Go Native

I had somewhat of an epiphany the other day regarding the fish pond. As you remember, I am at a sort of crossroads with what to do with the pond, as I have successfully killed two batches of fish (in two separate ponds, but in the same climate). The sad story is described here.

Although I love the idea of having fish-- they're relaxing to watch and they eat bugs --I don't want to make a habit of killing innocent fish. I seriously considered scaling back the pond dramatically and make it just a little water fountain feature. Still nice, but a pond has more "cool" factor.

Then it struck me as I worked on my post for Earth Day thoughts. In one of my thoughts, I suggested people stick with native plants, because native plants are naturalized, acclimated for the climate, and thus they can survive with minimal fuss and resources.

This same thought can apply to animals too. Why raise goldfish and koi in Colorado when they are more at home in tropical environments? What I need to do is raise fish that are native to Colorado. Like trout!

Trout are freshwater fish that inhabit cold mountain lakes and streams. Well, I am neither in the mountains, nor is the pond very lake-like. The biggest concern is that the pond may be too warm.

After some research, I learned that rainbow trout don't mind warmer water: Between 50-65° is ideal. I usually keep a thermometer in my pond throughout the summer, and I noticed the water barely got up to 70°. This is mainly because the pond is on the north side of the house and only gets about 6 hours of sunlight a day, maximum. In the winter it get 0 hours. The constantly running waterfall also keeps the water cooler as the pump draws cooler water from the bottom and circulates it. And there are always ice cubes.

I remember seeing a small trout pond in Estes Park a few years ago. There was a little food dispenser there, so I tossed some food in. Never before had I seen such a feeding frenzy! The water boiled with dark fish exploding to the surface to get the food. Either they were starving or those fish are plain WILD. It reminded me of some piranha movie. Their aggressive nature was fascinating.

So now I may have an option to still have fish in the pond. I need to do some more research, like where to buy trout, what to feed them, etc.