Goldfish and 35 gallon pond?

Question

Planning to get a 35 gallon pond in my backyard. Which Goldfish would do better in a pond of that size and how much of them can i put in there. here are my options, Ryukins, Orandas, or Shubunkins. If it matters, i live in california and the coldest it gets here is about 35 degrees f (nightime) through 60 (daytime) from mid november- february. I am open to other goldfish type suggestions if any. No answers about "get a bigger pond." please!!! .thanks to the people who answer.

Answer 1

The biggest problem that I see with your pond is the depth (a 35 gallon can't be very deep) and any fish you add will become a buffet for your neighborhood predators.

You'll also have some problem with temperature, since a 35 gallon will change temperature rather quickly. During the day it will get quite warm (especially if it's a black plastic preformed pond) and release the heat overnight. Goldfish prefer cooler temperatures, which also increases their dissolved oxygen. So during the day, especially in the summer, you'll need to have good areation (fountain or waterfall), and filtration (to add circulation and remove wastes) and this will also increase your evaporation. Less water will make what water is in the pond warm even faster and get hotter. So if possible, I would include plenty of surface plants, or put the pond where it gets some shade during the day. This could be a problem in winter, since you'll want the water warm so it doesn't freeze.

Overall, I see this as a bad situation for any goldfish.

Answer 2

We have a variety of goldfish and koi (so much prettier) in our pond. It's pretty big, but still just a garden pond. It's maybe a couple hundred gallons. We keep our fish in the pond year round. When we hear that the first frost is supposed to come, we put a big plastic tarp over the pond with rocks to prevent the tarp from blowing away. None of our fish have died over the three winters we've done this. By the way, koi look just like goldfish, but can be many different colors, like gold, white, black, and orange. Both goldfish and koi are super hardy fish and can go through a lot. Have fun putting together your pond!

Answer 3

I won't add my voice to the list of those who say get a bigger pond (even though I think you should, because everything Copperhead said is true).

Instead, I will just say that of the types of goldfish you have listed, shubunkins are probably the hardiest and will take the most abuse. Since you are going to be providing less than optimal conditions, I would say get one (only one - 35 gallons can't handle any more) of those.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

You don't want any answers about getting a bigger pond. I want tell you to do that then, but I will tell you, to put it frankly, you cannot raise anything in a 35 gallon outdoor pond except maybe a bullfrog that shows up. Goldfish in a 35 gallon indoor tank are hard enough to raise. Maybe not what you want to hear, but true. Why a 35, may I ask?

Answer 5

Whoa what the fook. A 35 gal pond. I agree with SOOP NAZI's answer. The depth. What are you making a very good predator buffet. The depth is sure low. Measure the depth of the pond. It should be 50-75 cms, and the width would be 2-5 metres. The gallons should be over 100 gal. And did you know ponds evaporate faster than tanks!!!!.

Answer 6

I don't know a lot about goldfish - but I had a neighbor that had half wooden barrels lining the south side of her house with goldfish. She had two or three in each one and they were good sized. I lived in Utah at the time, and it certainly gets colder there... she had lily pad looking things floating on the tops of the barrels, and said that the fish were very hearty, handled the cold well, and she hadn't lost one in years.
Gold fish are notoriously dirty... looking at my smallest tank inside, a 30 gallon, I wouldn't put more than 3 in it as they grow quicker and bigger than some other fish.
Good luck to you, sounds fun!
Ask the fish "expert" at your local pet store.
Oh - my friend has coy fish. They are way cool. They love human attention and will come when you call them (seriously, she has about 3/4 acre pond - they really come when you call - it's crazy) and they like to be pet. It's possible they will outlive you though, so take that into consideration :)

Answer 7

you must mean 350 gallons. if not, then get a bigger pond. 35 gallons is considered a puddle.