100 gallon outdoor pond fancy goldfish

[Linda4fish]

I’m starting up my first outdoor pond. I live in the northern California greater Sacramento area where winters regularly get a soft frost or none at all. Summer days can easily reach in to the hundreds days at a time

The stock pond is on the north facing side of my house and will get early morning sunshine in the summers and no direct sunlight in the winter. Electrical outlets are nearby.

i’m hoping to put some fancy goldfish in it and am interested in your ideas on what the best filter would be & what kinds of plants would do best.

I understand goldfish love to eat plants and that’s fine😊I assume they must be very good for them if they like to eat them:)I really hear that they like duck weed but I am concerned that it would take over?

Thanks ahead of time for your thoughts

[Ken Burke]

My first duty station was McClellan AFB, back in the last century, know your weather well.  Your location should be pretty good, but more light would help. Especially in the winter.  

I over wintered a couple fan tails in my tub, mostly ignoring them.  They grew quite a bit, and are thriving now that my northern Louisiana spring is in full swing.

 I kept mollys last summer, and the duckweed required manual removal one or twice a month.  Scoop it out easy peasy. So I would not worry about it much.
 

 

[Dancing Matt]

I have common goldfish and they demolish the duck weed, I have to grow it in a separate aria were they can't reach it in order to grow it for their consumption. I made a homemade filter with a small HDX tote. One thing to think about is if leaf matter will end up in the pond because that can be difficult to clean out without a skimmer.

[Patrick_G]

I have a 100 gal goldfish patio pond. It’s in a shady spot with almost no direct sun. I keep Sarasa comets, single tails and a Shubunkin. I use a DIY box filter attached to a copper pipe spout for a fountain effect. The fish leave the pond plants alone but demolish duck weed. 

If you have a local Koi store pay them a visit and check out the different goldfish. Sarasa comets are my favorite, but our Shubunkin has the most personality. 

[Linda4fish]

Any suggestions on the best kind of heater just to bump it up at night if it should fall below 50?

[Patrick_G]

On 4/20/2022 at 8:28 AM, Linda4fish said:

Any suggestions on the best kind of heater just to bump it up at night if it should fall below 50?

I add a regular 500w aquarium heater in the spring, but remove it when water temps are naturally above about 55F. I’m sure it would work year round. I don’t like the stress that comes with trying to fatten up fish that haven’t been digesting food all winter, but here in the Seattle area it wouldn’t be cost effective to run the heater when year round. 
 

 

[Patrick_G]

@Linda4fish, I think you’ll love having these fish. Mine are like little water puppies with individual personalities. 

[freemoney]

On 4/19/2022 at 10:16 PM, Patrick_G said:

I have a 100 gal goldfish patio pond. It’s in a shady spot with almost no direct sun. I keep Sarasa comets, single tails and a Shubunkin. I use a DIY box filter attached to a copper pipe spout for a fountain effect. The fish leave the pond plants alone but demolish duck weed. 

If you have a local Koi store pay them a visit and check out the different goldfish. Sarasa comets are my favorite, but our Shubunkin has the most personality. 

Really sweet setup, dig the maples and cat as well. I tried fancy goldfish in a pond setup but they ended up as expensive treats for the racoon living in my neighbors attic. This year I'm going with mountain minnows and a lot of cover.

[Patrick_G]

On 4/20/2022 at 4:13 PM, freemoney said:

Really sweet setup, dig the maples and cat as well. I tried fancy goldfish in a pond setup but they ended up as expensive treats for the racoon living in my neighbors attic. This year I'm going with mountain minnows and a lot of cover.

I’m a bit worried about raccoons, but the vertical sides of my pond are a deterrent. I have some covers I made to keep away raptors, but I keep forgetting to use them. 

[freemoney]

On 4/20/2022 at 7:24 PM, Patrick_G said:

I’m a bit worried about raccoons, but the vertical sides of my pond are a deterrent. I have some covers I made to keep away raptors, but I keep forgetting to use them. 

Yeah my pond with the goldfish was a few years back total disaster. I dug it out about 100 G so it was inground, which I feel like was what made it easy for the racoons. Also my blind dog relentlessly kept falling into it, climbing over the small fence around it and rocks surrounding it. So two full days of digging to set up, 3 days of head and heart ache, and two hours to fill in.

