Pond fish: Now available in store –
Following our relatively recent arrival of pond fish, we thought we would create a blog to prepare you to look after some of the pond fish we offer in our store.
So to kick start the blog we are going to go over the Golden Orfe
Golden Orfe
The Golden Orfe fish originates from fast flowing rivers and they require highly oxygenated water at all times. Due to their sociable nature, you should always keep them in groups of five or more but also allow plenty of open space for them to swim around in. When keeping Golden Orfe you preferably want to have a decent current provided by power filtration and remember the high levels of oxygenation are of utmost importance during spells of warmer weather when oxygen levels within the water become quite depleted. If you tend to add medications to the pond be sure to check the medication for copper because the Golden Orfe are very sensitive to the metal. Lastly be aware when keeping a larger specimen of Golden Orfe because they are very capable or eating smaller fish.
Feeding
Pond flakes, pond pellets, pond sticks, live/frozen foods and insects.
Next on our list is the Green Tench
Green Tench
When keeping Green Tench they can be very useful in the pond you keep them in, as they will spend a good deal of time on the bottom, digging through the organic debris that has accumulated, whilst searching for food with their sensory barbels. This not only stirs up the sediment, allowing more of it to be removed by the filtration system but also allows oxygen to reach all areas of the tank. One thing to be careful of is Tench tend to grow very large so they will not be suitable for a small pond. The last thing to remember is that Tench tend to congregate in smaller groups so it’s best to only keep 2-3 in the same pond.
Feeding
When feeding Tench, they prefer foods that sink but over time they will learn to surface for other treats. They eat pond flakes, pond pellets, pond sticks, live/frozen insects will be eagerly taken.
Now with the Blue Orfe, they don’t really differ from the Golden, other than the colour.
Blue Orfe
The Blue Orfe fish originates from fast flowing rivers and they require highly oxygenated water at all times. Due to their sociable nature, you should always keep them in groups of five or more but also allow plenty of open space for them to swim around in. When keeping Blue Orfe you preferably want to have a decent current provided by power filtration and remember the high levels of oxygenation are of utmost importance during spells of warmer weather when oxygen levels within the water become quite depleted. If you tend to add medications to the pond be sure to check the medication for copper because Blue Orfe are very sensitive to the metal. Lastly be aware when keeping a larger specimen of Blue Orfe because they are very capable or eating smaller fish.
Feeding
Pond flakes, pond pellets, pond sticks, live/frozen foods and insects.
Gold Tench
When keeping Gold Tench they can be very useful in the pond you keep them in, as they will spend a good deal of time on the bottom, digging through the organic debris that has accumulated, whilst searching for food with their sensory barbels. This not only stirs up the sediment, allowing more of it to be removed by the filtration system but also allows oxygen to reach all areas of the tank. One thing to be careful of is Tench tend to grow very large so they will not be suitable for a small pond. The last thing to remember is that Tench tend to congregate in smaller groups so it’s best to only keep 2-3 in the same pond.
Feeding
When feeding Tench, they prefer foods that sink but over time they will learn to surface for other treats. They eat pond flakes, pond pellets, pond sticks, live/frozen insects will be eagerly taken.
Large Goldfish
Goldfish are an old favourite for many people and are best kept in a pond situation. Goldfish can also be kept in aquariums and fish tanks with a large surface area for oxygen exchange but they very much appreciate the freedom and space that a garden pond can provide. Given such unrestricted expense and excellent water conditions, the goldfish have been known to grow as large as 60cm (24″) and live for well over 25 years.
Feeding
Pond flakes, pond pellets, pond sticks, frozen/live foods etc. As the water temperature cools down in late Autumn, a lower protein wheatgerm-based food should be fed.
Koi
Koi are always best kept in a pond situation, especially if they are to reach their full growth potential through exercise gained by swimming. The pond they are kept in should be at least 4ft/1.2m deep (6ft/1.8m or more is better) and also as long and wide as possible to create a large surface area for their oxygen exchange. One thing to remember is in colder climates it is important to consider the depth of the pond because of seasonal temperature fluctuations; rapid changes in temperature will distress Koi. The deeper your pond is in proportion to the surface area, the less susceptible it will be to swing in the temperature.
Feeding
Good quality pond flakes (for smaller koi), pond pellets, pond sticks, frozen/live foods etc. Prawns, earthworms, and lettuce are all good treats to be fed now and again. As the water temperature cools down in late Autumn, a lower protein wheatgerm-based food should be fed.
At the moment these are all of the pond fish we have to offer, so we hope that this blog has helped and been of use to everyone thinking or keeping pond fish.
The information used in this blog was gathered thanks to the help from the fish experts https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/databank.
To find out more why not visit our social media pages where you can ask for more information and keep up to date with updates. Facebook, Twitter, or why not come in store and have a look for yourself;
PGO Building
Cooper Street
Wolverhampton
WV2 2JL
For customers that want to order online, all of our live animals are Click & Collect only so you will not be able to pay for delivery, you will have to come to collect in the store.
Prices;
- Golden Orfe – £2.49
- Green Tench – £3.75
- Blue Orfe – £3.75
- Gold Tench – £3.75
- Large Goldfish – £9.99
- Koi – £19.99
