what kind of fish is suitable for an outdoor fish pond besides koi and goldfish?

Question

I'm planning to have a goldfish in there, but I want another fish that can eat mosquitoes. I don't want any koi. Are there any others besides the mosquito eating fish and goldfish?

Answer 1

Unfortunately, for a pond, you're limited to goldfish, fancy goldfish and koi. You could maybe get some Bitterlings... http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=1602
Because it is a pond, your options are limited to coldwater fish.

Answer 2

Goldfish will keep you from having mosquitoes. I have had ponds for over 20 years. I get rid of my largest koi each spring to keep their destructive behavior to a min. (eating my water lilies, etc.). Not many choices for cold water fish in captivity.

Answer 3

Check out the Tilapia, they are being farmed now as a food fish. They are very tasty also, mild in flavor. I buy mine at Wal-Mart. Some are imported from China. They are a beautiful fish, kind of large for an aquarium!

Answer 4

Apart from Koi Karp and Goldfish, this is what you can think of for your outdoor pond:

Dace.
Although this delightful silvery fish is more at home in swift moving streams it can adapt itself to pond life. The colour is bright silver with a rosy bloom in places, the fins are olive with, at times, a reddish tinge ; the tail is comparatively large, compared with the slender lines of the body, and is of a greenish tint. They do not attain a great size, rarely more than a pound in weight. Flies are their favourite diet ; these they pursue with great rapidity.

Common Rudd.
Not an ideal pond fish is the rudd, not that it is not hardy-it is exceptionally so, but because its colouring makes it inconspicuous. The eye is the most striking feature, it is bright red, otherwise it greatly resembles the common carp. There is a silvery tinge to the rudd and a redness about the fins that is absent in the carp.

Golden Rudd.
By some authorities this beautiful fish is considered to be a separate species, and by others as just a variety of the common rudd. The shape is that of the rudd and the colour that of the goldfish, though somewhat more yellow. The eye in retaining the typical rudd redness gives the fish an unusual look. As they do not often breed true to type in this country, they are rather expensive, 25$ each approx.

Roach.
The eye of this fish is less vividly red than that of the Common Rudd, otherwise the colouring and shape are almost identical. The disposition of the fins, however, is slightly different

Silver Bream.
Like the other bream, the Silver Bream is more suited to the large stretch of ornamental water and provides splendid sport for the angler. They swim in shoals near the bottom and are exceedingly voracious. The fish itself is silver coloured with a suspicion of blue on the upper parts.

Green Tench.
The tench is one of the most valuable fishes for the pond on account of its scavenging habits. From living in the silt and mud at the bottom and from its slimy skin, tench, in the pond, are not exactly beautiful ; but this does not matter, for they are seen rarely-preferring to ' do good by stealth and blush to find it fame.' In the garden ponds, fish and fountains aquarium, however, they are very attractive.

The scales are very small and the colour is uniformly green with a slight olive tint- like ancient bronze. In some specimens the fins have a slight reddish tinge.

Country people call it the ' Doctor Fish,' and it is assumed that the slime from the skin has curative qualities. The fact is, the tench, from its habit of eating almost anything, keeps the water clean and so lessens the risk of sickness. Tench can be purchased for 3$ - 10$ according to the size.

Golden Tench, or Gold Schlei.
The Golden Tench nearly rivals the Hi Goi for magnificence of colouring-as the name suggests, it is a rich gold which the small scales set off to advantage. Some specimens have reddish- brown markings. As this fish delights in swimming at times, in shoals usually, near the surface, it is an adornment to the pond ; also it has the same scavenging tendencies as the ' green ' species.

Gudgeon.
This is a delightful fish for either pond or aquarium and is well worth keeping. It does a certain amount of scavenging and, as it rarely exceeds seven inches in length, will not outgrow the aquarium. The colour is a pastel blue on the underside and olive- green on the back with black spots, and over all is a silvery sheen. They are of a long, slender shape and possess a pair of barbels.

The Minnow.
Although minnows have been known to attain a length of seven inches, three inches is more usual. Slender and very ' orfe-like ' in shape and habits, these ' tiddlers ' should have a place in every pond. Their colouring is seen to best advantage in the aquarium-the fins are semi-transparent, tinged with yellow, the body blue-green and olive with darker transverse bands. At breeding time the colours of the male are intensified. A school of about three dozen should not cost more than 100 US$.

Stone Loach
The long barbels on the snout of the loach betray its fondness for grubbing around on the bottom for worms, etc. It is by no means a handsome fish and does not grow to more than a few inches in length ; nevertheless, as a scavenger, it is useful. The shape is eel-like and the pectoral fins are large ; the colour is a mottled green.

This fish is even more eel-like than the foregoing, but it has a more striking look by virtue of the longitudinal rows of dark spots. Both the loaches are retiring creatures and are not generally sought after by the aquarist. Nevertheless, they are inter- esting in the aquarium.

Thunder-fish.
The Thunder-fish is of the Loach kind and is imported from the Danube and its tributaries. Most loaches become active if thundery weather is about; the Thunder-fish goes quite frantic, and rushes about on the surface of the water at the approach of a storm. At other times it re- mains hidden on the bottom. They grow to a slightly greater length than the English varieties.

Pheww...this is all I can think about now. Decision is yours, and best of fish..

Answer 5

Green Tench

Answer 6

I think your limited on that one! Call a fish store and ask!

Answer 7

Get rid of the Mossies,problem solved.

Answer 8

Why don't you want Koi?