Pond stocking

[leni]

Bit of a late responce but we built our pond a year ago almost to the day! It's about 600 gallons and over stocked TBH - Overly excited when we first got the pond and bought too many fish!

We started with 5 goldies, then added 5 koi, then 2 sterlets, then 2 more bigger koi, then 2 comets, then 3 more koi!

We gave 4 goldies away about 2 months back (would have given 5 but couldn't catched the 5th!)

Then a sterlet got caught in blanket weed and died!

Then one of the bigger koi (8") got a cut on it's lower lip that got infected and he died very quickly!

Leaving us with

1 x Goldie
2 x commets
5 x 6" koi
3 x 7" koi
1 x 8"koi
1 x 7" sterlet

They've all grown so much in a year! the sterlet was 4" when we bought him last september!

We are either planning a bigger pond when they get a little bigger or giving them away

 

[fishwatcher]

Also, remember that they you may also have babies. You may want to leave a little extra room for them. I typically end up with 1 each year that makes it without being eaten.
Also, I did it the "idiots" way. I bought and installed the pond, turned on the pump that has a filter bag around it along with a UV sterilizer, added water from a hose, 2 days later added a few plants and threw in the fish. I've only lost 1 fish in the 6 years I've had it and that was from a rogue cat. Once a year I do a thorough cleaning by removing the fish and vac/bailing out the water then scraping the bottom and sides. I fill it back up and put the fish back in it with a couple of cups worth of old sludge off the bottom.
I don't know if it's the best way, but they seem healthy and happy. I've never had a sick one yet (knock on wood!). I'm almost scared to test it for fear it will show something and then I'll start messing with it and kill them all. I think sometimes leaving things to nature is better than being overly involved.
Anyways, if you buy off ebay at all, it's a great place to get pond plants!
You will no doubt love the pond... it's so nice to sit out by it and watch them. Just a different perspective than an aquarium.