270 gallon stocking ideas. Koi or goldfish, and how many

[Pondguy3579]

I'm planning on getting a 270 gallon fish pond, and I'm wondering if I could stock some smaller koi and goldfish, or just goldfish. I'm also wondering how many

 

[Gemma]

Welcome to the group @Pondguy3579

270gls is a bit small for koi, but it would make a lovely pond for a few goldies...there are some pretty awesome varieties on the market

 

[Pondguy3579]

Thanks for the welcome how many goldfish would you recommend?

 

[MitchM]

Zero koi, 2 shubunkin goldfish or 4 comet style goldfish.
(Maximum)
The fewer fish you have, the more you'll enjoy your pond because you won't be fighting nuisance algae problems.

 

[Pondguy3579]

Do you mind explaining to me why that's that? Why doesn't the aquarium rule for in here?

 

[Jhn]

Gold fish get large and produce a lot of waste. Much more waste than your typical aquarium fish. Also, it is a bad idea to follow any rule of inches of fish to gallons of water be it in an aquarium or pond. That is a general rule that doesn't take into account the different species of fish being kept and there differing needs.

 

[MitchM]

Do you mind explaining to me why that's that? Why doesn't the aquarium rule for in here?

I don’t mind explaining at all.
Jhn hit on he major points.
What are you planning on using for filtration?
Which “aquarium rule” exactly Are you referring to?

 

[Pondguy3579]

One inch per gallon, and I'm getting a 200 gph filter on the ground. I also read somewhere I could have 12 goldfish, or 20 gallons per fish

 

[Lisak1]

If I followed the inch per gallon rule, I would have 4000 inches of koi. That's 333 feet or roughly 166 - 2 foot long koi. Does the rule still make sense when you see it on a larger scale? With that many fish in my pond I'd be able to walk on water!

And "small koi" - the definition of an oxymoron.

 

[Pondguy3579]

Ok, you're giving them room to breathe. so is there anyway I can increase the amount of fish without increasing the pond size?

 

[Lisak1]

It is certainly possible to overstock a pond and maintain it with a lot of filtration. HOWEVER overstocking a pond of your size will be a perpetual problem. To be honest, small ponds are already harder to maintain than larger ponds - the balance is so much easier to throw out of whack due to the low water volume.

How many fish are you hoping to have? Goldfish are the natural choice for a pond your size, but outdoor goldfish can easily exceed 6 or 8" in a matter of a few years. And get two of them who like each other and you'll soon have dozens.

Are you buying a preformed pond? How about installing a liner instead - you could easily double the size with a little extra digging!

 

[Pondguy3579]

I'm getting a 8 by 10 liner, plus a filter-free pump with a fountain for aeration. I plan on making one area 3' deep so the goldfish will be able to hibernate in the winter.

 

[MitchM]

Yeah, that inch per gallon rule is not useful.
One inch of a full grown koi is going to produce a heck of a lot more waste than one inch of a rosey red minnow.
There's a much more useful method, using the square footage of submerged surfaces, including any biomedia in a filter.
I don't see what filter you plan on using.
Follow the calculations in these 2 links and let us know if you have any questions:
https://russellwatergardens.com/pages/how-many-fish-can-i-have-in-my-pond
https://russellwatergardens.com/pages/koi-length-and-weight

 

[Pondguy3579]

Im getting a 13 by 10 pond liner, and then a 400gph pond pump with a prefilter https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005...filter+kit&dpPl=1&dpID=512HRrY4V6L&ref=plSrch

 

[mrsclem]

8x10 liner or 13x10? Are you planning 3' depth for the entire pond?