Hi, My name is Judy. My husband and I bought a house last fall that had a 3' to 4' deep "pond" with fish in it. After moving in, we didn't have the time nor the knowledge of how to care for the fish and pretty soon the water began to freeze. We tried to keep the water "open" by breaking the ice daily. Eventually the pond froze over and became too thick to break. I thought for sure the fish would die. We had a long but fairly mild winter with little accumulating snow. Temperatures did get below zero and rarely got over freezing. To our amazement all six of what I believe to be some sort of goldfish (comet?) survived. And, dispite their challenges, they perservered. The fish multiplied. We have two new 2" black baby fish. I thought for sure that the pond had froze solid. But, obviously not.
So now, spring is here. The fish are beautiful and fun to watch. Have we just acquired a new hobby? The pond needs a new liner and I need to learn about outdoor ponds and how to care for the goldfish. The pond, I think, was created to also serve as a watering hole for the horse and wild deer. It is fenced to keep the large critters out. The pond is fed through an underground tube that is hooked up to the gutters from the house to then receive and utilize the rainwater. A valuable commodity. Or, we can run the hose from the well through it when the water level gets low. We bought some fish food pellets from Wallyworld last fall. The fish don't seem to be too interested, eating very little. I haven't a clue if I need to feed the babies.
I'm looking forward to getting some feedback from you all. We would like to keep the fish and want to make some improvements. We need to keep it simple and start with the basics. My guess, replacing or fixing the holes in the liner would be a top priority, The current set-up is barebones rustic with no filters, no pumps. The fish still thrive. What's up with that? I attached some photos.
Judy in SE Montana
So now, spring is here. The fish are beautiful and fun to watch. Have we just acquired a new hobby? The pond needs a new liner and I need to learn about outdoor ponds and how to care for the goldfish. The pond, I think, was created to also serve as a watering hole for the horse and wild deer. It is fenced to keep the large critters out. The pond is fed through an underground tube that is hooked up to the gutters from the house to then receive and utilize the rainwater. A valuable commodity. Or, we can run the hose from the well through it when the water level gets low. We bought some fish food pellets from Wallyworld last fall. The fish don't seem to be too interested, eating very little. I haven't a clue if I need to feed the babies.
I'm looking forward to getting some feedback from you all. We would like to keep the fish and want to make some improvements. We need to keep it simple and start with the basics. My guess, replacing or fixing the holes in the liner would be a top priority, The current set-up is barebones rustic with no filters, no pumps. The fish still thrive. What's up with that? I attached some photos.
Judy in SE Montana