Convict in pond

[zenyoungkoh]

Texas cichlids are not uncommon, maybe can be found at your LFS

as to legality, you didn't say he built the pond, you said he had a pond . . . granted, you said it was private, but some states/locales still won't let you put non-native or invasive fish into local waters . . .

I suggested he check the legality to make sure he can stock the pond as he wishes, because if it turns out he can't, the fines can be steep

ignorance is bliss, but it's no excuse

My LFS sucks. but anyway paperwork is his problem not mine. btw will convict juvi-fry make good bait fish?

 

[AOmonsta]

How about fish from Uruguay, Chile or Argentina. They lie on the same line of latitude as so cal, so the climates should be similar.

Not a 100% sure though. Also I don't know of many cichlid's that far south in South America.

 

[EdCal]

I have an outdoor pond in socal. Tropical fish will not survive socal winters. winter nights can be in the 40s making my pond water temperature in the hi 40s to low 50s. I had a 14" common pleco and a 10 Texas cichlid survive all summer and fall but died during the winter.

 

[ExoticGREEN]

at night would be destructive

 

[zenyoungkoh]

I have an outdoor pond in socal. Tropical fish will not survive socal winters. winter nights can be in the 40s making my pond water temperature in the hi 40s to low 50s. I had a 14" common pleco and a 10 Texas cichlid survive all summer and fall but died during the winter.

what if its in ground 3-4 ft deep? Im gonna try with convicts first, if they survive i'lll try fish that tolerate about the same temp

 

[Citrinellus]

I have an outdoor pond in socal. Tropical fish will not survive socal winters. winter nights can be in the 40s making my pond water temperature in the hi 40s to low 50s. I had a 14" common pleco and a 10 Texas cichlid survive all summer and fall but died during the winter.

How large was your pond? A larger pond (few thousand gallons) is going to lose heat slower then a few hundred gallon pond.

 

[kingdazer1]

Oscars if there large will survive, very easy to catch with a rod n reel. best are sunfish.and convicts breed heavily and you'll almost never run out. but almost all cichlids will need some type of heater in the winter or you'll get casualties. just a mere set back considering you're fishing it. id breed the convicts and try it out but don't forget to add them in the spring as to acclimate them to the pond .I believe there is nothing the state can do as long as you own the land and there is no chance of the fish spreading to other water sources in case of a flood or heavy rains

 

[kingdazer1]

get a couple solar heaters for a pool and the winter will be just fine.as long as theres no snow.

 

[jaguartooth]

Old thread, but I felt compelled to answer as I own a pond in Thousand Oaks (the same city the OP mentions). This season (my first year with the pond), along with various other tropical fish and two koi, I had two convict pairs that thrived all year (standard and pink) with multiple spawns. Pond is only 1000 gallons and 2.5 feet deep max.

I took out the adult females and left the two males in along with 5-6 batches of spawn (ranging from wrigglers to 2.5 inches). They were fine with no casualties at constant water temp in the low 60s F (2-3 weeks straight), September to October. As the temp dipped to 55-60F for about a couple weeks in early October, the convicts slowed down just a tad, but still no casualties and they were still feeding (Though I now have serious doubts many would have survived at this range for the duration of the season). One night the evening water temp took a sudden plunge (SoCal standards) below 50 (my best guess is around 48 at the lowest). I lost pretty much all of them over two nights with most perishing after the first night . Since then, evening water temps have ranged between 48-58. I expect at least a couple weeks of 45F temps over the next 1.5 months.

So, my conclusion is that most tropical fish will not survive a southern California winter, at least in a small shallow pond like mine. But, dang, they do flourish April to September.