# What fish for cold water pond?



## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

My pond is 475 Gallons with no heating. There are about 10 small KOİs in it.
In the winter at night the water temperature will drop to abaou 8-9 degrees Celsius.

What fish, other than KOİ, can survive in that kind of temperature? Oscars or Pacus?


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## AaronT (Apr 26, 2004)

What does that convert to in Farenheit? I believe white cloud minnows do fine in colder waters. I have had Endler's livebearers survive temperatures as low as 50 degrees Farenheit as well.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

That converts to 46 - 48 degrees F, so that's pretty cool for most fish, even White clouds. The Oscar and Pacu are definitely out, and they wouldn't mix well with the Koi's anyway.

Have you considered some sort of heater to keep the temp up to say the mid 50's to around 60 in the winter?


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## Script404 (Jun 30, 2006)

You could try, rudd, or golden rudd, crucian carp can look quite nice as well although they are quite dark coloured. Bitterling a small silvery fish. Comet goldfish, or shubumpkin goldfish. All of these survive UK temps so they should be fine. Orfe can be nice as well but it depends on how hot your pond gets sometimes they don't do well at higher temps, they can also be a little nervy.


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## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

My Koi seems to be very frightened, it has been more than 3 weeks but as soon as they see me they race under the small patio bridge.

When I feed them they dont even try to eat it if Im standing there. As soon as I leave they eat them all.

What can I do about this?


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

LordSul said:


> My Koi seems to be very frightened, it has been more than 3 weeks but as soon as they see me they race under the small patio bridge.
> When I feed them they dont even try to eat it if Im standing there. As soon as I leave they eat them all.
> 
> What can I do about this?


I wonder if you've had some predators around making the fish frightened of anything that moves around the pond? I don't have any experience with them, but that doesn't sound like typical behavior for them at all.


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## LordSul (Mar 17, 2006)

No dogs, cats or foxes around. Some pigeons, but I doubt them disturbing the Koi's.

But the area is still under construction, so there are lots of construction workers and heavy machinery working in the area, actually very near!


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## AlexTal (Mar 23, 2006)

trout!


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## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

Have you thought about Comets or Shubunkins?? I have them in my 1000gallon pond setup and it freezes several inches deep in the winter time. I have these floating foam things I use in the winter to keep an area open for oxygen exchange. I have only lost a few when we had an exceptionally cold winter and the pond froze probably 12-18inches deep.


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Jun 12, 2006)

> My Koi seems to be very frightened, it has been more than 3 weeks but as soon as they see me they race under the small patio bridge.
> 
> When I feed them they dont even try to eat it if Im standing there. As soon as I leave they eat them all.
> 
> What can I do about this?


try adding 1 of the solid coloured koi, they have a reputation of calming the pond down, as well as being the quickest to tame.

also, leave them get hungry for a couple of days then feed, slowly they'll get used to the fact ur feeding them and not intending any harm.

but...


> But the area is still under construction, so there are lots of construction workers and heavy machinery working in the area, actually very near!


the heavy machinery would be bad for them. sound wave travel very well through water, as do vibrations, just think how you'd cope with having a subwoofer and speakers on full right next to your ears the whole time.

will look up the correct name for the variety of koi asap.

also, bullhead catfish can go in, but they will eat anything they can get into their mouths, so no chance of babies (might not be a bad thing)

trout, orfe, rudd, shubikens, comets and goldfish will mix well enough.
avoid sturgeon though. it'd be cruel to keep them, though they'll cope with the cold water easily, they're from fast flowing well oxygenated COLD rivers, which cannot be recreated in a pond


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## Script404 (Jun 30, 2006)

For the Koi being nervous it may very well be the construction, fish are pretty sensitive to vibrations and it could be that freaking them out, our Koi used to always be a bit shy and nervous after each winter as well since they sorta got used to not having people around the pond during this period. Only thing I can say is to be patient and try de-sensitising them to your prescence, drop a bit of food in and just stay very still, sit and wait without moving to much, it won't be a quick process but it usually works, also when you are by the pond at the moment try and not let your shadow fall across the pond as this can make fish very wary as well.
Not sure about the trout suggestion though, depending on how aerated your pond is, and the temprature fluctuations in summer you may find they don't do to well at all.


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