My new pond and tank

[axolotl-danio]

Today I was given a 150 litre aquarium and an approx 120 litre plastic formed pond. I know lots about aquariums but don't have much pond or goldfish experience. I dug the pond in today and was planning on having 2-3 large goldfish in it.

Would this be ok?

Are fancy goldfish such as pompoms and fantails ok in a pond or should I stick to comets?

Is a filter necessary?

I am also going to keep the tank outside and was planning to breed some leopard fish (Phalloceros caudimaculatus) or wcmm in it. Both the tank and pond will be in the shade.

Thanks. I will post pond pics up later.

[N1CK]

they should both be fine, comets seem to like more room to swim around in as the get older and bigger (they can swim very fast when they want to) pom poms would be fine as well, we have some very nice orandas in our pond

goldfish are very messy in regards to pooping a filter would help a little with this and would also keep it from becoming stagnant

try to stick quite a bit of plants in it as well and lightly stock it

for the tank shove lots of plants in it then let them do there thing with weekly Waterchanges

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=40923&start=15 <-got some pics of them there

[Mel]

Fancy goldies will love it outside - I have blackmoors & fantails out in my pond and comets in the other pond. A filter is not nessicary but if you're able to power one outside then they will be better for it - but make sure there plently of shade for them, plants are good too.

i usually just turn the hose on every few days for afew minutes and let it overflow to overflow the muck out

[axolotl-danio]

Thanks, just a few more questions.

Should I have a substrate in the pond? What type?

Are our cats likely to catch the fish in it? If so is a net the only way to stop them?

I can probably run some airline tubing to it for an air powered filter or airstone but probably can't use a power pond filter.

[N1CK]

No need for a substrate would just make it harder to get the gunk out

yes about the cats!!!, although some dont seem to do it (1 of our 5 cats seems to like the taste of big orandas )they don't catch comets though only fantails when they start to spawn

you can buy electronic water squirters(senses movement) from petshops kind of expensive though, or you can:

-make a ring of large rocks 10cm+ at the waters edge to stop them getting in

-lots of plants

-a ring of netting around the pond

-or a lower water level

[Caryl]

All your questions have been answered but another suggestion to keep cats out is to arrange rocks around the edge in such a way that they all wobble when the cat stands on them. Cats dislike wobbly surfaces so will avoid them. We have a number of neighbourhood cats drink from our pond but have never had any of them try and get any fish. Others have had major cat problems. All depends on the cat :-?

In a pond that small I would prefer to filter it, unless you keep running fresh water through it as Mel suggested.

[axolotl-danio]

Here are some pics:

150 litre aquarium. I think I will breed leopardfish in it.

The pond. I put the netting up because the cat was looking very suspicious.

My new goldfish