That depends on where you live and what you can afford for heating. Lol
Or your willingness to house your fish inside over the winter. At that point you can put anything in a pond. It’s just a really big aquarium you view from the top. Or even from the side if you raise it up and put in a window.
Or your willingness to house your fish inside over the winter. At that point you can put anything in a pond. It’s just a really big aquarium you view from the top. Or even from the side if you raise it up and put in a window.
Anything you can keep... you can keep in a pond. It’s temperature that’s hard. My pond is indoors and heated and well insulated.
I have kept Uruguayan cichlids in outdoor ponds in Wisconsin May thru Oct, they did well, even with large temp fluctuations and readily spawned. The northern Mexican species did almost as well, although in a much narrower time window (June thru mid Sept)
Other cichlids from more tropical climates often died during cool spells.
The biggest problem I found, is visibility.
Most natural color species disappear quite easily under any natural conditions, so to see natural colored fish it is often best to have a very unnatural pond floor, if you actually want to see them.
Below is Australoheros sp Red Ceibal, in breeding color preparing to spawn in a shallow section (@6" deep)
Most of the time, they were invisible).
below Gymnogeophagus, seen when the sun hit perfectly
I overwintered all fish and plants Nov thru April because in Wisconsin, even 4 ft depth pond froze almost solidly through
Below Tilapia in a kiddy pool
Predators were also a problem, when ponds were sloped, raccoons had easy fishing, and I would find headless cichlid carcasses on the patio in the morning. So ponds needed to be dug at least 4 ft deep without slope to prevent predation.
Other cichlids from more tropical climates often died during cool spells.
The biggest problem I found, is visibility.
Most natural color species disappear quite easily under any natural conditions, so to see natural colored fish it is often best to have a very unnatural pond floor, if you actually want to see them.
Below is Australoheros sp Red Ceibal, in breeding color preparing to spawn in a shallow section (@6" deep)
Most of the time, they were invisible).
below Gymnogeophagus, seen when the sun hit perfectly
I overwintered all fish and plants Nov thru April because in Wisconsin, even 4 ft depth pond froze almost solidly through
Below Tilapia in a kiddy pool
Predators were also a problem, when ponds were sloped, raccoons had easy fishing, and I would find headless cichlid carcasses on the patio in the morning. So ponds needed to be dug at least 4 ft deep without slope to prevent predation.
Many people in South Africa have kept swordtails ,guppies and platies, heating in some areas simply pumps water thru a black hose on the ground, the sun heats the hose and the water in the winter.
Here are some fish that could work if you can obtain them:
Most North American killifish
Studfish
Nile tilapia
Geophagus
Hoplo catfish
Most plecos
Silver dollars
Rainbowfish
Tarpon
Clown knifefish
Basically anything can be kept in a pond, and since your in s. Af heating isn't much problem, so you can keep pretty much any fish, freshwater, brackish, saltwater, tropical or temperate.
Here are some fish that could work if you can obtain them:
Most North American killifish
Studfish
Nile tilapia
Geophagus
Hoplo catfish
Most plecos
Silver dollars
Rainbowfish
Tarpon
Clown knifefish
Basically anything can be kept in a pond, and since your in s. Af heating isn't much problem, so you can keep pretty much any fish, freshwater, brackish, saltwater, tropical or temperate.
Wow that is awesome, thanks for the advice!
Just setup my guppy pond with hornwort, duckweed and water lillies. Also dosed stability and prime. Cant wait to start breeding!
Just setup my guppy pond with hornwort, duckweed and water lillies. Also dosed stability and prime. Cant wait to start breeding!
Nothing much guys, only a 15gallon tub
I dosed stability and prime for 3 days. Can I start adding fish? Its about 23degrees but the rain really made the temp drop to 14degrees.
I dosed stability and prime for 3 days. Can I start adding fish? Its about 23degrees but the rain really made the temp drop to 14degrees.