Can Plecos Survive In An Outside Pond?

[WillyRBeek]

I have an outside pond, and I have quite a bit of algae in it, and i've been considering adding a pleco if they can survive. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada, so I don't live in what you'd consider a "warm" climate. Basically my question is: Can pleco's survive in cold water, and, would they be able to survive the winter, when the pond would be frozen over?

 

[nmonks]

Tropical fish do fine in temperate zone ponds during summer, provided the water temperature stays above 18C. Below that, they suffer and die quickly. So overwintering them anywhere other than the tropics is impossible.

Cheers, Neale

 

[WillyRBeek]

That's what I thought, but I wasn't completely sure.

Thanks for clearing that up.

Is there any type of algae eater I could get that could survive a winter?

 

[nmonks]

Yes... goldfish and koi, both of which are major algae eaters and should be getting a lot of green food in their diet.

If you have a serious algae problem in a pond, like blanketweed or green water, then adding a fish isn't a cure. You'll need to investigate other solutions, such as UV sterilisers and better water quality management.

Cheers, Neale

Is there any type of algae eater I could get that could survive a winter?