Read About Types of Pond Fish

There are many types of pond fish to choose from when you are deciding how to stock your pond. The two most popular types of pond fish are goldfish and their distant cousins, the Koi. In addition to the gold, there are other colors too such as yellow-gold varieties called Canaries, white ones called Pearles and the spotted ones are known as Orioles. Other types of pond fish that are related to the goldfish are Shubunkins, Fantails and Comets. Most outdoor pond fish are the freshwater type that can handle varied water temperatures; the tropical and saltwater fish are really not suitable fish for a pond. Koi are a member of the carp family and are very popular, primarily because of their large size and their wonderful colors. These fish can be black, white, yellow, blue or red and many have more than one color marking. These can be very expensive or very inexpensive depending on the quality of the fish. These types of pond fish can cohabitate with goldfish like Comets and Shubunkins very well; they also get along well with tropical fish. Koi can live a very long time and can get as large as several feet long. Shubunkins are types of pond fish that are also known as Calico Goldfish. They have long bodies and a single tail, but they come in an amazing variety of colors, including red, brown, blue, yellow and violet. Shubunkins get along well with Koi, but are not as friendly with slow-moving varieties of fish; if you put them with a slower moving fish, it is likely to starve to death as the Shubunkins are not fish who like to share. Other types of pond fish include Comet Goldfish. These are very tough fish and can handle a variety of situations due to weather. Comet Goldfish glean their name from a comet, which is what their long, single tail resembles. These goldfish will grow up to 10 inches long and could live up to 14 years. Whichever types of pond fish you choose, be sure that you get ones that will cohabitate well and that are durable. A general rule of thumb is to have one fish per gallon of water that your pond holds; this will typically keep your pond from being over crowded. Keep in mind that your fish will grow, so you may want to consider one fish for every gallon and a half or two gallons. Also, if this is your first fish pond, you should consider avoiding a fantail population to start with as they are not as duarable as other types of goldfish. Remember, populating a fish pond is not an exact science and it will take time to feel comfortable with what you have. Just enjoy the experience of choosing the types of pond fish you will have in your yard and have fun creating their new habitat.