Newbie

[Tula]

Welcome Annette. You have a lovely , formal pond. It reminds me of a lily pond....have you considered some lilies? I've no experience with mosquito fish, but they've obviously done ok on their own. I've read some pretty amazing stories on this forum of unattended ponds where fish have survived.

I think most of us are going to tell you what is optimal, or preferred for healthy fish....which is not to say it isn't possible some could survive without filtration.

I look forward to hearing more about your pond.

 

[JohnHuff]

Refreshed every few days with irrigation water.

If you have free flowing water you won't need a filter. A filter to clean a closed system. You have an open water system so you won't need it. Does a river need a filter?

 

[Big Lou]

Welcome Annette. Lovely pond. Suggest you remove the goldfish due to the waste they produce and that will accumulate. Keep the mosquito fish and add plants. I believe you can find much enjoyment from a simple garden pond. That is what we have.

 

[mtpond]

Welcome Annette.

 

[haver79]

Welcome to the forum. Lovely pond.

 

[dieselplower]

If you have free flowing water you won't need a filter. A filter to clean a closed system. You have an open water system so you won't need it. Does a river need a filter?

Lol yes absolutely it does. A river is a big filter. Also, a river is constantly moving. I can see that the water in that pond is not moving... Which is also why she said she needed mosquito fish.

 

[LarryM]

We put goldfish and 4 or 5 koi in our swimming pool a few years back. Shortly after the pool liner tore, we didn't want to spend the cash to have it replaced, so we just let the fish fend for themselves. The pool sat 2/3 empty for 3 years with no filtration or water changes. The only water change was when it rained and ground water seeped in and out. The fish absolutely thrived and multiplied. The only problem >> the water was so green with algae you could never see the fish. After 2/3 years we decided to replace the liner. When I drained the pool I was shocked at how filthy dirty it was and how my original 50 goldfish had multiplied into several hundred. Who Knew????

 

[sissy]

How big is this pond? Throwing a few dozen fish into a pond at once is almost always a terrible idea. Does the pond have a Pimp and filter? Welcome to the forum!

had to laugh PIMP ,made my day with a smile .Welcome by the way.It may apply to the fish breeding

 

[dieselplower]

had to laugh PIMP ,made my day with a smile .Welcome by the way.It may apply to the fish breeding

LOL didn't even notice that. I guess autocorrect got me good!

 

[Mmathis]

How big is this pond? Throwing a few dozen fish into a pond at once is almost always a terrible idea. Does the pond have a Pimp and filter? Welcome to the forum!

Gee, DP, I hope her pond doesn't have a "pimp," or there will be lots of explaining to do.

 

[dieselplower]

LOL

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome!

And yes, as long as you have a pond, you're going to hear conflicting information. Some info is based on personal experience, and some is more scientific. Basically, it boils down to the fact that no 2 ponds and no 2 situations are ever the same. And as to why one person can get away with doing something and the next person can't...... You may never know.

But continue to do your research and hopefully and you'll learn enough to make your own decisions. In general, there is a safe water-to-fish ratio, but there are so many factors that go into what [again] makes it work or not work.

 

[Becky]

Beautiful formal pond, welcome aboard!

 

[C-Note]

Oh my gosh... what a beautiful "antique" pond. It would be amazing if you find a way to run power out to it. Our pond is far from the house/garage, against the very back wall of our yard. We ran power to it by installing a weatherproofed outlet on the outer wall of garage, slicing open an old garden hose to protect the extension cord in, buried it across the length of the yard, and connected a 6-outlet, covered, outdoor block that can be spiked into the ground, or mounted on a wall. Honestly, that description sounds more complicated than it was to set up!

 

[Dave 54]

Your pond is different to say the very least

Dave