 This year its a 40 G plastic trough, planning on some water lily, stem plants and floating plants. I'll put some cinder blocks on the bottom to give the fish additional hiding places. The new neighbors Shepard mix had a recent altercation with the raccoon, and he is a big dog so hopefully no issues this year.

[Dancing Matt]

@Linda4fish I would be surprised if you need a heater. I overwintered my goldfish in Colorado springs. I ended up adding a de-icer when it froze over completely but my water got into the 30's and they are still around and seeming to be doing fine so far...

[RareFeeshCollector]

On 4/20/2022 at 6:47 PM, freemoney said:

I'll put some cinder blocks on the bottom to give the fish additional hiding places.

im about to setup a 30G tote deck pond for two fantails because they are currently in a 10G tank. i was wondering about the safety for fish of using new cinder blocks in the tank to prop up the plants. i didnt come across any solid information either way. mostly people concerned about what they are made with and if they affect pH.

[AquaHobbyist123]

I am also about to set up a patio pond for some livebearers or ricefish. Inspired by SerpaDesign.

[Scot]

On 4/20/2022 at 7:24 PM, Patrick_G said:

I’m a bit worried about raccoons, but the vertical sides of my pond are a deterrent. I have some covers I made to keep away raptors, but I keep forgetting to use them. 

My issue is with skunks. They love pillaging the duck weed, and thus make a mess of everything in and around the ponds.

 

believe it or not, my 2nd worse intruders are song birds. The duckweed and plants grow thick enough that the birds think they can hop on down onto that nice green carpet.

They look at one another, one hops right on in and gets a surprise bath.

 

 

[K McZongo]

On 8/22/2022 at 12:11 PM, Scot said:

My issue is with skunks. They love pillaging the duck weed, and thus make a mess 

Wow didn't even consider skunks, are the climbing up to get to your pond? I just started up 100gal stock pond as well. Used to see skunks and raccoons around my yard all the time a few years ago, haven't seen them in ages. I guess I am gambling without a cover/ netting for now.

[Scot]

On 8/24/2022 at 9:38 PM, K McZongo said:

Wow didn't even consider skunks, are the climbing up to get to your pond? I just started up 100gal stock pond as well. Used to see skunks and raccoons around my yard all the time a few years ago, haven't seen them in ages. I guess I am gambling without a cover/ netting for now.

Yeah and it's my fault because I placed the ponds to be part of my patio "garden" and not just stock tanks. Therefore they have things they can stoop on to reach in to the top of the stock tanks. I don't think they could get in so long as you keep the stock tanks bare and 3 ft apart from each other.

Did you know that racoons are the reason why trashcans have a warning to keep them 3 ft apart? it has nothing to do with the claw, but if they are closer together, the racoons can use the "other" trashcan to gain a foot hold and leverage.

 

[Patrick_G]

On 8/22/2022 at 12:11 PM, Scot said:

believe it or not, my 2nd worse intruders are song birds. The duckweed and plants grow thick enough that the birds think they can hop on down onto that nice green carpet.

They look at one another, one hops right on in and gets a surprise bath.

Unfortunately I've had to fish a few dead birds out. 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Patrick_G

[K McZongo]

Just had a visit from raccoons this week. Luckily didn't manage to get any of my ricefish. I think they either just jumped in or climbed up a nearby rain gutter downspout.  Might need to remove some of the cinder blocks I used to raise my pond plants up.

@Patrick_GI had a smaller half filled 10g barrel with mosquito fish and high sides a couple years had to pull out large rodent that had drowned and fouled the water. Haven't had any birds yet. Do you keep that wood/mesh top on your pond year round? Or not because of the plants.

[Patrick_G]

On 9/4/2022 at 3:25 PM, K McZongo said:

had a smaller half filled 10g barrel with mosquito fish and high sides a couple years had to pull out large rodent that had drowned and fouled the water. Haven't had any birds yet. Do you keep that wood/mesh top on your pond year round? Or not because of the plants.

I only use the mesh tops when it’s baby Barred owl season. They seem to think they need a goldfish dinner.