I have moved and left ponds twice. At the first house the guy that moved in loved the pond and made it bigger and better. The second house pond was filled in but he gave everything to his son who built a pond in his yard. Both times I took my favorites and kept them in a big rubbermaid tub. They were goldfish and did well in the tub. We had to live for a year in a rental with my fish in a tub and they were so happy when we got their new home built. I hope you can at least take a few of your favorites. At least you know where your fish are going and that they will be well cared for with the guy that helped work on your pond.

Hi frankielynn! Thanks for responding! You know it puts a whole in your heart when you love your fish as much as I do then have to leave them. At least thats the way I feel. People think your crazy sometimes for loving your fish, but I dont care, I do!!! The guy Im giving them to will take care of them I know and I know I can probably visit them because he lives fairly close, so thats a benefit for me, but still having to give them up hurts. When you name them and they all become tame. My Mom said , maybe we can get a big tank and you can take some. But I have 23 fish which includes one koi, 14 inches long, and goldfish up to8 inches long. I would like to take half of them but its gonna be a helluva big tank and I know it wont be fair to my koi to put her in a smaller environment. My family says its so much work, let it go, but its so hard. I have a 250 gallon preform I bought for emergencies, and Im glad I had it two years ago when a water line broke in front of my house and literally turned my pond liner upside down!!! I was devastated! At 630 one morning I was out pulling my fish out of chocolate milk colored water between creases of my liner. My koi and most of my adult fish survived, but two. 14 babies I lost. The fish lived in this 250 gallon preform for weeks till the water Co. decided to pay for the damage. I changed out the water almost everyday so there would be no high ammonia. They went from a 1200 gallon to 250 gallon and I wasnt sure they would make make but they did. I thought about putting them in there again and putting them in my moms basement, but really not sure they will be happy in a smaller environment let alone survive. Know what I mean? My mom cant put up the expense to build another and I probably wont get enough from the sale of my house to build another. And if I end up leaving my mom later when she doesnt need me and I move into an apartment, not sure I could bring the preform with me, right? And I doubt I will be able to afford another home to rebuild a new pond. I think my dreams of having this pond are going down the tubes, and Im so sad about it. You raise these guys from little and their like your kids, you know? The guy Im giving them to is great, but he says dont get attached to them..maybe so it doesnt hurt so much, I dont know. This guy friend of mine rebuilt my pond after the line break and made my pond more beautiful then ever! He has a backyard paradise, practically no lawn, one 20,000 gallon pond he swims in with his koi! Can you believe that?! I told him to take mine if it comes down to it, but down sell them, he told me he wouldnt. I net my pond always, just so the heron dont get them, but he doesnt, and Im afraid mine will get eaten because theyve become so tame.

How big was your tub and big were your fish and how many did you have?

My koi is my most favorite and would be the most saddened to see her go. Moms like then just take her, and put her in a big tank, but Im not sure she will be happy in there.. i dont know what to do..worries me everyday and I know if they have to go, they will have to go soon before winter comes, and I prob need to be out of my home before fall. Time is so short it seems.

Sorry such a long explanation, but I wanted to let everyone know how I feel and hope someone can come up with a great wild plan to take these fish with me somehow.

Thanks for responding frankielynn!

I have seen on craigslist those xlarge blue stocktanks I think it would be able to hold several of them if you have a good pump. I know you can also get different sizes at the farm stores. If you love them it would be good for you to take a few with you.. Its very soothing too.. and it sounds like with helping your mom that you will need a small "self" soothing place to unwind at. My mom lives with me and she goes out and sits by our pond and now I have inch long babies in a stock tank and she feeds them everytime she goes out. If she's able to get up and around it might be good for her too.

What Darta said - the large round 500 gallon tanks (7 feet across) cost maybe a couple hundred $$$ and don't look half bad. Theres one at our local farm and fleet that was black, instead of blue. You could either partially set it into the ground or just plant some stuff around it,

i dont know how you don't get attached to them - easier said than done! They are pets after all.

Hello darla84 and kashka! Well you both have great ideas Im thinking about. A thought was where to put it. Didnt know if I should put it outside and go thru the whole winterizing thing..or would it be easier to put in my moms big basement inside?
Only thing will it cause too much moisture and condensation in the room or dont u think that will be a problem?
And I have to figure out what size pump it would need and what about lighting? any thoughts? Put in plants or gravel or no?
And gee will a 500 gallon tank fit thru my moms basement door?
hmmmm...

