goldfish janitors

[traintrax4]

Is it true that goldfish will keep your pond clean of scum and algae?
I keep goldfish in mine,but they do not seem to be doing too much. I am not feeding them though, so they must be eating something.

[Anonymous]

Not sure WHAT they eat, besides all the duckweed they can find. I think you need some kind of snails to keep the algae down...or just use algae block if you don't have any invertebrates already. You might try searching for a pond specific yahoo group, they'd be more likely to have a ready answer.

BTW dear (ex)wife STILL wants rid of the 8 goldfish that were in my little water feature...don't know what she plans to do with the pond next year. Not my prob, i guess

[Rene Schweitzer]

I'm pretty sure you'll need "bottom feeders" to help with algae and scum. Snails, sucker fish, and other sea life that lives along the bottom, eating whatever they find along the way.

[John B]

A certain amount of algae is good, especially the type clinging to rocks, sides, etc.  It removes nutrients from the water so the water is much clearer.  Plants are good for this too.  Too many nutrients in the water will cause the pond to turn pea green, a floating type algae.  A UV light can be installed in the pump line to control the floating algae or a treatment can be used.  I use Algeafix.  Lights cost over $120 and the bulb should be changed every year.   A skimmer works great for keeping the floating stuff out of the pond.  It works just like a pool skimmer.   I believe goldfish are vegetarians, but they should be feed something to ensure they get everything they need.  Just feed them what they eat in a couple of minutes, not too much.  The trick to a nice pond is to get it balanced so it maintains itself.  Its own eco system.  Check out Dr Foster and Smith at http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Shop.cfm?Ne=4&N=2004

[alamosa]

While goldfish can be a beneficial part of creating an ecosystem in your pond they are not real good at controlling scum or algae. Snails help too, but to actually control algae you would need an unbelievable number.

I use 2 tablespoons of Rid-X septic tank treatment per 1000 gallons of water once a month to help control dead organic material.

Another product I use to controll algae is plain old noniodized salt. Salt starts killing algae at about 2 pounds per 100 gallons (a word of warning here, salt can build up to a toxic level with repeated applications as it is removed only with water change not evaporation)

The best fish I have found to control algae are called Tilapia, they are a tropical fish so water temperatures below 50 degrees are fatal to them.

[jamesbaker]

I can help you with your question on this. I have 150 gal. indoor tank and I have been working on an out door pond design for when I buy a house.

Here is what you will need:
1. some live plants of some sort
2. a common pleco

         You will need to keep the Ph level where your gold fish and pleco will both live. You will also want to buy one that is large enough to defend its self from larger fish, although goldfish should not bother him. The pleco should also never bother any other type of fish as it is classafide as a community fish.
        All of your fish should be removed and placed in a indoor tank during the winter months depending on what you get for a winter. But first of all I would talk to your local fish store about this matter. The top link will give you a wide verity of choices, although some of these may not work well out doors. On this website the price rang goes from $3.00-$300.oo each. So I would buy a cheeper one to start with.

There is only one warning you need to know about this fish. Plecos defend them selves like a Cat Fish!
They have a spike on the top and side fens (3) total! They will not use them on a fish unless it is being attacked.  But becareful when handling this guy, I know it hurts when you stick yourself with them! The common pleco has hard scales and feels kind of weird.

Here is a link to the different pleco's
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=837
Here is a link for a more common pleco
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=984

I hope this information has been helpful for you.
If you need any other help let me know and I will see if I can help you.
So go talk to your Local Fish Store (LFS)
Baker

[ttrigg]

A certain amount of algae is good, especially the type clinging to rocks, sides, etc. .  Too many nutrients in the water will cause the pond to turn pea green, a floating type algae.  A UV light can be installed in...  A skimmer works great ....        Just feed them what they eat in a couple of minutes, not too much.  The trick to a nice pond is to get it balanced so it maintains itself.  Its own eco system.

I have to agree whole hartedly with Mr. John B!!!!!!   I have a 2,000+ gallon Koi pond inside my GRR (Rosebud Falls Scenic Railways).  Within my pond system, the water leaves via both a bottom drain (which pulls out the "sinking solids") and a skimmer (which removes the "floating solids"), both drains link together with valves so I can control the rate at each one is "draining", next comes an "inline strainer" (grabs the odds and ends that are pull from the bottom drain), the pump (rated at 2,000 gallons per hour) then a Aqua Ultraviolet's® biological and mechanical filter (rated for 4,000 gallons per hour) then through a UV light, then on out to a waterfall outlet (filled with a half cubic yard of fist sized rocks.  For plants I have Hyacinth, water lilies, "miniature swamp" bamboo, and dwarf papyrus.

From previous experience with ponds and talking to pond designers, you want all of your equipment to be rated to handle a "water exchange rate" of 100% of your ponds total volume of water per hour.

It took about six months for the pond to "establish" itself, develop the necessary algae and such. Since then the pump runs 18 hours a day (on a timer), My weekly maintenance amounts to rinsing and back flushing the filter (I just turn the handle to the required positions) for a total of 4 minutes each week.  When I experience an "algae bloom", only one this last spring,  I put in a half cup of a powdered pond clarifier (mostly ground up barley)  The barley turns the entire bond almost milk white in about half an hour but in about three hours the pond is clear again.  (the barley collects in the filters [leaf separator, filter unit, and the falls box full of rocks, and promotes the growth of the "good algae".]) Other than that the only chemical used is a de-chlorinater, as our tap water is fatal for fish.  The water stays clear enough I can see my "people" in the bottom by the bottom drain (under 50 inches of water) before I realized they are missing from their scene. 

The key elements are:
1. Equipment rated to "exchange" the entire pond every hour or less.
2. Good mix of plants,
3. Feed the fish ONLY what they can eat in 4 or 5 minutes.  (I sit by the leaf strainer with a fish net looking for bits of food that they did not eat.)  Uneaten fish food is the second worst enemy of a good fish pond, chlorine is the worst.

If you want any more info click the "mailbox" below and I will be glad to share info and picuters.

[John B]

Great information Tom, but if your " tap water is fatal for fish," What is it doing to you?

 

John

[toenailridgesl]

Get some pro advice on snails. Some will kill the fish, we'd had it happen here.

[ttrigg]

Great information Tom, but if your " tap water is fatal for fish," What is it doing to you?

 

John

Being a diabetic, I don't drink the water!  It has way too much salt.  I drink only distiled water.