Different Kinds of Fish in Freshwater Ponds

If your garden has a freshwater pond, or you are planning to build one, you need to know what varieties of fish to stock it with. Once plants have been introduced and established, different species of fish can be introduced to freshwater ponds. Freshwater fish are hardy and can even survive when ponds freeze over.

  1. Tench

    • Tench are a member of the carp family and can survive in poorly oxygenated water, preferring to stay away from clear open shallow water. Golden Tench are popular for ponds and vary in color from light gold to red. Tench spawn in the summer months and feed on algae and invertebrate found at the bottom of ponds.

    Koi Carp

    • Koi Carp are popular fish for ponds but can be very expensive with collectors paying as much as $300,000 per fish for prize specimens, according to thedailymail.com. Koi vary in markings, ranging from single color fish to multicolored varieties. If you intend to keep Koi, your pond's deepest point must be at least 4 1/2-foot deep so the fish can survive a freezing winter.

    Goldfish

    • Goldfish are popular fish for ponds. Hardy varieties such as the common goldfish, comet and London Shubunkin can survive winter in freshwater ponds as long as the ponds are at least 11/2-feet deep. Goldfish can vary in color from brown to orange and some varieties can be a patchwork of colors.