outdoor pond question?

[d1anonly22]

so i want an outdoor pond but dont want koi, what would i have to do to get better fish in there, how big and anything special? i would love cichlids in a pond but dont know if that could work. i live in visalia california, by fresno. its pretty hot here during the summer. :help:

[cris gaston]

Hi. Depends on your purpose and size of pond. If you don't want KOI you may opt for their smaller cousins shubunkin or comet goldfish. Cichlids are fine but won't show themselves as easily as the goldfish. If the pond is small, you may think of a variety of live bearers like mollies, platies and guppies. Good luck.

[OldMan47]

I keep my livebearers in a 150 gallon tub outdoors about 6 months of the year. Since the water here gets very hard in winter, the other 6 months are not really suitable for tropical or subtropical fish. In Fresno you might get away with things like goodeids for 9 or more months a year. You would be surprised at how much better the fish look after a summer camping out.