Tips on Keeping Goldfish in Outdoor Ponds

People are often reluctant to keep fish in a pond or pool outside because they fear that their little pets won’t survive unless they’re kept in an environment where such factors as temperature and light exposure are meticulously controlled. Goldfish, however, are actually very hardy creatures that can thrive in a yard as easily as they can inside a home. While it might be advisable for many owners to learn to care for their fish in an aquarium first before moving them, the transition to the outdoors can be made with relative ease if a few things are taken into consideration beforehand.

Your fish may have an easier time breathing in a pond than in an aquarium – and especially more so than in a fishbowl. Goldfish’s gills extract oxygen from water and expel carbon dioxide. Most of the oxygen is absorbed from atmosphere at the surface of the water they’re swimming in. Hence, the more water surface area there is the greater the amount of oxygen that will be absorbed and available to them.

To insure that your pond won’t freeze during the winter months, plan to delve no less than 2 feet deep, and provide a deeper area of 3-4 feet either in the center or at one end. Your pond’s drain should be located in this deeper part. How well fish can tolerate temperature fluctuations is a primary consideration when deciding whether or not to keep them outdoors. Ponds can become very warm in direct sunlight; then, their temperature can drop drastically at night, or during colder months. Common goldfish, comets and shubunkins can survive through the winter if their habitat is deep enough not to freeze entirely.

Predators – whether birds, cats, dogs, raccoons, or even snakes – can pose a real threat outdoors. A good solid fence will deter all but the birds from approaching your fish. Insects like dragonfly larvae and water beetles pose a subtler dilemma. If such insect predators infest your pond, consider temporarily removing your fish and adding copper sulfate to the water. This kills invertebrates quickly.

Water plants will greatly benefit your fish; they can provide oxygen, shade, and – most importantly – shelter. Fish feel more secure when they can dart beneath some green coverings when startled. Those with such protections will swim more leisurely, frighten less easily, and even get along better with other fish. Goldfish also have a naturally strong resistance to disease when they’re not stressed. Malnutrition and discomfort can deplete their protective mucus coats and make them more vulnerable to infections. This condition can be remedied by adding treatments such as Stress Coat to their water, but it’s best to alleviate their stress entirely by providing them with a little jungle of water flora to hide beneath when they need to.

Goldfish are durable creatures that can live contentedly in an outdoor environment. If provided with a deep enough pond – preferably fenced off from predators, in decent sunlight, and stocked with attractive water plants – they can exist with minimal stress and flaunt their beauty for us throughout all the seasons.