Gypsi said:The easiest way to handle birth control on goldfish, for me anyway, is to not feed them. Then they eat their eggs and no babies to chase. We have enough mosquito larva the most I feed is a little bit 2 or 3 times a week.

I wasn't feeding them at all because I didn't think there even was any fish IN the pond. I added about a dozen or so the year before and never saw a flash of them again-assumed they died. This spring, lo and behold, there they were -with a kajillion kids! Probably too many places for the eggs to fall into and the fish can't reach them?

Now that is funny. I assume you have a gravel bottom pond? And if there are many plants the eggs get into the roots and such although the fish are pretty good about vacuuming those roots

they also lay their eggs on the sides of the water lily stems. There was a couple I put some filters on for, we cleaned their pond one time, and they had 120 large goldfish. The only way they would part with any was if I bought them. Since they fed them an expensive fish food with shrimp in it their color was gorgeous, so I would buy a few at a time, the husband would catch them for me, and I was paying them $7.50 apiece for these gold fish during the early 2000s. The wife would get in the deep part of the pond and remove the eggs from the lily stems. They loved their pond and their fish. Texas doesn't have the extreme cold that makes over stocking dangerous. Instead we have the extreme heat. But they had shade and a really long stream and our alkaline water is not as prone to acidification. Their pond had concrete streams that leached alkalinity and supported the system. But the only filters were the 2 I built, before that there weren't any

I do not put gravel in the bottom of my ponds, traps too much debris and the filter doesn't work as well if the garbage is in the gravel.

no gravel or plants at all, it was a pond I just put together and I still don't even have a filter or pump running in it. I do have rocks along the edge that go down into the water, I guess that is where the eggs/babies survived.

If they are making it, and you like it, it is just fine. I will post pics of mine when I have more time, maybe start a thread. I put them in on my own, one in 2002, the next 2 started with plywood above ground portions holding liner up until I could afford stone, one in 2008, one in 2009. They have come a ways. But in Texas if no pump, you can't have many fish and they'd better be small goldfish, and the pond has to be deep

well just for clarity I don't plan to leave it this way, I will add a pump/filter, ect later. Just haven't had time, don't know how to do it and don't have the money perhaps.
Yes, TX heat is hard on the fish I am sure. I lived in Lawton OK for about 18 months and it was the pits, nothing would make me go back

I visited Houston Texas, and then Corpus Christi, and it rained (gully washer kind of rain) almost the entire time. Better in CC than Houston, but still. Not what I expected in Texas.

well that was unusual I think, doesn't rain much there. When I was in Lawton we got like 1 and 1/2 inches the entire 18 months.(they were in a drought, usually get more than that). The 'grass' (if you can even call it that) in the yard died back to the point that it literally all blowed away and there was nothing but dirt. Dirt blows around on everything all the time, I felt dirty all the time, dirt in my hair, dirt blown all over me everytime I stepped out the door. It was so gross. My refined city poodles didn't like it either. And the burrs?! OH, don't even get me started on those things! I think keeping a pond there would have been difficult for me because of the heat and even the dirt that would have blown all into the water and clogged up the pump? Water was expensive there too and it tasted so bad we bought jugged water to drink.

The only thing good about the place was the sunsets!

Kind of reminds me of Fairbanks, Alaska. At -55F there aren't much in the way of sunsets but the aurora really makes up for it.

Corpus Christi is in the tropical rainy part of Texas.

Fort Worth is in the almost temperate zone, Dallas gets more rain, and east Texas even more.

West Texas is basically desert.

It is a very large state.

Oh, yeah. So I have heard - 'large state' that is. Thanks for explaining though. I really should have known that being so large it would pan several different types of environment. I would expect more variation north to south though, like for us. I can see how Washington has an arid side and a wet side because of the mountains going down the middle but Texas doesn't have that barrier.

Actually we do have a mountainous barrier in Texas, not what you see in your minds eye, but it does divide regions. I believe there are at least 4 geographical climates in Texas, but if you were on a plane, the visible signs would start at the Mississippi River, deteriorating as you went westward. Texas doesn't have any seasons unless you count all four happening everyday on the same day.
Frilly- goldfish are used as catfish bait for fishermen. You are close to the Ozarks, I KNOW you know about fishbait! Though I guess your baby fish would do great as gardening fertilizer if the compost pile was short.

I know they used to sell fish as live bait, but there is a big thing about goldfish being a non native invasive and they discourage using them as bait, some people dump live bait in the water at the end of the day. Other thing is, I don't want my fish used as bait, I would rather euthanize them humanely than see them impaled on a hook.

That is a good point. I would not put goldfish or koi or any other non native in a lake or stream, nor allow my fish to be used as bait for fishing

We use the carcasses from our salmon catch as compost in our raised beds in the fall.

I knew when you dug your hole for your waterpond Frilly, I was wondering how it looked now after the last few seasons?

Well, Kat you may be confused ? I dug a pond a few years back (3-4?) but then I moved.
I dug a new one and filled it up just about exactly one year ago now. It is looking ok so far but still don't have the power or filter hooked up yet. Only have goldfish, no plants yet.! I did have a lot of algae that seems to be clearing off finally.

I have managed to trap and euthanize three of my less impressive fish or ones that I have multiples of as to coloring. I think the fish have caught on though and are getting really cagy. Would prefer to get at least three more. I know I have some babies in there that will show up (literally) next spring. One of the black ones is already about 1.5". You almost can't see them although as they mature some take on orange streaks

I found this on the net.

What do turtles do in the winter time?
Thousands of turtles prepare for winter by going deep into the water or by digging a deep burrow. They will slow down and hibernate for as long as the weather is cold. Then when the spring comes, the turtles will warm up and become active again. Once again, they will look for nice warm places to sit and enjoy the sun.

I have a lined pond and would not appreciate a turtle trying to burrow in the bottom of my pond with his very long sharp claws.

Don't blame you. I doubt he could get into the liner though. Digging in soft mud is one thing, but the liner. Don't think so. I would love to have turtles. Even thought about putting a tub of mud in the bottom of the pond for them to sleep in but we only have tree frogs here and not near where I live.