Fish & Other Pond Life

       

Goldfish and Koi are the most popular choices for outdoor ponds and water gardens. Fancy goldfish do not do well in colder outdoor climates, but ordinary goldfish and comets will do fine. Koi also survive well in colder climates, but the pond should be deep enough for them to go to deeper waters when it is very cold.

Japanese Koi, Butterfly Koi, Shubunkins, goldfish, catfish and other varieties of pond fish can be found online, or in many pet stores or specialty pond supply shops.

Before adding fish to your pond, click here to review Preparing Your Pond for Fish.


Turtles

Turtles are a great addition to a pond. However, turtles wander and will roam far from your pond if they are not properly fenced in. They can dig several inches, so can easily dig under fences. If you want to be sure your turtles will remain in your yard, you will need to attach wire mesh under your fence and bury it several inches down. Turtles hibernate during the cold months, and love to sun themselves in the warmer months. A good platform for them to sun on is driftwood. Float a piece of driftwood in your pond, or raise a large rock they can climb up on to get out of the water.

There are many variations of pond turtles, including the Northwestern pond turtle, Red Slider, and Painted turtles. They are also available in many pet stores.

Your pond will also acquire many other forms of life naturally. You will most likely find frogs and many varieties of water bugs living in your pond.

You can also purchase snails, some types of freshwater shrimp, crabs and other inhabitants for your pond.