Freshwater, Help me look good and impress a co-worker =)

[cdeakle]

Doesn't appear to be alot of traffic in the freshwater forum so I posted this here in addition to there in hopes to get a quicker response:

I know nothing of freshwater fish. I'm strictly a salt guy. I have a co-worker that knows I'm into fish and wanted to know If I could find an answer for her question.

She wanted to know what if any other fish can she keep in her Koi pond and what other fish would fair well through the winter and summers.

Help me look good and impress a co-worker LOL Thanks...

 

[Anonymous]

How large is the pond and where does she live?
In an outdoor Koi pond, you're pretty much stuck with Koi if you want them to live through the winter outdoors. Certain other things might do OK, like sunfish and such, but they don't look like anthing form above. It's all about what they look like from above, thus - koi.

Jim

 

[Anonymous]

FYI, the FW thread is:
http://reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=52336

reply there instead.

 

[Anonymous]

If your Koi are very large perhaps you can keep some crayfish (commonly called Electric Blue lobster) in with them. The Koi should be at least a foot long unless you want the lobster to pick at them and potentially eat them. You might be able to get away with some very large apple snails if you live in a warm climate (didn't look).

But if you stock additional fish or invertebrates you will most likely run up against the problem of indigenous wildlife preying on them, especially the snails.

 

[Anonymous]

Not much with large Koi...maybe some trout if you could get a hold of one :wink: So Hwarang and Jim are on the money

 

[Mouse]

Ive allready said it in the FW forum, but a mate of mine just put his huge 2 foot bristlenose catfish in with his Koi, after allot of aclimatisation.

 

[jandree22]

goldfish from walmart do just fine

 

[Anonymous]

I'd just put some bass or sunfish in there, then you can fish for them too when they get a little bigger. Nothing beats fresh pan fried bluegill.
Trout would need a chiller and lots of circulation or a fountain to keep the oxygen levels up, but they are very colorfull.

 

[Anonymous]

It depends on where they live..yes trout are considered coldwater with respect to bass however i do people that keep trout in ponds very easily...since im assuming in the Wash state area, a chiller would not be needed even in the summer...

 

[Anonymous]

Also would depend on the type of trout too I suppose. I am building a pond in my backyard this summer and I have been thinking about putting some trout in it. I would like to keep brook trout, but they require cold water, less than 60' would be optimal, but browns can tolerate up to low to mid 70's for short periods of time. You would need a decent size pond to keep browns in, although I would eat mine before they got too big. Here in Michigan, a smaller pond would heat up in no time during the summer, so I am thinking bluegill or bass will be what I stock it with. Part of the reason I am even digging one out is so I can teach my son to flyfish in a couple years, and bluegills will bite at anything.

 

[Anonymous]

Depends on the size of the pond too..That is a very important issue..Im willing to bet Brookies wouldnt live too long...I live in N. Nevada and i catch all these types of fish...There is a pond i fish that is stocked with Rainbows...I think they'll tolerate fairly well in a decent sized pond...