Fish for Ponds and Water Gardens

by Ed Katuska
First published in Wet Pet Gazette, Norwalk Aquarium Society
Aquarticles

Although goldfish or Koi is usually the choice for outdoor pond set-ups, there are many other fish that do well outdoors as well. A few years back I had a good sized piece of liner left over from a larger pond in the yard so I decided to set up a few small above ground ponds using some old whiskey barrels sawn in half. Constructing these small ponds was an easy task; the hard part was figuring what type of aquatic creatures to house in them. The enclosures were much too small to house any variety of goldfish or Koi. Purchasing small ones would have been an option but they would have outgrown the habitat in no time. After a few days I decided to try some anabantoids which worked out very well. The barrel was filtered with a large sponge filter powered by a small air pump. The air pump flow was set to minimum so the surface of the water was on the calmer side. A small amount of duckweed was added along with some small water lettuce plants from the larger pond. It was a perfect gourami set-up, still water, floating plants for hiding and plenty of mosquitoes and other small insects to feast on.

Now keep in mind these fish in a large in ground or above ground water garden cannot withstand a winter's freeze like the goldfish. Be prepared to house them inside for the winter. Another main difference compared to goldfish is that these fish are not highly visible in the pond like goldfish are. Goldfish, in my opinion, have a great personality and are a pleasure to feed by hand. Due to their size and vibrant coloration they are easily seen in the pond; do not expect this with smaller species. For this reason I decided to keep goldfish in the large pond and house the other fish just in the smaller barrels. The last few years I have been keeping many different species outdoors in the summer months. They are usually put out in the end of May and brought indoors around early September. Do not put the ponds in areas that receive sunlight all day. The enclosures will become too warm in the afternoon sun and the fish will perish. I have placed the barrels in an area that gets sunlight for a couple of hours in the morning and shade takes over for the remainder of the day. This takes the night chill away and won’t overheat the fish. If you use plants that do not demand a lot of sunlight, they will thrive as well.

How cold the temperature gets on a normal summer night in your area will be a factor in choosing good pond inhabitants. Here in southern New England the nightly temps stay warm enough not to lower the temperature of the water to any great degree. Fishes that have a low tolerance to temperature change, like angelfish or many of the South American tetras for example, should not be considered for this kind of environment.

Let’s go over some of the species that I have found did well outdoors:

Gambusia affinis- A native livebearer which thrives in an outdoor environment. Any of the "mosquito fish" livebearers are good choices since they relish mosquitoes and other small insects. It’s a trip back to nature for them.

Tanichthys albonubes- The white cloud in nature is a cold water mountain minnow that is right at home outdoors. A schooling colony of six or eight males and females is a starter culture for life. If the conditions permit these guys will reproduce like nothing you have ever seen.

Jordanella floridae- The Florida flag fish, a native killie, is an attractive and hardy fish that will do well. These fish do well in a small environment that has some surface area for them to move around. An inexpensive child’s pool would suit these guys nicely. There are thirty-six varieties of native killies in the U.S. Most would more than likely do well in this environment

Cyprinella lutrensis- The rainbow dace is a colorful native cold water fish that will do well if the right conditions are provided. The temperature of the water cannot get too high for these fish. The enclosure should be shaded, with extra oxygen added to the water by air pumps. A small pump or powerhead at the bottom will help keep the water moving providing more oxygen as well.

Misgurnus fossilis- The weather loach is an unusual species to say the least. Not the most attractive looking fish but enjoyable to keep. They will eat insects but I also add bloodworms to their diet as well.

Hemichromis bimaculatus- The West African jewel cichlid is the only fish in the Cichlidae family that I have experimented with outdoors. These fish did very well, grew out fast and also spawned. I thought they were colorful fish when they went outside, when they came back in a few months later the colors were striking to say the least. A very aggressive but beautiful fish.

Macropodus concolor- The black paradise fish is a perfect fish for the water garden. The same holds true for the blue paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis, and their anabantoid cousin Betta splendens. Care should be taken if putting pairs together in a small environment. The females should be conditioned well before entering the pond with the male and she should have plenty of brush as cover. Anabantoids spawn easily outdoors, so keep a close watch on the enclosure for spawning activity. The males will build a large bubblenest on the surface of the water, and the eggs will be clearly visible. At this point it is my recommendation to remove the female or the male will certainly victimize her. To ensure a successful spawn remove the male at the first sight of free-swimming fry.

The species above have worked out well for me in the past. I am undecided thus far on what to try this coming season. Keep in mind that some of the fish listed are jumpers. Some of my smaller water gardens are covered. You can make covers easily out of black nylon screen or that plastic wafer material used for florescent lighting. The latter works well if you have a problem with predatory birds or cats. They allow air and sunlight in and keep unwanted guests out. Also do not rely solely on nature to feed these fish well enough. Feed daily with commercial foods as if they were inside. Water changes are also essential, twenty to thirty percent weekly is normally recommended, or your fish will suffer. Spring is here so get outside, enjoy the weather, and bring some of your fishy friends with you.