Care of Pond Comets

General Care

• The pond comet will grow according to the size of its environment. Keep the fish uncrowded in a tank or pond. A size of 4 inches is standard in a spacious tank but if kept in a pond a comet will reach 12 inches quickly. Providing enough space will also ensure that the fish has sufficient oxygen. The general rule is 1 gallon of water for every inch of fish in the tank.

  A pond comet is tolerant of any water temperature above freezing but will fare best in a temperature range of 65 to 72 degrees. Provide the fish with plants or tank decorations that will allow for shelter, but avoid cluttering the middle section of water as this is where the pond comet prefers to swim. They are energetic fish and require room to move about.

  Keep the tank clean by changing 10 to 15 percent of the water once a week and siphoning debris from the gravel and decorations. Any algae that is growing on the walls of the tank or on the decorations is best removed with an algae scraper before the tank is cleaned.

Feeding

• Feed a pond comet twice a day with a high-quality flake food. Only feed the amount the fish will eat in two to three minutes. Overfeeding will cause the tank to need more frequent cleaning and will cause illness in the fish. Brine shrimp and bloodworm is a preferred treat for pond comets and can be given a few times a week.

Illness

• A pond comet is prone to the same illnesses as most tropical fish. Signs of illness include lack of appetite, gasping at the surface and sitting on the bottom of the tank. A fish with white spots on the fins and body will most likely have a fungal infection known as Ick. Ick is treated with a medication that is added to the water. All fish that have been exposed to ick will need treatment even if only one fish is showing symptoms. Comets that have torn or injured fins will develop fin rot if left untreated. Fin rot will lead to fish death but is easily treated by adding antibiotics to the water or to the food before feeding.