Can I keep fancy Goldfish in my pond without a heater?

[Lenimph]

My dad and are almost done setting up our 200gal pond in the backyard (dad just want's to do a bit more of stone work to hide the waterfall weir better). It's a bit more then 3' deep and I live in the San Fernando valley so I know I don't have to worry about the pond freezing over in winter but it does get pretty cold sometimes at night in December and January (40-50F). Summer gets really hot too but we picked the coolest/shadiest spot for the pond so that shouldn't be a problem.

I've read that Ryukins and Fantails are sturdier then other fancies, but my local fish shop just got some Panda Telescopes that I am just in love with and I do want some for the pond. So basically am I going to need a heater or will the warmer bottom water get them through the winter nights.

Also is there a way I could use an extra aquarium heater to warm up the pond instead of getting a new pond heater if I need one?

[Fishguy2727]

In general I wouldn't recommend fancies in water that cool, but some people have had success overwintering fancies (and many, probably MANY more have failed).

In general, yes, the less fancy the goldfish is the hardier it is.

[Scrup]

IMO they will be fine. I had two black moors and a Ryukin overwinter in colorado just fine. Water was frozen over for weeks at a time except for a 2" breathing hole in the mid. In the end the racoons were the only thing that got them. :(

For the most part as long as the water is liquid and has surface agitation the goldfish will be fine. I think where some people run into problems is feeding them when the water is below 50F. Don't do that. They will be fine until it warms up.

[RainbowDragon28]

I the same problem last year with the racoons.

[janeskid]

IMO they will be fine. I had two black moors and a Ryukin overwinter in colorado just fine. Water was frozen over for weeks at a time except for a 2" breathing hole in the mid. In the end the racoons were the only thing that got them. :(

For the most part as long as the water is liquid and has surface agitation the goldfish will be fine. I think where some people run into problems is feeding them when the water is below 50F. Don't do that. They will be fine until it warms up.

This has been my experience, except for the raccoon, in the high deserts of Nevada. We've a venturi that sucks in some air and keeps a breathing hole down to below 20°F. We have found it quite important not feeding below 50°F. Our fancy calicos seem tougher than black moors outside and inside for some reason.

[-Alex-]

Yep nothing too fancy... Long tails is fine but deformed weird looking bodies is a no no (It might work but more risky).

Iv kept fancy and comets in my pond for 2 years now no problem. During winter i pour the kettle over the ice to make a hole (Pond needs to be deep if you have very cold winters).
I just use a net to keep the animals away from them (I removed it for the vid)
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[smaug]

I have successfully kept moors and fancys but not telescopes in my pond,both the 150 and 2500 gallon. I'm in Pa and our winters are far harsher then yours. The winter water temp stays around 35 to 39 deg f for months on end,all I do is keep my skimmer and falls going to keep open water.