Thanks! Keep the thoughts coming guys!

how about a earth bottom pond? just hire someone with a bobcat to dig out out a nice sized pond and then get some sodium benzonite clay to seal it. Wait till it rains and your done.....might want to add plants to take of of the filtration.......this would not cost you much at all and you would be able to transfer all your fish..

Hi greenthumbzdude...thanks or the idea but if I would go that far I might as well put a liner in and start over. Sorry never did a earth bottom pond and I feel it would get to messy and hard to keep clear. Again I need to keep the expense down as much as possible.

Keep the ideas coming!

If you bring it inside you will have condensation but maybe you can run a dehumidifier. I bring in plants that can't make it thru the winter into the sunroom and the condensation builds up on the windows but it's not a big deal out there and I hate to buy new floaters and tropicals every year. I know you can get a narrow tub that is 6 ft long and 3 ft deep that will fit thru the door but it only holds about 200 gallons.

I think you should give your fish away to a good home, with a nice
big pond.
Treat yourself to a nice big aquarium and get some tropical fish.
( I don't mean salt water fish)...My son has a gorgeous fish tank
with beautiful fish...
when we first had koi babies, we took them in the house for the
winter and set up an aquarium, they gave us a lot of enjoyment
and we hand fed them.
I think I'd get goldfish, they don't require a heater and they are friendly.
You will enjoy them and not have the hassle of trying to maintain
koi in an indoor environment.

Remember, one door closes and another door opens...
Good luck...

Hi cliff and joann! Thanks for responding. Honestly, I thought you would like..I couldnt find it easy to part with my fish so you should find every way possible to keep them. I say that because I believe you love your fish and koi as much as I do.
So you say if it were you moving, and having the fish you have now, you would give them away?
Seeing what you have, Im not sure I could do it.
I do only have one 14 inch koi, rest are sarssa, comet, longfin goldfish.
If and when I do part with them, I will probably settle in my moms for awhile before thinking about getting other fish. I will still probably be moarning the fact mine are gone and I will have so much crap to go thru moving and all anyway.
Thanks for your thought cliff and joann! So glad to hear from you again and keep those gorgeous pictures coming...

Well everybody things dont look good for me and moving my fish with me. Talking to my mom more about it and moving my fish to her place doesnt even seem to be an option for me anymore. My mom is getting mad cuz Im talking about it so much, and I dont think she planned on the fish coming with me anyway. The nice man I plan on giving my fish to says I could probably get a 300 gallon stock tank and put it in my moms basement, with a filter system and light, but moms not going for it. Even though it might just cost around a thousand dollars to do it.
Guess my 13 year dream of owning a pond is over.Im so depressed. Gotta make up my mind before the end of September to transport fish to my pond guy.
I really could just cry thru all this...just thought Id let you guys know.
Could use some comforting thoughts right now if anyone has any..

If you are going to leave your home to be your Mother's caretaker there is no reason that you should have to give up everything. If you were going to live with her and be dependent on her I can see that your Mom would have veto power but since you are going to accommodate/care for her there is no reason why you could not have a small raised tub water garden.

You would need a stock tub, 100 gallon or more, fish, small pump with a simple filter-I have a 2 to 3 gallon flower pot that doesn't have drainage holes in it, filled with netting and a few rocks on top of the netting that the pump hose attaches to at the bottom. The water flows out of the top of the flower pot. 2 water lilies and some hyacinth in the summer. A bubbler for the winter.

It is a very simple set up but satisfies my need to hear moving water and visit my very friendly fishies. Only needs to have the filter fabric swished out 2 times in the summer. Easy to set up and net to keep leaves out. Have kept it in the sunroom during the winter when needed.

You are going to need your pond for some relaxation times. Just keep it simple.

Same as above - I successfully kept 4-5 large goldfish in a 125 gallon stock tank for a few years- with a 250 gph pondmaster pump and one of those little biofilters the cost was only a couple hundred $$$. Even a 300 gallon like your pond guy suggested would be $500 at most, not a thousand.

Im sure it would still be hard to select only a few and give most away - but still you would have some continuity and fish are a proven stress reliever that would benefit you as a caregiver for your mom.

On the other hand if it means transporting the fish many hundreds of miles, risking their health, then maybe the kindest thing to do would in fact be to give them to a good home.

