Sitting by my pond wondering how many fish can I have?

[Ouida]

Hi Ouida. One inch per gallon is really high. I think you are thinking one inch per sq foot of surface area. Another axom is 1 inch per either 10 gallons or 20 gallons. Experienced ponders on the forum will laugh at these axioms, but these can be a helpful guide when starting out. My last pond was 80 sq ft and I always strived to keep my bioload under 80 inches. Of course this was for moderate size fish 3-5 inches with moderate filstration. My strategy backfired because the fish load multiplied 10 fold with babies however they are all fine and basically it never exceeded the 1 inch per sq ft.. The best idea is to start with less fish than you think the pond will hold and then see how it goes. Otherwise you will spend all your time on the sickness and disease pages of this forum.

Yep, i

Hi Ouida. One inch per gallon is really high. I think you are thinking one inch per sq foot of surface area. Another axom is 1 inch per either 10 gallons or 20 gallons. Experienced ponders on the forum will laugh at these axioms, but these can be a helpful guide when starting out. My last pond was 80 sq ft and I always strived to keep my bioload under 80 inches. Of course this was for moderate size fish 3-5 inches with moderate filstration. My strategy backfired because the fish load multiplied 10 fold with babies however they are all fine and basically it never exceeded the 1 inch per sq ft.. The best idea is to start with less fish than you think the pond will hold and then see how it goes. Otherwise you will spend all your time on the sickness and disease pages of this forum.

Just saw your post. Yes the inch per gallon is what I know from my aquarium years, and I don't follow it, under stocked and over filtered is always best. I got 10 fish total, and that's probably 6 too many. Considering the pondS small filter. I do have a 55 gallon drum that if needed, I'll figure how to add it on. To be honest I knew it was too many, but we put in 4 and there was nothing to look at, then 4 more, and then 2 more, lol. I did say, I'll regret this later. Especially after reading on this thread how much they repopulate. I somehow figured my aquarium fish reproduce, but only live if I see them and get them out, otherwise fish eat fish. Apparently in a pond they have more hiding places.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

The place where we purchased our koi told us 1000 gallons for your first koi and then the "inch of fish per square foot of surface area" rule kicks in.

Another one of those 'axioms' that @CometKeith referred to. Absolutely no basis in science.

 

[Ouida]

Formulas are good, but then why go to this forum, because observations from others can sometimes give a better, long term picture. But I appreciate anyone who is willing to take their time posting to my newbie questions.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Formulas are good, but then why go to this forum, because observations from others can sometimes give a better, long term picture. But I appreciate anyone who is willing to take their time posting to my newbie questions.

Personal observations are just that......observations of what is usually of only their pond. Since no two (2) ponds are identical, the factors and processes that created the observed phenomena may be completely different in each pond. To know what will work requires knowing how it works.
In the case of "how many fish", the only 100% correct method of answering this question is fish load (total weight)/flowrate/total SSA. Anything else is pure conjecture.

 

[Ouida]

I don't disagree with your analogy, its loigcal, and an excellent all around approach. However listening to what others actually experience has its place. Factors can change over time and conditions. Science is observation. Personal experience can help too. Thanks

 

[sissy]

Things is they never factor in the things that can happen .like fish babies and pollution and everything else like food given that makes fish grow faster .I always panic when a storm is called for here .Only lost power here 2 times since 2004 but the you never know .My last names is murphy and we all know murphy's law .it will happen to me .I know it will .No pond is normal they are not the same and the filters aeration and pumps are not the same .The fish are not all the same

 

[CometKeith]

Ouida, Ponds seem to find a natural balance. If you don't add enough fish they will grow more because there is more room and less competition for food, and also they will have more babies because there are not as many hungry mouths to eat eggs and fry. If you have too many then ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels will be too high and you will lose fish to disease. I think for someone new to the hobby its a lot more fun watching your fish grow and seeing babies than the alternative scenario if there are too many fish. Another point to consider when deciding between goldfish and Koi is you don't have to keep digging your pond bigger and buy more expensive filters every few years to keep up with the bioload of Koi as they grow if you stick with goldfish. For someone fairly new I recommend to take it slow in the beginning with only goldfish and a lot less fish than you think your pond can handle. Too many times do we see new ponders on the forum start out with too many fish and after having to put up with diseased fish for a while they either need to start from scratch or give up altogether

 

[Ouida]

Good morning CometKeith, thank you for all the wonderful info. I'm down to 8 fish for the last few weeks. There have been some baby hawks visiting my pond. I have no idea if they are responsible for the 2 lost fish, but the rest seem fine. As the parrot feather grows, the fish now have a ton of cover. The frogs are so loud I regret putting the pond so close to my bedroom, for the most part we think it's green frogs. We have tadpoles in the pond. It's still clear to the bottom. I can even see the 3 crayfish hubby sneaked in there. All and all it seems alive and healthy for the moment, and i don't plan to add any more fish. I am worried what the summer heat will do. Also we have some mosquito larvae. I figured the fish would take care of that. Thinking of putting a mosquito dunk in there now. The great part is I find the whole family will sit by this pond, always something to see. We are so happy with it.

 

[Lisak1]

Another one of those 'axioms' that @CometKeith referred to. Absolutely no basis in science.

Yup. I think their point is if your pond isn't over 1000 gallons, don't even consider koi.

 

[tbendl]

Ouida, my pond sits in full sun during the summer and with the exception of the floating snot issue I haven't had any problems. I am getting a shop vac for my birthday (I mean doesn't everyone want a vacuum for a gift) and am hopeful that will get rid of the thick layer of snot that floats up during the day. I don't have mosquitos, the fish seem to take care of that.
I also have the frogs right outside our bedroom. I can't believe how loud they get but I kinda like it now...

 

[CometKeith]

Ouida about 5 years ago I had about 8 fish. 5 years later I have over 50 and I never added a single one since then! Some of my "babies" are larger than the original adult fish I started with!

 

[keyplayer]

There's a

I know the calculation of 1 inch of fish per gallon. But what only you more experienced ponders may know, is how quickly my 2 shubunkin gold fish, 6 comets will multiple? I would really like two more of the shubunkin. My pond is small really only about 9x5, 24 to 36 inches deep. So would it be ok, or will I wish I hadn't in a few months? Oh and I have a small lava rock/waterfall filtration that I don't want to stress, as my water is clear to the bottom.

solution for a «too small» pond.

 

[keyplayer]

There's a neat solution for a «too small» pond: AUXILLIARY WATER. My Main Pond is similar to Ouida's and I can't expand it but I successfully keep several dozen goldfish and koi. The trick is to add WATER CAPACITY via additional water basins and oversize filters connected IN SERIES. MY Main Pond empties into a «sump» by gravity and the water is pumped to my oversized filters some 6 feet higher. The water then flows by gravity through two filters and a series of non-fish-containing basins each with oxygen-boosting venturis. This more than triples the water volume. The water eventually finds its way BACK to the Main Pond via pipes and a waterfall and is in continuous circulation. This setup has been in operation for almost ten years and ALL my fish are healthy, active, and happy.

 

[SmithRiverPond]

After reading this thread, I am thinking that having 30 goldfish in my 500-gal pond is the reason it is green. I have a good filter and pump, lots of plants, only feed the fish about once a week (not at all in winter). The pond was crystal clear for about a month this winter, but is green once again. All was good until a few years ago when a whole bunch of babies were born, making the total fish about 30. The fish don't seem to mind; appear to be healthy and happy.

 

[Lisak1]

I think you hit the nail on the head with that one @SmithRiverPond. And you're also correct that the only one it bothers is you!