Currently my family is in the process of building a 300 gallon goldfish pond in our backyard. Because we're going be finished within two weeks, I have decided to go out a buy some baby goldfish to start it up with.

I've already picked out five favorites from a feeder tank, all of them are an inch long. There are two commons [I think] (one with a black stripe and black fins, the other with black lips and spots), two comets (one orange, the other orange and white), and lastly one sarasa comet.

Will the sarasa comet be okay being housed in a tank (and later pond) with the commons and comets? It's already been living with these guys in the feeder tank at the store, but I still want to be sure that it would do okay...

I have a filter set up and everything, and the tank is done cycling. Now all I'm waiting for is the perfect day to go pick them up, after I've made sure everything is up to par for them though.

Here are my basic questions:

How long will it take for them to mature?

Would it be okay to house them in ten gallons until the pond is completed? Or could I house them together in a larger tank?

Is it okay to feed them oranges every once and a while if I do frequent water changes?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and answer my questions, I'm very grateful.

Also, pictures will be coming by this weekend.

Welcome to Koko's

Your sarasa comet will be fine with your comets and commons. The only thing that makes a sarasa different from the other common/comets is their color which is orange and white.



They will be old enough to breed at around 1 year. Some will breed a little sooner some a little later.





It would be better to house them together in a larger tank.


The black marks on the fish you picked out could be ammonia burns. If they are ammonia burns those black marks will go away.

they may not be ammonia burns - could just be remnants of juvenile colour. either way, it's likely that the black will disappear, as black is a very unstable colour in goldfish welcome to kokos!

Thanks you guys!

I did some research and looked at pictures of both ammonia burns on goldfish and then color changing young goldfish. Thankfully it looks exactly like the pictures of goldfish going through their color change.

Again, thank you both!

I would just like to congradulate melodium on getting an appropreately sized home ffor those fish.

congrats on the pond....

How about feed these guys cabbage? find a fresh(no persivatives..etc) boil for 2 min and drop it it(don't add salt to cabbage)...they go nuts for it

Can't wait for pics

Hey, thanks for the congrats! I spent a lot of time researching them before hand, and I definitely wanted to give them something that had room for them to grow. Originally I was aiming for 3,000 gallons... But I would have no backyard left. Still, I'll make sure to post pictures of the pond when it's completed.
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I'll definitely try boiled cabbage!

Also, we'll be going in tomorrow to pick them out. I'll have pictures up by tomorrow evening if they aren't too stressed and camera shy.

Big pond..no back yard..doesn't seem like such a bad thing!!

can't wait to see pics!

Mary, right after my heart! My thought exactly...

Congratulations on your new pond, Melodium! Or should I say your "first" pond? A few more to come, I am sure...