Can my big common goldfish go in my pond?

[fishboy123]

Hello.

I was at my lfs today looking to buy a bn pleco when I came across a big common goldfish in a small tank. The fish looked depressed and i knew it would probably never get a new home due to its size. I asked a employee wether it could go in my pond but he said it was too cold. I bought it anyway as I could not help myself. It is now in my 300l tropical tank wich is at 23c. I really want to put it in my pond as it seems really active and happy now. Would it be ok or is it to cold? The pond is at 7c and the temp will continue to fall. The fish looks abit malnourished and thin. It took food straight away and has a good appetite. He is about 6 inches long.

 

[TheSmallFish]

I think that that would be ok.

 

[Skai]

How deep is the pond? Because if it's deep enough that the whole thing isn't in danger of freezing over it sounds fine. More Goldfish should be put in ponds, imho.

 

[fishboy123]

Yes I agree that goldfish belong in ponds. I hate seeing them in small tanks or bows. The pond is about 3 to 4 ft deep. There is no way the pond will freeze completely. The only issue is that the goldfish was kept in such a small tank and it might be stunted to the size it is. Hopefully this hasn't happened. Also I don't know if he has enough fat stored in his body to survive winter because he is quite thin

 

[Toad]

Maybe winter him this year and then introduce into the pond in spring? That way you have time to fatten him up and get him ready.

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[Fresh2o]

I agree with the previous post. Considering it has taken several months for the temperatures to drop from late summer conditions to slightly above freezing, what is your plan for duplicating this type of transition? 1-2 weeks of gradual temperature reduction? Might be easier to do this when the temperature is more reasonable.

 

[fishboy123]

I will probably keep him in and fatten him up. The only issue is that he is big enough to swallow my neon tetras. Do goldfish usually eat other fish?

 

[54seaweed]

if it will fit in it's mouth most likely yes ,
I agree wait till next spring to introduce to pond as the pond is already colder than normal making it hard to acclimate

 

[fishboy123]

That might be an issue because I only have a 64l cold water tank and and that's way too small for a fish of that size. He has been chasing the neons but not harming them. Do you think it will be fine. Just until summer?

 

[Toad]

Wi probably eat them if it catches them tbh, is it possible to get another tank temporarily for the winter, or even a big thivk plastic tub?

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[sheilak]

big fish, little tank

if you can find a really large plastic storage tub and hang a really strong filter on it also keep changeing the water at least 50% twice a week because goldfish are coldwater fish no need for heater unless temp gets to frreezing-just be mindful of ammonia and then you could wait until spring too release him too pond

 

[fishboy123]

I have not got a container big enough for him. He should be fine in there for the winter. Also for some reason his colour looks very faded and washed out? Could this be because of the bad living conditions he was in? If so will he ever get his colour back?

 

[fishboy123]

How can I get him to get his colour back?

 

[pmvaldon]

Maybe winter him this year and then introduce into the pond in spring? That way you have time to fatten him up and get him ready.

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[acewiza]

I have 7 goldfish averaging around this size I winter inside in a 125-gal. The main issue, which is not really a problem - just something to be aware of, is they are dirty. I don't know if is their excrement, their constant digging in the substrate or what, but the filters on that tank fill up at a rate about 3 times faster than my other strictly tropical tanks. I run 2 120-gal rated cannister filters in series to allow headroom for filter maintenance. They typically seem to be lasting less than a month before the front-facing unit starts to clog.

 

[Ironworker161]

Hi fish boy, I wish I would have seen this post sooner. Hopefully you still have the fish inside. He needs to be fattened up before he can deal with cold water. Goldfish stop eating once the temp goes much below 50 degrees and they basically go into a state of hibernation . To do that they need fat stores to survive on. So keep him indoors until the water temp outside is at least 60 degrees. Then you can acclimate him in a bag or bucket. Also, I've found that a 32 gallon plastic trash can makes an excellent temporary home for fish. I always keep a clean spare one on hand. Just in case I need it. Good luck.