Rescued a carnival goldfish and want to set up a container pond.

[TorchwoodMindfreak]

Hello everyone A couple month ago we dug a large (around 2000 gallons I think) pond but it's just been sitting there kind of filled with a pump circulating the water. We are going to get it set up nicely once I can motivate my parents. Anyway this past weekend I was at the stock show and I won one of the goldfish from the games. I was thinking of putting him in that pond but it's dirty and we haven't finished it. I'm wanting to start a container pond to go next to the big one. I'm thinking of buying one of those 110 gallon TuffStuff stock tanks for this. Anyway I don't have any pond experience but I have 5 fish tanks. So for a container pond what kind of filtration will I need and can my little goldfish go in there? I think he's a comet, he has a bit of white color on his belly. Also I temporarily have him in a two gallon container with rocks, fake plants, and a bubble wand. I've been doing about 50-60% water changes every other day. How long can he stay in here while I get my pond set up?

 

[fishin4cars]

Welcome aboard. The difference between a pond and a aquarium, you view a pond from above, you view a aquarium from the side. You'll run into different issues but really they are both bodies of water that sustain life. take what you know about tank filtration and use it to build some type of filtration for a small tub. If you want something quick a canister filter will work. Not the best but it will work, it's quite and can just be set on the floor beside the tub. feed very lightly and check your water for ammonia, and nitrites. A pond cycles the same way a aquarium does. Unless your seeing ammonia spikes on your test kit, 25% water changes weekly should be PLENTY! Once established 10% if the pond isn't crowded is usually plenty to maintain good water quality. If indoors, use low light aquarium plants, if outside use some oxygenating plants in the tub for the fish to nibble on, helps breakdown waste, produces oxygen, and it will help use up nutrients that would cause the green algae to form if you don't use plants. In your two gallon tub with a 20% water change daily I think you could maintain that fish for at least a few months while you get the big fish tank ready.

 

[taherrmann4]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[sissy]

welcome to the forum and sounds like you have some of it right and you will need a filter and that is easy to make .I have one of those 110 gallon tanks and plan on using it for plants this summer ,because koi eat plants faster than they can grow

 

[TorchwoodMindfreak]

Alright thanks guys

 

[sissy]

A container pond is easier than A tank .I used a small submersible pump inside a small crate with lava rock around it last year with a hand crank pump .I put the lava rock inside dollar store laundry bags so I could just lift the bag of rocks out and rinse them off in a bucket of water with peroxide in it and the just put them back in the crate with the pump in it .The hose up to the hand crank pump gives the water plenty of oxygen .The pump is on a pvc pipe and a stake outside the pond in the ground with a wire wrapped around it and the hand crank pump .I did just have a fountain head at first on the pump ,but I got the hand crank pump cheap and wanted to use it for something .You really don't seem to need a big filter for a container garden ,you just have to clean the filter on the submersible pump more often than normal

 

[CountryEscape]

And, if you have an aquarium set up already, and it's only one fish, and your other fish won't hurt it, assuming your goldfish is not huge, you could always put it in with your aquarium fish. I bought 2 fantails and 3 Shubunkins (tri-colored goldfish with long tails) and have them "on hold" in my 30 gallon aqurarium that houses other tripocal fish. I just cleaned that and my 55 gal which has probably too many fish, and the goldfish tank (more goldfish than anything else except for the bottom feeders) was far cleaner than the other tank, which surprised me. Fish to gallons of water, the goldies are heavier in the smaller tank than the others in the big tank, but still the bottom had very little gunk when I vacuumed it to do a water change.
Welcome to the Forum! Congrats on winning the fish! And, since you have it in a small tank right now, if it's glass, by all means take a picture so we can oooh and aahhh about it! We love pictures on this Forum.

 

[j.w]

TorchwoodMindfreak

 

[sissy]

Gosh sounds like the newborn baby nursery at the hospital ,country ooooh aaaaah cutie

 

[DrDave]

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[TorchwoodMindfreak]

Unfortunately my other tanks are a 37 saltwater, 2 fully stocked 10 gallons, a 1 gallon hospital tank, and a 6.6 divided for male betas so there isn't room for him in any of those. I think I may have kick started my parents on the big pond though. They say they want to get that one finished before I put another one out there so hopefully I can get them moving on that and then he can go in there. Anyway here are some pic of the little guy. I put him in the beta cup for only a minute or two, I figured people would know roughly the size for comparison. BTW his name is Rupert. Do you guys think he's a comet? And is the black on his fins amonia burns? He had them when I got him. Let me know if the pics are to large and I can try to resize them,

 

[CountryEscape]

I would say definitely a comet, since fins are longer than common goldfish. Love the white on his belly and tips of all his fins. I have several that look similar, and the edges of their fins that are white really stand out in the pond! As far as the black tips, someone else with more experience will have to answer that. Good luck with Rupert!

 

[sissy]

wheres the ooohh aaahhs country .he looks healthy enough now just keeping him that way is the hardpart .For right now you could get a tub or tote to give him some room

 

[TorchwoodMindfreak]

Yeah I love his white belly I'll have to look around to see if we have a bigger tote than the tub he's in anywhere. Thanks

 

[addy1]

Nice looking fish!

Welcome to our group!