Do they have another name? Like Golden Orfes?

I really like Orfes as they are in constant motion. The problem is that they don't like Warm water. So, here in zone 6-7, it gets too hot for them.

Greg

I live in Va and my five golden orfes have done fine for three years now.
Mine are about 9 or 10 inches now.
In the wild they get to about 6 or 7 pounds and are fished for.
fred

No, a Tench is a completely different fish. It is a bottom feeder for starters. I have found some info, such as they can grow to be 24 inches long, they are a sport fish in the UK because they are so strong and thick they are hard to land, and they were (accidentally?) introduced to several lakes in North America in the late 1800's and survived. The lakes are mostly in the west.

Still have never seen them for sale over here though.

I have been trying to find them for about a year now. They say if you have several of them in your pond they are like a sanitation crew. They really clean up the bad stuff not wanted in a pond. They are a schooling fish, so should have several together. Glenda

Hi Glenda,
That was my interest in them as well. "Apparently" they rarely come up off the bottom, just lay there and eat whatever comes to them....sorta like me some weekends! :)

They are too big for my current pond (600 gallons) but I am doing a much bigger one next year and was thinking more for that one. I am finding 600 gallons just isn't big enough for me! LOL

My first pond was about 3000 gallons and was too shallow. My pond now is 5000 gallons and almost 5 ft. deep and I now feel it is just right. I would still add the Tench if I ever found any. But right now I am content with what I have. An abundance of bullfrogs, toads, tree frogs and beautiful fish. I have a pond full of fry, that I will have to remove at least by next summer when more are spawned. My white comet "Albie" is still chasing the females relentlessly, so I may still have more this year. I am still trying to eliminate the bluegills I put in this summer. Thought I was down to one, but I saw at least 3 a few nights ago. I fished 2 of them out. I wouldn't mind having 1 or 2, but a lot of the fry are...you guessed it.. bluegills. Glenda

hahaha
Yeah, I just don't have the pond size to add everything I want to! I really don't like crowding anything. I figure I would hate to be stuck in a house stuffed with a bunch of people (can someone say Big Brother), so I doubt fish, etc, enjoy being stuffed to crowded into a pond!

I currently have 4 comets, 2 shubunkens (sp?) and 5 trapdoor snails. They have lots of room to swim at the moment. They are all still small (comets about 2 inches, shubunkens about 3 inches). I might add another bottom feeder if I find one that will over winter well in a cold enviroment, but that's about it.

Definitely need a bigger pond!! hahaha

I have both orfe and tench in my pond. The tench hang more to the bottom but will come up for floating feed.

The 2 on the left are golden orfe, 1 of which is turning more white. The 2 orange ones on the right are tench.
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here you can see them side by side.
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The tench are about 6-7 inches long and haven't grown much in 2 years. The orfe are 10-11 inches and were only 3-4 when i got them. i have 3 orfe, 2 tench, a few comets and a bunch of fry in about 1300 gal.

craig

Very nice Craig!
Were you able to buy your Tench locally or have to order them online?

Where did you get your Tench? Glenda

Derrick/Glenda,

I bought the tench locally and the orfe mail order. The tench came from grass roots nursery, i think the orfe were from hunting creek fisheries or willow pond aqua farms. I originally had 6 orfe and 3 tench but a heron got a few when i was on vacation last year.

craig