please help me!!!

[stickle]

Hi,
i need some help really...I have a very small pond in my garden about 1.5m length x .5m wide and about 1m deep. I will have a waterfall into it ...(hopefully!!) and i am wondering what fish to put in it...
I have some gold fish, minnows and gudgin in a tank so really wanted to avoid them and wanted something different.
I also have some spotted puffers..(which are great!!!)

Iwas thinking about having Sticklebacks. What do you experts recon? I have found out that they are fairly agressive so do i only have them? How many?and are they a good fish to have? Would i see them?At the local aquatic centre ...they said they were horrible fish and were diseased? Which makes me a bit concerned as the cat drinks the pond water!!! I've looked all over the net but can't find out any info....

Please help!!!!

 

[ryan]

Wild caight fish will carry diseases put if you can find captive ones I would say other than the common Three spined Stickleback you could also try the Ten spined Stickleback (Pungitius pungitius). They are great fish and will readily breed in a species pond. You may not see them as much as a large Goldfish or something but if you look you can see them darting around. Best of luck.

 

[stickle]

Thanks for responding...But can i have both types (3 and 10 spined in together) How many do you think i should put in the pond? Are they ok with frogs and such like?

I've heard that they are agressive so you shouldn't put goldfish in the same pond etc... is this true?

Any other advice is greatly appreciated?

 

[ryan]

Thanks for responding...But can i have both types (3 and 10 spined in together) How many do you think i should put in the pond? Are they ok with frogs and such like?

I've heard that they are agressive so you shouldn't put goldfish in the same pond etc... is this true?

Any other advice is greatly appreciated?

Keepnig the species together should be fine although I have no personal experience in doing so. Keep one male to two females at first as they will readily breed. They do become aggressive when breeding but Goldfish can normally with stand it in a pond enviroment with plenty of hiding spaces etc. IME Pungitius pungitius is more aggressive and tends to occupy a larger terriotry.

 

[stickle]

So are you saying to ONLY get one male and two females...and wait for them to breed?...if they breed like bunnies how will they know when to stop?!?!? I.e. when the pond has too many fish!

I think the 3 spined are quite colourful and it'll be a bit different. I don't think i'll put anyother type of fish in though coz if the Stickles have a go at the goldfish i'd feel very guilty!!! It's like yesterday i lost my Gudgen...'Fudge' It was a very sad day!

And i know i keep asking...if my cat drinks the water she won't get berry berry?!? ?

How big do they get any ways? Will they suck my fingers

 

[ryan]

Generally 1-2". The cat is very unlikely to catch anything from the water. I was advising that ratio as they will readily breed. However, you can fit two males into that space. The population will be controlled naturally by pond creatures and the fry and other fish themselves.

 

[stickle]

Thanks for your help with this subject.

I think i will get six fish, 3, 3 spined (1 male, 2 females) and 3, 10 spined (1 male, 2 females) Do you think that's ok?..I know i can get the 3 spined in the shop near me...but not sure if they sell the 10 spined..i'll have to ask. What do i feed them on? I don't think i'll get goldfish with them though. It's the males that are colourful isn't it?

At least with Sticklebacks it's quite a native pond, frogs will be ok in there won't they? Any other ideas or things i should know?

What have you got in your pond?

 

[ryan]

Sounds like a good plan, Sticklebacks need live food, most of which they will find in an established pond but it is a good idea to feed other live foods like bloodworms you could also try flakes as some of mine will now take them from the surface so you may be able to see them more by doing this.

I have four ponds,

6000g Koi pond
10,000g Koi pond
50g Wildlife Pond
500g Breeding/quarantine

Here are some of my Koi

 

[stickle]

Wow your Koi look fab!!! Really colourful!...makes my stickles (when i get them) seem mezzley!

Do you breed them? successfully?

So what have you got in your wildlife pond? I answered another thred about newts also...how do you encourage them? Or can you buy them?

If my pond only had the one level...which plants are best? I'm going to get a small water lilly and obviously oxgenating weed...anything else you can recommend?

As for food... getting and keepin live food will be difficult..how often should i give them live food?

 

[ryan]

They can find live food in an established pond for themselves, you can store frozen bloodworms and daphina and feed them that. I have breed Sticklebacks and Koi.

It is illegal to move most newt species from one enviroment to another so unless you attract them to your pond you are out of luck. I have frogs and toads in my wildlife pond and hopefully I will have some Sticklebacks in there this summer.

Try a pygmy lillie and some floating plants like Water Lettuces or Water Hyacinths or maybe even some frogbit.

Check out my new thread 'My Koi ponds and some Koi' to see more pics (in this forum).

 

[stickle]

You seem to favour 10 spined, have you not kept three spined?..or do you not like them?...So have you any fish in your wildlife pond at the moment? Are you in the process of getting some new fish for the summer?

I have looked at your photos and you fish are great..how long have you been a serious fish keeper?

I can only really have a baby pond in my garden as it is only small, but i think it will look good when it is finished. A Herb garden to the left, a waterfall in the middle and a rockery to the right!

Thank you for you help with this topic at least you've answered some of my questions......i just know that if they are aggressive and have spines ... my boyfriend can clean the pond out!!!!!!

 

[ryan]

Good idea to get him to clean it out.

I have kept both species of Sticklebacks and favour neither one, both are great little fish but as most people haven't heard of the ten spinned species I always try to mention it as a good alternative or aswell as the three spinned. I am hoping to stock my pond this summer with minnows and stickleback. I have been keeping Koi for about 7-8 years, two years seriously. I also have coldwater tanks inside with Garra Pingi Pingi, Weather Loaches, Bitterling, Red Shinners, Rosy red minnows, golden minnows................