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I have a 150-gallon stock tank pond which holds about 130 or so gallons of water. My filtration system is a 320gph pump hooked up to a home-made Skippy filter; the skippy is in an approximately 5-gallon planter. In the pond I have:
One RES turtle (about 7 inches long)
A bunch of mosquito fish- breeding like crazy, I am going to give some away.
A bunch of plants- the surface of the pond is almost entirely covered in plants, and there are plants growing in the filter too.
My water is tested every week and so far it stays completely in the clear. There was a day, about three weeks into the pond project, that I had high nitrites, but I did a partial water change then and since have had no problems at all. The water is clear to the bottom. I do have string algae but I am fighting that with barley straw.
My best friend has offered me two large goldfish, comets about 6 inches long. Do I have room for these fish? I know goldfish can be pretty dirty. So far the dirtiest thing in my pond is the plant life- the plants create more waste than the turtle or the mosquito fish! I know they also oxygenate the water, though, and keep the quality good, so I'm not too bothered by that.
I want the goldfish because they are too big for the turtle to eat (I hope) but something that he can chase around and interact with if he so chooses. I know they will also help to keep my plants in check, as the plants are getting really overgrown.
The mosquito fish have great big appetites- they eat my turtles leftovers and keep the pond free of mosquito larva.
Do you think I have room for these fish to live in the pond without screwing up the balance and health of the water?
One RES turtle (about 7 inches long)
A bunch of mosquito fish- breeding like crazy, I am going to give some away.
A bunch of plants- the surface of the pond is almost entirely covered in plants, and there are plants growing in the filter too.
My water is tested every week and so far it stays completely in the clear. There was a day, about three weeks into the pond project, that I had high nitrites, but I did a partial water change then and since have had no problems at all. The water is clear to the bottom. I do have string algae but I am fighting that with barley straw.
My best friend has offered me two large goldfish, comets about 6 inches long. Do I have room for these fish? I know goldfish can be pretty dirty. So far the dirtiest thing in my pond is the plant life- the plants create more waste than the turtle or the mosquito fish! I know they also oxygenate the water, though, and keep the quality good, so I'm not too bothered by that.
I want the goldfish because they are too big for the turtle to eat (I hope) but something that he can chase around and interact with if he so chooses. I know they will also help to keep my plants in check, as the plants are getting really overgrown.
The mosquito fish have great big appetites- they eat my turtles leftovers and keep the pond free of mosquito larva.
Do you think I have room for these fish to live in the pond without screwing up the balance and health of the water?
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