 7.48.
For example, a pond of 7ft long x 6.5ft wide x 3ft deep gives approximately 1,000 gallons of water.
Goldfish Pond Setup
One of the most important considerations for goldfish ponds setup is the placement of ponds. The placement of the pond determines how much sunlight penetrates the pond.
The amount of sunlight penetrating the pond has a direct and positive effect on the primary productivity in the pond, which is basically the plants and other beneficial inhabitants.
This in turn affects:
- The number of goldfish to be stocked
- The size of the filter required
- The maintenance routine and
- The Aquatic plant selection
Pond Location
- The pond should be located in a place where it receives an adequate amount of sunlight and shade during the day. The best is a moderately sunny position that is not exposed to the prevailing wind or protruding broadleaf trees.
- Shade for fish can be provided by growing a variety of pond plants in different areas of the pond such as floating plants, submerged plants/oxygenators, etc., with large water lily leaves.
- This is ideal for creating shady hiding places from the sun. You should aim to cover around 33-50% of the area with vegetation.
- Find the perfect place. You may want to see the pond from home through a window.
Pond Size
- While a pond can never be too large, it can be too small if you don’t plan ahead and allow the fish to grow.
- Keeping goldfish in small ponds has several disadvantages: the size of your goldfish is limited by the small swimming area. Sudden changes in water temperature and chemical composition are dangerous for goldfish.
- Goldfish ponds must provide their inhabitants with clean, well-oxygenated water so that they can grow happily and healthily. A goldfish can grow up to 36 cm (14″) in length.
- The minimum pond size is 8 feet x 6 feet and 3 feet deep (2.5m x 2m x 1m). The bigger the pond, the better your goldfish.
- Some people are tempted to save and end up building 3 or 4 ponds to get the size they want. Keep in mind that building a large pond is cheaper in the first place than building a series of ponds.
- In general, the larger the pond, the easier it is to maintain as long as it is in a suitable position. This is because large quantities of water are much more stable in terms of water chemistry than smaller ones.
Buying your Goldfish
Always go to a local pet or fish shop to buy your fish instead of a large shop. The local pet shop owner is knowledgeable about how to treat them when they fall sick, and many goldfish do.
When you shop in a reputable store, you know you are getting healthy fish. There is no quarantine and medicine in the big shops, so you can buy sick fish.
Feeding Goldfish
- Goldfish are omnivorous and enjoy a variety of foods such as flakes and pellets, but they also browse natural foods such as zooplankton, mosquito larvae and soft leaf plants in the pond.
- In summer, when pond water is at its optimal temperature of around 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the metabolism of fish accelerates and can be safely fed twice a day. Food that is not consumed pollutes the pond.
- However, when the temperature starts to drop in the fall, the fish metabolism slows down accordingly, and they eat less.
Goldfish Pond Plants
You can use some lilies and lotus flowers that grow very quickly. These plants are very beautiful and quickly cover a large part of your pond.
Also include some floating plants like water lettuce, hyacinth, and parrot feathers which provide a great place to spawn fish and also provide shade. These plants grow very quickly and are wonderful waste removal devices.
Functions of Plants in Goldfish pond.
Plants perform different functions in a pond.
- For Decoration
- Serve as substrates for goldfish during their breeding
- Absorb excess nutrients
- Protects the fish from direct sunlight
These plants also provide a place for dragonflies where they can land and can feel much more comfortable. Dragonflies are a wonderful addition to the pond because they are very aggressive mosquito predators.
Building a Goldfish pond
The cheapest way to build a goldfish pond is to build a liner pond. This is the most popular type of goldfish pond and is not difficult to build. You will need the following:
- Rope
- Rocks
- Sand
- Pond filter system
- Plants and decorations
- Pond liner tubing
- Flexible plastic
- Oxygen supply
- Shovel and spade
- 2X4 board
- Water pump
- Stainless steel ring clamps(X4)
- Dechlorinator
- Healthy bacteria supplement
- Newspapers
- Screwdriver
Goldfish Pond Maintenance
Routine Maintenace
- Provide a suitable filter system. Filtration is important to remove part of the fish waste and the decomposition of the plant material in the water.
- Test water for nitrates on alternate days. Optimally, the ammonia and nitrates content should be zero for the cultivation of goldfish.
- Filters should be cleaned every few weeks according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Goldfish are sensitive to the formation of ammonia and nitrates in pond waters resulting from insufficient filtration.
- Limit algae production by using plants to cover more than half of the pond surface. Do not use the algaecide in a goldfish pond as some brands are toxic to them.
- Feed the fish in your pond with foods specially made for goldfish in accordance with the product guidelines.
- Regularly skim leaves and debris from the pond. Removing dead organic matter every few days eliminates the food source for algae. The algae in a pond not only look unattractive, but they also deprive the water of the oxygen that goldfish need to survive.
- Occasionally fill the pond water to compensate for the due to evaporation in the hot summer months.
- The water in the pond can be replaced simultaneously from 20 to 50 percent of the total volume of water in the pond. Although the filter is important maintenance for the pond, it does not deal with the drainage and exchange of water.
- The pond filter must be turned off and removed from the pond occasionally. The filter parts must be opened and cleaned very well with clean tap water.
Goldfish Pond Ideas (Video)
Conclusion
A goldfish pond can really transform the garden.
In fact, the idea of being able to relax outdoors while a group of fish effortlessly glides through the water or lazily winds around lilies on a hot summer day is a big attraction for many.
The quiet sounds of the movement of water and wildlife that will attract them are an added bonus.
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