Can decorative tank goldfish (size 3 to 8″ survive in a pond that has larger koi? Can a plecostomy?
My fish are outgrowing their tank and we have a serious fine green algea bloom that no amount of chemicals, water changes, air pumps etc has cured. I want them to live in a friends pond but I’m worried they aren’t capable of fending for themselves against wild pond goldfish twice their size. Whats better, risking the pond so they can have healthy water or keeping them in this horrible green tank. They have been in this green water for nearly a year. I hate looking at it and I just can’t get rid of it. It seems to be an issue with the water in our area as others have had the same problem according to local pet shops. I’ve even restarted the tank with a new filter with no luck.
Tags: air pumps, Bloom, chemicals, Fish, Goldfish, green tank, green water, pet shops, water changes, wild pond
December 12th, 2009 at 00:14
it depends, if they are fancy goldfish then no. the fancies will not do well in ponds with comets and commons and kois. they will do okay in ponds with just other fancies. they koi and comets and commons are slimmer and much more faster than the fancies and will eat the food leaving little if any for the fancies. they will be outcompeted.
the plecos… no not unless you have a heater for the pond.. which i doubt. they are tropical and its not a good idea for them to be with goldies anyway. they suck on the goldies slime coats leaving them open to disease.
if the fish are comets or commons, then they will do just fine. just acclimate them properly to the temperature. try to release them at a time of the year when the pond temp is withing 2-3 degrees of your tank temperature and they wil do fine.
hope this helps.
December 12th, 2009 at 00:14
Keeping mind green water in and of itself isn’t harmful. It can often be sign of too much nitrate, or other issues. Of course something harmless like too much phosphorus can cause it. As far as pond goldfish they will be fine as long as they don’t fit in the mouths of their pond mates. The pleco likely won’t survive the winter in a pond. Unless you live in a warm climate like parts of Florida. He’ll die in temps below 65F.
December 12th, 2009 at 00:14
The thing about golfish is that they regulate very well, and can handle nasty, dirty, low oxygen water, if the other koi aren’t big enough to eat the golfish, they should be fine. But the pleco will probably die in the winter.
December 12th, 2009 at 00:14
yes, they will be fine and will enjoy living in the pond
you should not keep plecos with goldfish, they will suck on the
sides of your goldfish and wound them and they will suck their eyes out! also plecos cannot survive winter outside
your green water is caused by light, turn off your aquarium light except when you are at home to enjoy it, move the tank away from a window and cover the back of the tank if near a window, the algae will die without light