You are fortunate that there's someone you know and trust who could care for them. Be sure to establish visiting priveleges and then come back to see them when they're out of quarantine and swimming around the big pond. I knew someone who had to give up a koi that had grown to big and she worried and fretted - until the day she went back and saw him swimming with the other big guys.

t sounds like a difficult situation. I guess I can see why your mom might be nervous about a large indoor pond and 23 fish in her basement - on the other hand, they are pets and i think its unfair for people to assume that just because they're fish you wouldnt ... or shouldnt... become as attached to them as any other pet. The human heart is a funny thing - we get attached to cute little animals in our care, and that includes fish!!!

Thanks again for responding frankielynn and kashka kat! You guys are great!
As far as things go at this point, it seems Im going to have to give my fish up, pretty soon too. Before weather gets too cold to move them and it risks their health. Not sure how many miles from my home to my pond guy, but Im figuring it will taked about 20-25 minutes from my home to his, if that gives you an estimate.
When I say it would be like a thousand dollars to set up, i was refering to the 300 gal tank, fitler and lighting combined with my pond guys help.
And yes, it would be hard to select just a few to take anyway,but I guess I would of done it if my mom gave me the green light. But moms pretty tired of hearing about my ideas, and I really dont want to stress her out and it is her home.
Its not that Im just going to moms to be a caregiver either. I am in a financial situation that I have to sell my home because I cant afford to stay anymore. But my mom really does need someone with her to help around the house when shes not feeling well. My boyfriend and family thought it would be a good idea to move in with her to help her out.
So financially Im strapped with not enough income here to keep my house.
This way mom says she can financially help me get back on track if I move in with her too.
Kinda get the jist of what Im talking about here?
I admire people who fall in love with their fish too...they are our pets and like are kids..god bless them they exist!
Glad alot of you feel like me and sympathize with me and my situation.
I think my mom tries to sympathize with me, but it is her home, she thinks it could be alot of upkeep, there could be a leak, etc so I guess I just bite the bullet and except that.
Still dpressed tho and I know when they leave it will be the hardest time for me, but I will have my cat yet to take to moms, which I know I couldnt part with him.
Keep responding, love to hear from you guys! Ill keep you updated...thanks!

It is good that you can mutually help each other out during this time. Start a folder of great ideas for that new pond while you are pondless. It will come someday and you will be ready to get started and I'm sure your pond guy will have fish descendants to share with you.

Maybe you can get a Beta fish. The one we had lived for 4 years and he started my day out with a smile as he begged for food every time I would stand at the kitchen sink. They are so smart and very pretty.

Hello All,
We are in the process of building a new home ourselves and, with every do-it-yourself project, it's going slower than planned. We have a large pond in our current home with a few koi and several goldfish. We plan on putting in another large pond at the new place but the house itself won't be finished for a few months and the pond may not be completed for several months after that. We will have an unfinished basement so my plan is to get one of those big tubs for the fish and let them stay indoors until the pond is done. Here are my questions:
1) Can pond fish be moved in cold weather? I know they sort of go dormant when it gets cold and I don't want to harm them.
2) Where is the best place to purchase a reasonably priced temporary storage tub and accessories?
3) Any ideas for set-up?
Thanks in advance for your help!

I'm going through the same thing right now actually. I've lived at my parents house, 6 acres in the middle of the woods with a beautiful 3000 gal koi pond that I've put much blood sweat and money into, a very 'natural style' with tons and tons of plants and vegetation. I've raised my koi from tiny 2" fingerlings to 18" monsters, but the time has come to move out on my own. Since buying a house 20 minutes away, and since the fish seem to be perfectly fine on their own with a small circulation pump going, I'm leaving them there. I can't imagine parting with them after all we've been through. What have my fish and I been through? About 2 years ago a tropical storm dumped 22" of rain in a 24 hour period on my home. My backyard, 4 neighbors homes and about 10 acres were under water by days end. Included in that, my pond was under 3 feet of water. With nowhere to run to, the water simply sat there, stagnant, drying very slowly over the course of 8 months. 8 months since I've seen any of my fish, was there any chance they were still in this evaporating, muddy disaster? I threw my castnet into the small pool that was remaining and out came all of my koi, that had literally doubled in size. Crazy story, pics are crazier.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Flood and The Return

Just to let you know what I did with my koi when we were waiting for the larger pond to get finished. I bought a huge rectangular kids pool and put it in the basement. My 17 koi and comets survived and we kept them in the basement from the end of August until May. Everyone survived. The only issue was having to use an electric pump to put more air in the actual pool every week, because the pool had a slow leak.