Pond Fish Types

Tap to Read ➤ Girija Shinde

With so many varieties of fish available, making a choice for a garden pond can be quite difficult. Read on different pond fish types that live longer, are attractive, and are safe for a pond.

The beauty of a pond is increased by the type of fish swimming in it. These colorful and graceful creatures are a treat to the eyes. One can spend hours together watching them swim from one end of the pond to the other.

While building a garden pond, one does have a general idea of which fish one would like to have in it, but when it really comes to making a choice, all the fish look great.

There are many things on which the selection of fish can depend. Firstly, the available swimming space. Some fish need a lot of space while some can easily survive in a smaller space. It is better to check the information leaflets to check how large the fish you are planning to buy, will grow. The depth of the pond also needs to be taken into consideration.

For larger variety of fish such as koi, the required depth is 90 cm. For other small to medium fish, the minimum depth required is 45 cm. Corals and plants are the other essentials of a pond. However, if you want an idyllic pond with many plants, you will have to avoid fish like koi as they uproot plants easily. Small species of fish are good for such ponds.

There are a few things that you need to consider before buying any species of fish for your pond. Do not buy too many fish at a time as the filter won't be able to work properly with a sudden increase in waste levels.

The best season to stock a pond is autumn. During winter, when the surface of the pond freezes, keep the fish in an indoor aquarium. You can choose any or all the following pond fish types for your garden pond.

Goldfish

Goldfish are the most popular fish, and the first choice of every pond owner. Firstly, goldfish grow up to 20-30 inches, which is neither very big nor small. They have a life span of 5-10 years, which is quite long.

There are also loads of goldfish types to choose from. Comet, Fantails, Orandas, Bubble-head are some of the popular ones. Each of these have a special feature, like comets have an elongated tail, which is why they are named so.

As the name suggests, fantails have a split fin tail. The bubble-heads on the other hand, have bulging eyes which look exactly like bubbles. There are many fancy species of goldfish, however, they cannot survive the winter.

Koi Fish

This Japanese ornamental variety of fish is ideal for large garden ponds. They grow up to 30 inches, obviously needing more space. Compared to other fish, koi are a little aggressive and tend to dig out plants.

However, the beautiful colors and symmetrical bodies of these fish overcome all these flaws. Koi females are prettier than the males, as the males get thinner as they grow. You do not have to worry about bringing new koi fish every couple of years, as they have a life span of 35 years.

Orfe

Most of the fish like to be underwater, hidden from everyone's view. However, orfes are an exception to it. They like to spend most of their time on the surface of the water, which makes them easily visible.

They grow up to 30 cm long and live up to 30 years, if taken good care of. These pond fish love company, so it is better to bring 4-6 orfes at a time. They need well-oxygenated water, which is why they do not survive easily in small ponds.

Rudd

These are the commonly-found, small, silver-colored fish. They grow only up to 15 cm long. Like orfes, rudd also prefer to live in shoals, so buy 4-6 six rudds at a time. Unlike other types of fish, rudds do not need large ponds, they can easily survive even in small ones.

Besides these species, species like tench, sticklebacks, sterlets are also perfect for a garden pond. If you want to have fish as pets, then sterlets are the best for you as they get tamed easily. So, now that you know all about the pond fish types, you can get your favorite ones from the given list.