Garden

[hayseed00]

We have a 2000 gallon pond with a large waterfall.  There is a 5000gph pump along with a ultraviolet light in my skimmer filter.  I have a lot of water lilies and other plants to help shade my pond.  It has also been extremely hot here in western New York so I have been adding water daily along with an aerator going to provide extra oxygen.  I also have quite a few koi, comets and shubunkins but so far all are healthy and happy.  I  know pond nets are a pain but in my neck of the woods are very necessary to protect the fish from predators.

[Venezia]

---

@rosehill wrote:

 The pond is seriously overcrowded with goldfish-we had around 8 koi. ( I am waiting till the weather cools off in Sept to catch some goldfish and set them loose in a pond at a local winery- we know the owner and he said it would be fine)

---

Depending on where you live, you might want to check your state laws on that.  In many states, it's illegal to release non-indigenous fish to any water source that may, in any way (however minor), connect to the natural waterways.

Where I am we had someone add Koi to a "pond" and the state biologists came in and did a kill to stop their spread, since they are an aggessive species.  Unfortunately, it also killed every indigenous species - but it was the law.  Just a thought.

Sorry about the loss of your other fish.

[JustJazzmom]

---

@Venezia wrote:

---

@rosehill wrote:

 The pond is seriously overcrowded with goldfish-we had around 8 koi. ( I am waiting till the weather cools off in Sept to catch some goldfish and set them loose in a pond at a local winery- we know the owner and he said it would be fine)

---

Depending on where you live, you might want to check your state laws on that.  In many states, it's illegal to release non-indigenous fish to any water source that may, in any way (however minor), connect to the natural waterways.

Where I am we had someone add Koi to a "pond" and the state biologists came in and did a kill to stop their spread, since they are an aggessive species.  Unfortunately, it also killed every indigenous species - but it was the law.  Just a thought.

Sorry about the loss of your other fish.

---

Many states have these laws so non native species do not overtake the fish found naturally in your waterways.

[rosehill]

Thank you, Gardenman for the recommendation. 

Venezia and JustJazzmom, I will call and ask the proper organization before we do this. It is goldfish, not koi that we are seeking a home for.

[gardenman]

---

@rosehill wrote:

Thank you, Gardenman for the recommendation. 

Venezia and JustJazzmom, I will call and ask the proper organization before we do this. It is goldfish, not koi that we are seeking a home for.

---

Goldfish are pretty commonly released into waterways. (Some fishermen use smaller goldfish as bait and rather than keep any leftovers, they'll just dump them into the river/lake/stream when they're done fishing.) We used to have a few really large ones swimming in a nearby meadow while I was growing up. The bright coloration that makes them a popular pond/aquarium fish makes them easy pickings for predatory fish, herons and the like, so there's little real risk of them taking over native water ways. While very small they tend to be more neutral/grey in color, but once they start coloring up, they become food in a hurry.

Many natural pond owners who are using their ponds to raise bass will stock the pond first with goldfish for a year or so and then add the bass and as the bass grow they eat their way through the goldfish. A pond stocked with goldfish will typically have goldfish in every life cycle from small fry to larger adults and even fingerling bass dropped into the pond will have a nearly endless supply of live food to consume as they grow. It's a fish eat fish world out there and goldfish tend to be a popular menu item for other fish.