Suggestions of fish which enjoy high flow?

by JayB Mon Jan 20, 2014 12:51 pm

As you know, I have just moved my turtle from a 55g tank to a 108g indoor pond. His tankmates have always been livebearers (platys and limia tridens), bristlenose plecos and a jaguar synodontis.

The pond has a 500gph pump (turtles are messy creatures) and I'd like to add some fish to keep my turtle company but am looking for fish that would enjoy the high flow in the pond (water parameters: neutral pH and very soft water).

Any suggestions?

by **Shell** Mon Jan 20, 2014 1:50 pm

My first thought was weather loaches - they love high flow currents, and they would love to have all of that space to grow into. But then I thought, hmmm....would a turtle try to eat the loaches? Shocked

I'll be interested to see who you decide to add for buddies Smile

by GaryE Mon Jan 20, 2014 3:44 pm

If it is built like a torpedo, then it is adapted to current.

Turtles eat fish, so it has to be fast. It alo has to tolerate turtle wastes. With soft water, I would think larger barbs or danios. It has to be a fish that keeps moving, or one night, it will never move again.

by **Sbenson11** Mon Jan 20, 2014 4:19 pm

Well you know what my answer to that question is and I'm sure Mike will back me up on this, Goldfish.

Myrtle and her three amigos get along fine with a pond full of goldfish and koi all summer long. They will eat a few guppies if they get in the way of real food. They never touch the goldfish.

Steve

by JayB Tue Jan 21, 2014 7:38 pm

Shell wrote:My first thought was weather loaches - they love high flow currents, and they would love to have all of that space to grow into. But then I thought, hmmm....would a turtle try to eat the loaches?

Yes, although Buddy is quite lazy and will normally only hunt when the odds are 99% in his favor (extremely low water level and the ability to corner the fish... or unwitting newborn fry hanging out in floating plants unaware that the "other" green thing has a big mouth and is just waiting for them to swim by), I think weather loaches would likely be on the menu.

GaryE wrote:If it is built like a torpedo, then it is adapted to current.

Turtles eat fish, so it has to be fast. It alo has to tolerate turtle wastes. With soft water, I would think larger barbs or danios. It has to be a fish that keeps moving, or one night, it will never move again.

Torpedo shaped, eh? Thanks, Gary. As for being on the menu, yes, any fish can be but Buddy isn't very good at catching fish so the odds are in favor of the fish as long as they are reasonably quick (platys and limea tridens found it quite easy to avoid being dinner or a late night snack). Also anything bigger than Buddy's head isn't even considered food by him.

Sbenson11 wrote:Well you know what my answer to that question is and I'm sure Mike will back me up on this, Goldfish.

Myrtle and her three amigos get along fine with a pond full of goldfish and koi all summer long. They will eat a few guppies if they get in the way of real food. They never touch the goldfish.

Steve

Thanks, Steve. I've never kept goldfish. My concern is how they would fare when temps rise in my apartment in the summer.

by **Biulu** Wed Jan 22, 2014 8:21 am

What about some danios? Not the ones you use for cycling your tank but giant danios or other larger ones. Entertaining and quick.

by Ursus sapien Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:19 pm

white clouds!!!! Love high flow and display a lot when they have it! And they'll spawn, so Buddy will have an ongoing supply of playmates:-) But, like Gary says, if it's built like a bullet...

by sucker4plecos Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:26 pm

I would say rainbows...... most rainbows like and need high water flow. I used to have some turquoise rainbows in a 55 - they would swim against the return flow of the filter like it was a treadmill..... was amusing to watch.... many get large enough that it may not be a meal....

by JayB Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:29 pm

I looked at rainbows today and was sorely tempted but decide to first try some tiger barbs. Picked up 3 today (although I know they would prefer a larger colony) just to see how they do. They seem to like the outflow of the filter but are wary (lack of plants at the moment). If they continue to do ok I will pick up another 3 next week. Once pond season begins and I can get my hands on some pond plants, I may add rainbows &/or Rainbow shiners (Notropis chrosomus) if I can find some. I've never kept schooling fish and I think it would be quite interesting to watch their behavior in the pond.