Small outside ponds - plecos & comets - no filtration system

cute sheep

Hi there. I think I have made a huge mistake. I have two small 400l / 83 gallon ponds that are small in length (3 ft x 1.5 feet wide) but around 4.5 feet in depth. No filtration. I popped them into the garden to hopefully encourage some wild life. Understandably after time I started to have problems with algae. Someone suggested some fish so I went to the pet shop and was persuaded to buy 2 plecos per pond that are about 3 inches in length, and I also succumbed to some orange comets of the same length. I asked about damage to plants and was told that the fish would not be a problem. Fish have duly been settled into their new homes. Plecos went straight down as expected. Comets are hovering at about a 3rd of the depth. So far so good.

Curse of the impetuous purchase, I am now doing a little bit of online reading and am finding some conflicting information about the plecos? It seems they're going to get very big very quickly, and once big my softer plants are at risk. What isn't clear is how long it will take for them to get big enough where they start to damage and/or can no longer live in the pond?

I also wanted to ask for advice as to whether they will cope with a Kerry coastal winter?

I don't plan on getting any filtration but was planning on replacing a third of the water each week. Will this be enough oxygenation?

Last question: Will the fish eat any frogspawn and any insects that would otherwise have made a home in the pond?

Thanks so much for any advice? Obviously I am a newbie but I don't want my fish to suffer.

Alkers

Even with 400l, you will need filters to keep fish imo.

If you get a filter, the pump should be enough agitation to ensure oxygenation once it causes ripples on the surface.

Do you have tap / well water? If tap water, it needs to be conditioned before adding fish, same when doing water changes.

I would be surprised if the fish would survive a winter anywhere in Ireland at that depth, goldfish ponds normally have a deep section in the middle to recent freezing etc

Edit: can't help re plants

littlemisshobo

cute sheep wrote: »

Hi there. I think I have made a huge mistake. I have two small 400l / 83 gallon ponds that are small in length (3 ft x 1.5 feet wide) but around 4.5 feet in depth. No filtration. I popped them into the garden to hopefully encourage some wild life. Understandably after time I started to have problems with algae. Someone suggested some fish so I went to the pet shop and was persuaded to buy 2 plecos per pond that are about 3 inches in length, and I also succumbed to some orange comets of the same length. I asked about damage to plants and was told that the fish would not be a problem. Fish have duly been settled into their new homes. Plecos went straight down as expected. Comets are hovering at about a 3rd of the depth. So far so good.

Curse of the impetuous purchase, I am now doing a little bit of online reading and am finding some conflicting information about the plecos? It seems they're going to get very big very quickly, and once big my softer plants are at risk. What isn't clear is how long it will take for them to get big enough where they start to damage and/or can no longer live in the pond?

I also wanted to ask for advice as to whether they will cope with a Kerry coastal winter?

I don't plan on getting any filtration but was planning on replacing a third of the water each week. Will this be enough oxygenation?

Last question: Will the fish eat any frogspawn and any insects that would otherwise have made a home in the pond?

Thanks so much for any advice? Obviously I am a newbie but I don't want my fish to suffer.

Do you know what kind of Plecos you have? Some crow 3-4" and others over a foot. Most Plecos need a minimum of 20 degrees so wouldn't be suited to outdoor ponds in ireland at all.

ted1

Alkers wrote: »

Even with 400l, you will need filters to keep fish imo.

If you get a filter, the pump should be enough agitation to ensure oxygenation once it causes ripples on the surface.

Do you have tap / well water? If tap water, it needs to be conditioned before adding fish, same when doing water changes.

I would be surprised if the fish would survive a winter anywhere in Ireland at that depth, goldfish ponds normally have a deep section in the middle to recent freezing etc

Edit: can't help re plants

It’s 4.5 ft deep , that should be plenty.