Pondfish

A pond is incomplete without some sort of fish in it. Not only do fish add the extra dimension of movement to the pool they also help keep mosquitoes and other insects under control by eating their larvae. Here at The Aquatic Habitat we stock a wide range of pondfish, and if you don't want goldfish there are plenty of others to choose from.
As a general guide we suggest a stocking level of 3 inches of fish per square foot of pond area. Remember to allow for the ultimate size of the fish when calculating this.

Goldfish - As well as the standard "gold" goldfish, over the years breeders have developed a number of different goldfish varieties, these include Canary - yellow, Sarasa - red or red & white, Shubunkin - multicoloured.
Other varieties such as wakins (goldfish with a double tail) are also suitable, but we do not recommend keeping the more fancy round bodied goldfish such as moors, orandas or fantails in an outdoor pond.

Koi - for more information on these large ornamental carp please see the separate koi page.

Orfe - Most commonly available as Golden Orfe, a bright orangy yellow fish, but other colour varieties (e.g. blue) are available. These large, shoaling fish are not suitable for small ponds, as they require well oxygenated water, but make a splendid addition to well oxygenated medium & large ponds.

Rudd - Similar in appearance to orfe & like orfe they require a well oxygenated pond. Rudd do not grow quite as large as orfe. The most common colour variety for ornamental ponds is the golden rudd. Golden rudd are a much darker golden brown colour than golden orfe. Silver rudd are also sometimes available.

Tench - available in green & golden forms, these bottom dwelling fish are reputed to be good at keeping a pond clean, but in practice, although they will scavenge some uneaten food, they are certainly not a necessity. Tench can grow large and are therefore unsuited to very small ponds.

Sticklebacks - A native fish ideal for wildlife ponds, but best not kept in ornamental ponds with goldfish or other ornamental fish, due to their aggressive & territorial nature, and because of the risk of cross infection.

Sterlets & Sturgeon We do not stock or recommend these fish for ornamental ponds. They grow very large, require cool, fast flowing, highly oxygenated water. Their unusual scales make them very prone to entanglement in blanket weed.