I had bream in my firt pond for years with both gold fish and koi. Any insects landing on the water were history. No mosquito larvae either.

Good, I took the grandkids fishing at the river. Some we caught were only about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. Do they grow as fast as goldfish? Glenda

Glenda, they grow fairly fast. The ones I have in my ponds are actually larger than the ones that I can catch in the wild.

Most bluegill do not get real large though.

Bluegills and other sunfishes grow to their tank/pond size as long as they are fed properly. You can actually stunt Bluegill in an aquarium. By stunting, I mean that they get all the adult features but are small.

Happy ponding,
Scott

Scott, you also see stunting in the wild if there are too many young that survive in the pond or lake.

Around here, the bluegills tend to be small since there are so many of them.

They get much larger in my ponds where they have lots to eat.

Do they also eat Algae off sides of pond and off plant baskets? Mine seem to stay on the bottom which is about 4 1/2 feet and water still hasn't cleared very much yet. Glenda

Maybe some people call bluegill a bream but they are completely different fish. Pickoe has the right picture. they are bottom feeders.
And speaking of pictures:

BREAM

well, it's already done, but it is usually a very bad idea to take wild caught fish and add them to an existing garden pond. Wild fish can cause a sudden parasite explosion in your pond. keep an eye on your existing fish for the next several weeks for any signs of flashing, jumping, heavy slime coat, etc.

In the southern U.S., bluegills are referred to as Bream. Here in Colorado, they are called bluegills.

That fish above is not a bluegill. LOL

Sometimes bluegills are called perch in some parts of the country.

Well, in Florida there is no comparison between a Perch and a Bream, except they both swim and have scales and fins. And that picture doesn't look like any Bream I have ever seen. Glenda

Glenda, I can truly say that bream like in that picture above would not co-exist with your goldfish. LOL

What part of this world is that fish from? It looks like a cross between a sunfish and a carp.

Happy ponding,
Scott

WOW! Pond water will go from ultra green to clear overnight if you just have enough patience to wait for it. At least it has cleared to the 2 ft. level and I can see my newly added Bream. They are swimming and eating with the Goldfish. Seem to be right at home and Goldfish are happy to have them. After fighting String Algae all winter it is good to be free of it also. Only have some in the skippy filter and the veggie filter. None on my waterfalls and none in pond. Glenda

If we're talking bluegill, I have had them in w/ my koi for 3 years now. Yes, they will get big and YES, THEY WILL BREED!!! LOL

I have some itty bitty quarter sized guys I got from a fish hatchery that are now the size of a salad plate. They're out there now swimming in circles guarding their little underwater nests. I love them...they are clowns. LOL They will follow you around the pond waiting for food like the seagulls on Finding Nemo. lol

I'm extremely sorry the picture is bad but my little brother had found this little guy stuck in a fish net in our lake and brought it in and put it in a ten gallon tank and he was wondering what species it is. After poking around I'm guessing it may be a baby bluegill but I'm still basically clueless. Do any of you know what it is by the picture? (Sorry it isnt the best)