Hi, I was just wondering, I have a pond with about 15 assorted fancy goldfish, about 10 feeder fish, and 6 cory cats. I was wondering what would be advisable to get for clean-up duty, a weather loach or a rubbernose pleco?

I've heard that the weather loaches are escape artists, does that mean that they would jump up onto the pond edge and kill themselves?

Also on the Compatible Fish link it said that the Dojo eat the gunky stuff at the bottom, does that mean the fish poo?

hi,

yep, that gunk is mainly poo. and uneaten food, decaying plant matter etc.

assuming that your pond is big enough to handle putting more fish in. you could get either or. but, heres a few things to keep in mind:

a pleco will eat some of the junk on the bottom but, they are especially dependant on algae. and, if your neck of the woods gets pretty cold in the winter months, a pleco wouldnt fair too well.

a dojo will eat lots of junk off the bottom, but needs a varied diet as well as any fish. anything from worms to algae wafers to vegetables are great. dojos can also handle just about the same water temps as goldfish and koi and enjoy the same variety of foods. also, i dont think you would have to worry about them jumping out, a pond is actually an ideal setting for them as they can "walk" like mudskippers or catfish.

all in all, i would suggest a couple of dojos. they like to be in pairs/groups and together will make a huge difference on the amount of detritus on the bottom.

incidentely, how big is your pond? if its really big, you might be able to get a "handful" of dojos.

hope this helps!

Well I am not exactly sure, but I would guess 500+ gallons. Since we actually dug it rather than buy those already shaped liner things we can't be exactly sure unless we were to drain the whole thing and then refill it again while timing it. But 500+ gallons is a close estimate imo.

well, then a handful of dojos would be a great addition to such a big pond! i recommend btween 3 and 5. though, you could even put more than that. just remember to supplement their diets with an assortment of sinking foods.

good luck and let us know what you decide!

paul

Thank you, I think I'll go with your suggestion.

Just wondering but how would Corydoras Catfish do in a pond? I assume ti would be the ideal setting however what about temperature fluxuation..? Obviously it would be warm during the day and cooler at night..what do you guys think on the subject of Corydoras Catfish in a Southern California Pond?

Dojo's are known jumpers and really recommended for covered tanks only. I'd be worried about the cories and temp as well...

Yes, well I have been looking up on your concerns and this one guy told how he had corydoras in his pond and they wintered fine, and he lived far north of me in Washington State where the winters are slightly colder. But still I'll keep an eye on them.