article: Pond Goldfish
There are numerous types of goldfish; some of these varieties can be raised in
the water garden while others must be kept in an aquarium or a more stable
controlled environment. Goldfish that cannot be kept in the water garden are
most often the tropical an subtropical types of goldfish. One thing to be aware
of when you are going to keep goldfish in your water garden is the other fish
that are kept in the water garden as well. Some fish will eat the goldfish such
as the terrapins, just as some birds will eat the small goldfish as well. The
birds that often prey on the goldfish are the heron and kingfishers.
What is often found, in the varieties that are in the water garden, is that
attacks by birds or other fish can cause harm to the fish that are more
delicate. The delicate fish who have the fluid filled sacs below their eyes are
most at danger. If you only have goldfish in your water garden, you have already
eliminated the problem of other fish attacks. Rocks on the sides of the water
garden, cement in the bottom of the water garden, and even statues or plants in
the middle of the water garden can sometimes cause damage to the delicate fish,
but you can help control this problem with salves and medications for treatment.
You might think that all of your lighter colored goldfish has disappeared, but
if you have a very light colored ‘background’ that makes up your water garden,
the fish are going to be less visible. The same is true with your darker colored
water gardens, the black or darker colored goldfish may seem to blend into the
materials that were used to make up the pond. Using lighter colored goldfish in
the darker colored ponds will help you see your fish more often.
When choosing fish for your water garden, you may want to stay away from some of
the fancy goldfish. Some varieties of the fancy goldfish have round bodies. The
more rounded bodies of the fish are capable of getting some of the more
problematic medical problems. Unless you have a lot of time to work with your
fish and medicate your fish you might like to stay away from some of the rounded
type goldfish so you are not faced with some of these medical emergencies.
If you live in an area where the weather patterns change, you can leave the
goldfish in the water garden during the coldest months when the pond freezes
over as long as your pond is deep enough where some of the water will not
freeze, and if you are keeping some of the more hardy types of goldfish in the
water garden. The fancy fish and the tropical goldfish are two types that will
not be able to survive the coldest of winters.
If you have a water garden that was created by nature, you might find that you
have wild type fish in this pond. You can add goldfish to this water garden if
the water is not over crowded and if you know that the other fish are not going
to eat the goldfish. Using the more ‘hardy’ types of goldfish that are known to
survive the coldest winters will be your best choices in adding fish to the wild