90 Gallon Mini Pond Stocking Ideas

[Slightly Psycho Aquatics]

Hey ya'll, so I've recently been looking at a 90 gallon mini pond. It's a 4ft x 4ft square with about a foot of depth, which holds about 90 gallons. I have seen these ponds used for goldfish, but I have always wanted something like an oscar. I was thinking maybe 2 oscars given that most people would keep 2 in a 100 gallon tank, and this pond has a larger footprint than a 100 gallon. Does that sound good? Do you guys know of any other fish that could go with or without the oscars? I'd prefer not to mix fish that would swim at different levels of the pond given it's a lot shorter than your average 90 gallon. I'm also planning on keeping this pond indoors

 

[Fishnerd360]

I would not suggest oscars, a 90 gallon is only good for 1. Oscars produce lots of waste, also the pond isn’t tall, I don’t think a full grown oscar would want to be touching the substrate just to look up. Maybe a pair of Salvini cichlids would be better, they get colorful so it would be fun to look at them from above.

 

[Slightly Psycho Aquatics]

How about making it a catfish pond, are there any good options there?

 

[Fishnerd360]

There are lots of options, school of pictus, giant school of pygmy cories would be cool, school of other cories, in my opinion any catfish that gets 7 inches at the max and are active schoolers would look great in a pond.

 

[Backfromthedead]

I would say it is too shallow for oscars. Not a lot of water volume for big fish either.

 

[Backfromthedead]

How about making it a catfish pond, are there any good options there?

I would be tempted to try pike cichlids in a tank like that.

I really like catfish tank idea.

Planted with a huge group of cories would be nice.

Pictus shoal would work too. You could actually do some of the larger pims like ornatus or blochii in a tank like that. Almost any syno cat would work too.

 

[duanes]

The problem I have found with tiny ponds of less than 300 gallons, is the way water temps swing, the fluctuations can be hard on strickly tropical species.
Even in the midwest (when I lived there) during the summer, daytime water temps could soar into the 90s'F but dip into the 60sF at night.
I had a 55 gal tank on the patio, and to stabilize water temps, I used a 1500gal pond as a sump.


If you must have cichlids (depending on your location) , some of the more temperate species that experience these type fluctuations on a regular basis in nature would be your best bet.
The Herichthys genus from northern Mexico come to mind, I kept carpintus in those conditions.
Although their coloration that is striking from the side view in a tank, often makes them disappear in a pond situation.

The temperate climate Uruguayan cichlids did well in my ponds spring thru early fall in Wisconsin

Above Gymnogeophagus quilero in the pond.
Below Australoheros sp"red ceibal" spawning in my 1500 gallon pond (you can see one upper right).

Have also had luck with the Geophagus braziliensus group, being from southern Brazil, where temps are less than tropical .

 

[Slightly Psycho Aquatics]

Thanks for the ideas. I really like the pike cichlid idea, but what type are we talking about? The 7 inch kind or the foot-long zebra pike?

 

[Backfromthedead]

Thanks for the ideas. I really like the pike cichlid idea, but what type are we talking about? The 7 inch kind or the foot-long zebra pike?

I was thinking more like the medium sized pikes like saxatilis, proteus, belly crawler or similar. Zebrina can get pretty large for 90 gallons, but i dont think theyre out of the question.

Like duanes said a group of geophagus could work well in that tank too.