Upside down catfish

[Tom Cook]

I am trying to figure out something that wont eat my goldfish, but will help keep the pond clean.
I heard upside down catfish are one way to go and I know a Placo would be beneficial.

Problem is temp.

We get into the 30's in the winter and 80's in summer.
What is the lowest temp before having to remove the thing before winter and earliest temp in spring that they can live in?

Thanks for any ideas.

Tom in Roland

 

[HARO]

I am trying to figure out something that wont eat my goldfish, but will help keep the pond clean.
I heard upside down catfish are one way to go and I know a Placo would be beneficial.



Tom in Roland

How about a pond vac? Synodontids need water around the 80 F. mark, while plecos are known to survive in the southern states. SURVIVE is not the same as THRIVE!
John

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Actually plecos are BIG poop machines

 

[morewater]

If your turned an upside-down catfish upside-down, would it be just a catfish?

 

[Nepen]

I think I took mine out when it was around 60-65 degree last year. The catfish was a lot slower then and easier to catch lol. I thought I'd have to let them die becasue they were too fast to catch but luckily I didnt give in and got them just right when it started to get cold.

 

[dieselplower]

Keep it clean of what? Any fish you add will add more poop and ammonia.

 

[Tom Cook]

Well,
I put 10 Feeder gold fish in a week ago and haven't seen them since. I feed them fish flakes everyday, but the flakes eventually sink.
I thought a bottom feeder would help clean up.

The bottom is still murky after three weeks and I cant see anything down there, so i'm not even sure I still have fish.

I do have a medium size frog in there full time, I've been told he wont eat the fish.

I do have a lot of algea about 1/16 th of an inch deep along the liner and the water hit 62 degrees today, that's the warmest its been since
I first filled it 3 weeks ago.

Tom

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Not sure how big your fish are but frogs will eat most anything that will fit in their mouth including other frogs (my sister learned this the hard way when setting up a tank with frogs and a betta fish for her kids)

Bottom feeders don't really "clean" a pond or tank. It's really best to control your feeding and do water changes (depending how big the pond is you may have to net stuff out and or vacuum the bottom)

Believe me the goldfish will eat any food on the bottom of the pond. Just don't feed so much that they have a lot left over. This is especially important when you have a new pond that needs to mature.