goldfish pond question

B

britta6867

AC Members
May 27, 2004
76
0
0
58
oklahoma
Visit site
i live in oklahoma.at my college today i saw that the yardkeeper has put a pond in a middle of a garden.in that pond were 6 large goldfish.i think the max size of that pond was 40gallons but i might be exaturating.i always wondered how do people keep ponds cooled off during the summer?i know from sticking my finger in the pondwater,that it was extremly warm(daytime temps outdoors are in the upper 90's down here)and that other than a small waterfall i saw nothing(no filters,pumps,etc)
i was just kind off wondering what your opinion is before i start complaining to the college.
thanks
 
if you can try using a thermometer. but i havent really seen one that is too hot 'cuz the ground USUALLY keeps them cooled off. I think they would just use a chiller i dont really know.
 
In most areas of the US, it does get hot in the summer time. This is why many of us who have ponds have larger ponds. I can’t imagine how those fish are surviving if the space we are talking about is 40 gallons. :confused:

That is way overstocked, and I'd be curious as to what temperature that pond reaches during mid-day. :eek:

Most of us pond keepers do not use chillers. In fact, I do not know anyone who has a pond and uses an aquarium chiller. For a large pond, it would just be too costly, and not very practical. A combination of shade and aeration (fountains, water falls, etc.) cools the pond more than most realize.
 
thanks guys
i wasn't sure at first but now i know i must complain to the college.i know that before i turn my airconditioners back on around 10 am, my fishtanks are already at 80 degrees.i can just imagine the heat these goldfish have to endure.around here it doesn't cool off that much and night temps do not drop below75 degrees.thanks again for your opinions
 
First off, I doubt anybody would waste their time digging/lining a 40 gallon pond. That's like 3 shovels full of dirt... ridiculously small. I seriously hope you're just misjudging the size of it.... or it's deeper than you think... or something. I mean, even a 2ft square cube holds almost 60 gallons.

Second, shade helps... that waterfall obviously is powered by something, and that moving water helps... and an easy solution to provide shade and spruce up the pond a bit would be floating plants. Something like duckweed or hyacinth will grow fast and provide shade and shelter.

Seriously though, please take a tape measure or just measure it in paces or something. A 40 gallon pond would be a barely noticable hole, and I can't see why anybody would waste their time building it. :confused:

edit: bad math the first time
Volume in gal = LxWxH (in ft) * 7.481
2' * 2' * 2' = 8 * 7.481 = 59.44gal
 
Last edited:
What size do you consider to be big gold fish? I currently have 7 former feeders that are now about 5 inches long. They are doing fine in a 50 gallon pond in south Louisiana. I would imagine that the water gets close 85 degrees or higher on a daily basis. I find that the concept of goldfish not being able to tolerate high temperatures to be over rated. I find that they actually do better in warm water than cold water.
 
how big was the pond, 40 gallons is about a foot by 2 feet by a foot and a half deep. was there any shade? if there was some it could stay pretty cool. even a foot deeper into the water it feels atleast 15 degrees cooler.
 
Originally posted by clayt101
What size do you consider to be big goldfish?
Click to expand...

I (personally) consider a "big goldfish" a fully grown Goldfish.

Originally posted by clayt101
I currently have 7 former feeders that are now about 5 inches long.
Click to expand...

I am not sure how old they are and/or how frequently they hit a "growth spurt" type of deal, but if they stay 5 inches then they are stunted. This is probably because of the 50 gallons they are in (many believe commons should have 50 gallons each).

Goldfish can handle mini heat waves, but as for them "doing well" in 85+ degree water, that is a different story.
 
goldfish grow really quickly when young, then they slow down after 3-4 years only growing 4in or so a year.

50gallons each for commons is about right, any less the fish can get stunted.

feeder goldfish don't seem to grow as big a a pure breed goldfish, which can reach 12"+.

goldfish can stand high temperatures, for short periods, if for long periods they grow a lot quicker and die a lot younger.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom