what besides mosquito fish and goldfish can you put in a pond?

[Cory Catfish]

Probably the best option for you is some comet goldfish (those feeders you see at the store) They will reproduce like crazy + they are very hardy.

[metal-otaku]

A red tailed catfish. Get about 4 ft long and would need a tropical temperature 1000 gal tank all to itself. About the koi,it has been recomended to you in the past that the koi need rehomed. I'm a bit confused why you have decided to keep them?

My preference to keep them. as my cousin who keeps them in both his ponds believes they will be fine in the 300. as he keeps 4 in a 500 with goldfish and mosquito fish, plus another 8 in his 1000 with goldfish and mosquito fish, and all have been healthy. and grown fine in both of his started the same size as ours and all are a foot or more now. we don't plan to get more than the 2. or put any other big fish in ours unlike his.

just because it's been recommended, doesn't mean i have to do it. it's a suggestion i can take into account. just like i'm taking into account the suggestions of fish people have. doesn't mean i'll get all of them or any of them. as i do believe so far most are larger fish that have been suggested. and i'm looking for smaller fish.

it is also why i didn't originally post about having any fish other than the mosquito fish as it's the ones i wish to replace.

@corycatfish- i'm not looking for a large fish for the pond as the comets would be. i'm looking for a tiny 3" or less fish.

[smaug]

You certainly can do exactly as you wish . I will also bring to light the facts of the situation so that you know that it is poor practice and mistreatment to keep fish that should reach 3 ft long in a pond that is too small. It doesn't matter that you know people who are massively overstocking there ponds,that does not mean they are keeping them well.

[Lady Hobbs]

Advise is often not taken here and that's totally up to the member if he wants to listen to it or not. But if we see something that is blantly wrong, we will also recommend another course to take to prevent problems later on.

We also see here that someone will ask if they can have 7 comets in a 20 gallon tank and someone is sure to answer........"yes you can. I do." Does that mean it's ok because someone else does?

We're not here to make people feel good and agree with bad decisions. We are here to help. But take it or leave it is up to you.

[metal-otaku]

if he was that over stocked i think they would've been stunted which they don't appear to have been. you can dislike my setup, but it is what it is. and i'm choosing not to change it. and taking other advice from someone i feel is plenty experienced with ponds. as he's had them for as long as i've been alive almost. which again is my choice.

and i'm not asking anyone to agree with my decisions. i'm just saying i'm not changing them. nor do i have to. i'd rather state it, so it's known that yes i've been told by such it doesn't need to be continually repeated while other things are buried that i am looking to change. again that's why i didn't bring up my two koi fish in my op as it has been told already that i should remove them. but i'm not going to. i'd rather that info not keep being repeated and i get answers to my other questions instead.

my question was more general, though i'm looking specifically to find a 3" or less long fish that can live in a pond. though asking the general question what else can live in a pond is a nice way to get ideas of fish to look at.

[Lady Hobbs]

And so is Smaug..... also with a pond, with years of experience and with goldfish, koi and many others. Do as you wish.

[metal-otaku]

and i'm taking his advice the same way someone on the rep forum who gave me advice about feeding my pets the contradicted what my vet told me about feeding me pets. and they didn't like that i choose to follow the information from my vet, over their advice. (they claimed to also be a vet.)

i have both family relationship with my other source of info, plus first hand experience with his ways. as i help with his ponds when i visit. and because of him that i got started in gardening and the want of a pond. and he went so far as to unload one on me that he was draining as it was to far from the house in the back yard for his liking. (even though i just wanted the plants the jerk not the fish. now i'm stuck with the mosquito fish.)

i will say i do appercaite that smaug didn't follow that persons model as to call my vet who is also a close friend, a stupid moron. and has taken the time to answer a few questions i have posed, even though beating a dead horse still in between. and even gone so far as to give more info on it, more than asked but still nice (the rtc question is what i'm referring too).

and i also appercaite the questions answered and info given from others too.

[smaug]

Well then,the direct answer to the op is this. You should not add any new fish to an already overstocked pond. Out of curiosity about your relatives pond,how big are the koi and how old are they?

[metal-otaku]

Well then,the direct answer to the op is this. You should not add any new fish to an already overstocked pond. Out of curiosity about your relatives pond,how big are the koi and how old are they?

he's had them about 5 years maybe 6 by the time summer is over. the same 12. not sure on the age. when he got them they were 2-3" long. i know 2 are butterfly koi and those are the biggest ones. not including fins, they are probably the closest to the 3ft size, maybe a bit under. and i know 3 are closer to just over a foot. the rest fall in between.

[smaug]

The 2 to 3 ft ones are right where they should be. Any koi 5 or 6 yrs of age kept properly should be well over 2ft,the stds should actually be bigger then most butterflys. As has already been stated do what you want.