dreamermama
New Member
Hi! I have at least two goldfish that I need to find a new home for. They are 3 and 4-inch commons and are much too large now for their small tank (kids brought them home from a pool party last summer). We cannot set up a bigger tank for them.
I know a couple that will take them off our hands and put them in their small hobby pond. They admit that since they inherited this pond with the house, they do not put much effort into it, and they will not worry whether our fish do okay or not. They do run a filter throughout the warm months, put in certain additives I think for the water, and they do attend to the plants as necessary, but they DO NOT feed the fish at all. They just have goldfish as far as I know. Their fish make do eating what is available from the plants, etc. There are two levels to the pond and both of the deepest sections are 20-24 inches. Their fish survived the winter and have had babies.
My questions are:
1. Since our fish have been pets, they are used to being fed 2 x a day. Will they have a hard time adjusting to finding food on their own?
2. There will be a big water quality and temp difference. Our tank is unheated but as it is only 5 gal. it rises to room temp which in the kitchen is a warm 74 degrees Fehrenheit. The pond water must be considerably colder, as the outdoor temps get down to freezing at night here still, and it is often only around 40 F during the day (although today is 60F). Is there anything I should do to prepare them for the difference in water? I read elsewhere online about getting a bucket and filling it partway with their tank water, then adding a small amount of pond water. Then keep adding pond water over several hours. But the article didn't state if that was it and after those hours to put the fish in the pond or do anything else. We do care about them and want to give them the best chance.
Thanks!
I know a couple that will take them off our hands and put them in their small hobby pond. They admit that since they inherited this pond with the house, they do not put much effort into it, and they will not worry whether our fish do okay or not. They do run a filter throughout the warm months, put in certain additives I think for the water, and they do attend to the plants as necessary, but they DO NOT feed the fish at all. They just have goldfish as far as I know. Their fish make do eating what is available from the plants, etc. There are two levels to the pond and both of the deepest sections are 20-24 inches. Their fish survived the winter and have had babies.
My questions are:
1. Since our fish have been pets, they are used to being fed 2 x a day. Will they have a hard time adjusting to finding food on their own?
2. There will be a big water quality and temp difference. Our tank is unheated but as it is only 5 gal. it rises to room temp which in the kitchen is a warm 74 degrees Fehrenheit. The pond water must be considerably colder, as the outdoor temps get down to freezing at night here still, and it is often only around 40 F during the day (although today is 60F). Is there anything I should do to prepare them for the difference in water? I read elsewhere online about getting a bucket and filling it partway with their tank water, then adding a small amount of pond water. Then keep adding pond water over several hours. But the article didn't state if that was it and after those hours to put the fish in the pond or do anything else. We do care about them and want to give them the best chance.
Thanks!