Pond Fish Types

The beauty of a pond is increased by the type of fish swimming in it. Can you imagine a pond without fish in it! The colorful and graceful fish are a treat to the eyes. One can spend hours together watching the water angels dance from one end of the pond to the other! While building a garden pond, one does have a general idea of which fish one would like to have in the garden pond, but when it really comes to making a choice, all the fish look great!

There are many things on which the selection of fish can depend. Firstly, the available swimming space. Some fish need a lot of space will some can easily survive in a smaller space. It is better to check the information leaflets to check how large the fish you are planning to buy, will grow. The depth of the pond also needs to be taken into consideration. If you wish to keep larger variety of fish such as koi fish, the required depth is 90 cm. For other small to medium fish, the minimum depth required is 45 cm. Coral reef and plants are the other essentials of a pond. However, if you want an idyllic pond with many plants, you will have to avoid fish like koi as they uproot plants easily. Small species of fish are good for such ponds. These were a few things that you need to consider before buying any species of fish for your pond.

Garden Pond Fish Types
Do not buy too many fish at a time as the filter won't be able to work properly with a sudden increase of waste levels. The best season to stock a pond is autumn. During winter, when the surface of the pond freezes, keep the fish in an indoor aquarium. You can choose any or all the following pond fish types for your garden pond.

Goldfish: Goldfish is the most popular fish, and the first choice of every pond owner. Firstly, goldfish grow up to 20-30 inches, which is not very big nor small. They have a life span of 5-10 years, which is quite long. There are also loads of goldfish types to choose from. Comet, Fantails, Orandas, Bubble-head are some of the popular ones. Each of these have a special feature, like comets have a long elongated tail, which is why they are named so. As the name suggests, fantails have split fin tail. The bubble-head on the other hand, have bulging eyes which look exactly like bubbles! There are many fancy species of goldfish, however they cannot survive the winter.

Koi Fish: This Japanese ornamental variety of fish is ideal for large garden ponds. They grow up to 30 inches, obviously need more space. Compared to other fish, koi are a little aggressive and tend to dig out plants. However, the beautiful colors and symmetrical bodies of the koi fish overcome all these flaws! Koi female fish are prettier than the males, as the males get thinner as they grow. You do not have to worry about bringing new koi fish every couple of years, as these fish have a life span of 35 years!

Orfe: Most of the fish like to be underwater, hidden from everyone's' view. However, orfes are an exception to it. They like to spend most of their time on the surface of the water, which makes them easily visible. They grow up to 30 cm long and live up to 30 years, if taken good care of. These pond fish love company, so it is better to bring 4-6 orfes at a time. These fish need well oxygenated water, which is why they do not survive easily in small ponds.

Rudd: These are the commonly found small silver colored fish. They grow only up to 15 cm long. Like orfes, rudd also prefer to live in shoals, so buy a 4-6 six rudds at a time. Unlike other types of fish, rudd does not need large ponds, it can easily survive even in small ponds.

Besides these species, species like tench, sticklebacks, sterlets are also perfect for a garden pond. If you want to have fish as pets, then sterlets are the best for you as they get tamed easily. So, now that you know all about pond fish types, you can get your favorite ones from the above list!