Question
Hi
I have been trying to set up a relatively small outdoor pond 43cm wide by 33cm deep and have lots of contrasting information bot what we can and cant do.  All I would like to know is what type of fish can we put in there bearing in mind I wont be able to upgrade my pond size when the fish grow and how often do I need to change the water, or should I get a small pump (solar powered etc).  I hope you can help.  Thanks

DAN  

Answer
Hi Dan,
Thanx for your question.  Many folks use small barrels or other types of containers as ornamental ponds on the patio or in the yard.  If you are in Canada, unless you are in the Vancouver/Victoria area, your biggest problem is going to be with freezing.  Most goldfish will tolerate cold temperatures but in a small pond, they will not tolerate the water freezing completely or freezing so that there cannot be a good exchange of gasses between the water and the atmosphere.  You will want to remove the fish for the winter before the pond freezes over and keep them in an aquarium indoors.  Most gold fish will eventually get quite large.  A lot of the fancier goldfish have a tendency to grow a lot slower and if you're going to keep them indoors during the winter, I would use the ornamental/fancy ones.  If you get a small filter and pump at your local store that specializes in watergardening, you're probably not going to have to do much to the water.  Change water at the beginning and end of season, or as needed.  If you are careful how much you feed the fish, dirty water shouldn't be a problem.  I hope this helps.
Tom