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(relatively) Small Pond Options


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#1 Bulldarter

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  • NoVa

Posted 20 April 2017 - 05:42 PM

Hey everyone, its been awhile! I have just cleared a section of my backyard for digging and am planning a pond that is 2.5' deep and 6' by 6' at the minimum, maybe 7'x7'. My mom of course :rolleyes: wants goldfish, so here is what I was thinking for my portion, which of course will be natives. I have a few ideas- one is a smallmouth bass or crappie, although crappie are hard to train on feed, and the bass in theory should not be able to eat full size goldfish, but I figure is not likely going to be a good option. Another is one or a few green sunfish as long as they wont harass the goldfish, or a group of redbreasts.

My third and most diverse option is the following:

5 banded killifish

5 common shiners

7 satinfin shiners

3 creek chubsuckers or maybe even white suckers although I understand they are difficult to maintain.

Each of these would be with a starting population of 5 goldfish which I'm sure will expand quickly.

Any advice or thoughts are greatly appreciated. I am trying to stay local, especially since this will be an outdoor pond.

Thanks!



#2 JasonL

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Posted 20 April 2017 - 10:13 PM

I have a similar setup with a few goldfish and lots of natives and here is my experience.

Say no to the bass and greens, as they will severely limit your options for diversity if that's what you want. Bass in particular will quickly grow and wipe out just about everything including all but the biggest goldfish which you are unlikely to get from the feeder tanks at your LFS anyhow. Crappie are a pain to train and they'll also take out any minnows you have also limiting your options.

I would do some form of option 3, go to a nearby creek and collect some local shiners, topminnows and killifish and throw in several stonerollers for good measure to at least help keep the algae in check somewhat. Maybe put a single or a few pumpkinseed or redbreast in there for population control since those are native to your area and will keep goldfish population expansion to a minimum.

Don't have much experience with suckers. Others can chime in but the above is what I've done in one of my patio ponds and it's worked quite well for many years.

#3 taldridge0321

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Posted 21 April 2017 - 02:41 AM

I've done well with small Brassy Jumprocks.



#4 Bulldarter

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Posted 21 April 2017 - 10:52 PM

I was hoping that comet goldfish would reach a large enough size to avoid the bass, but oh well. I like the idea of some kind of redhorse, but brassy jumprocks are too far from me to feasibly obtain. I do have golden redhorse, quillback, white suckers, and creek chubsuckers in my area for sucker options. Other than that I am thinking of sticking with eastern mudminnows, banded killifish, common shiners, rosyside and longnose dace, river chubs, fallfish, and satinfin shiners as my main options to choose from. I also think the idea of yellow perch is cool...



#5 gerald

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Posted 22 April 2017 - 09:47 AM

Creek chubsuckers would be a good one; they are common in both flowing and still water habitats, and they don't get huge.  Fallfish can get pretty big and will eat smaller minnows and goldfish.


Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel


#6 Bulldarter

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Posted 22 April 2017 - 12:19 PM

The reason I keep suggesting these suckers is I am looking for a kind of lumbering and large bottom feeder. Creek chubsuckers seem like a perfect combination that does not require large amounts of attention but will still provide what I am looking for. Does anyone have any experience with river chubs?



#7 Bulldarter

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Posted 24 May 2017 - 05:24 PM

What about warmouths? I really like the idea of a larger centrarchid since bass are out of the picture. Other than that, here is what I am thinking:

10 banded killifish or mudminnows

8 satinfin shiners or 5 common shiners

5 redbreast sunfish

4 stoneroller/creek chubsucker combo

5 goldfish

 



#8 Jconte

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Posted 27 May 2017 - 07:46 AM

Warmouth are wonderful, and among my favorites. But they will eat any fish that it can fit in their mouth, and they have very large mouths. My advice, like those before me, is to stay away from piscivorous fish unless you want a single species (or specimen) pond.



#9 Bulldarter

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Posted 27 May 2017 - 12:52 PM

Ok, will do.



#10 Michael Wolfe

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Posted 27 May 2017 - 01:52 PM

Warmouth are wonderful, and among my favorites. But they will eat any fish that it can fit in their mouth, and they have very large mouths.


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#11 Bulldarter

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Posted 29 May 2017 - 08:01 PM

Sandwich in particular pushed me the most to consider that option. :biggrin:






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