Questions and answers from pondlady.com
Just started my new small outside pond I'm adding under water plants and top plants as well. I'm adding just 4 goldfish. I wanted to know what other kind of animals I can add without messing up the ecosystem I'm trying to create. can I add a snail or a plecostomus.
****A lot depends on how "big" your "small pond" is.
It's going to be right under 300 gallons
****Other animals will find your pond on their own. Toads and frogs will arrive, so will dragonflies and butterflies. Birds will want a drink and maybe a bath if you have a shallow end. Do not buy snails. They will get their by themselves as well. The plecostomus is a tropical fish and will not survive a winter. I have seen them do so every once in awhile in zone 9a and scare the pants off you when you are cleaning the pond in the spring when one slithers over your bare foot. If you anticipate freezes where you live, any tropical fish will not survive a winter.
I live in south Texas 30 minutes from Mexico. We don't get freezing weather down here, but I will keep that in mind. I found a pond place in a city nearby but when i asked them for anacharis they had no idea what i was asking for. So i ordered from ebay. I don't know what zone I'm in but are average temp is mid 90s. I'm new to ponds and I really appreciate all the help. Thank you.
****You can use hornwort if you can't find anacharis, as it is becoming known as a noxious weed and outlawed in some states. Ebay is a great place to get pond plants. If you are brand new to ponds, you might want to buy my book. You can download it to your ebook reader here
Not that I am trying to sell books or anything.
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