How large is the container?
If it's possible it could freeze solid during a cold winter, then fish won't survive. Otherwise, they'll probably do OK if there is some depth to the container and the water doesn't freeze.

Just remember that fish can multiply and If you have any wildlife that visits your yard, you may want to hold off on adding them to the water garden. Large birds, raccoons and cats like fishing and will destroy the plants (or remove them) in order to catch the fish.

Local frogs will find their way to your water garden.
I once owned a 2600 gal pond, but now only have a container on the deck. Just the other day I saw a small green frog and a larger brown one lounging on the edge..........sorry, don't know their species!

Hi ann,

They were probably the same 2 species I mentioned -- the small green one a Pacific tree frog and the brown one a leopard frog.

We actually live about a mile from the Snake Lake Nature Preserve, so the chances of us getting frogs spontaneously are probably good. But my 7-year-old badly wants fish or tadpoles, so I supposed if I could find an appropriate species, then instant gratification would be OK. Me, I really would love to see some of those blue damselfies, but I don't know any way to get them except wait and hope.

The container has a capacity of about 25gal and it's 18" deep and 24" square on top. It's smaller at the bottom, though, because the front edge slants outwards -- good surface to depth ratio.

It sounds like tadpoles are going to be a better choice: don't have to worry as much about them reproducing, won't outgrow the container, and by winter, they'll have grown up, making the winter question much less of a worry (even though they'll hibernate in the bottom of it, the container is right next to our back door, so keeping an eye on it and making sure it doesn't freeze solid shouldn't be a huge problem).

Kristin

Goldfish can live outside in Tacoma. Not a problem but a 25 gallon pond is too small. Especially without a filter. Goldfish are high waste producing fish and 25 gallons would also be hard to regulate temperature and easy for raccoons to raid.

Pacific Chorus Frogs should move in on their own or you can scoop tadpoles from the natural area near you. The pond must have established algae though, for them to eat. There are about 200 tads in one of my ponds right now and the frogs are still breeding.

The treefrogs disperse from the pond most of the year but return to breed in the spring and it is fun watching them morph into little froggies but be warned: some find the mating calls of the adults obnoxious. Neighbors have been known to complain.

My duckweed is barely established right now but I could mail you some later in the year. You may find someone on the Aquatic forum who has some now.

Wow, I also live about a mile from the Nature Center at Snake Lake, what a coincidence, we are probably neighbors. I have a small pond and I can tell you some of my experiences with it, though it sounds larger than yours.

I have four goldfish in mine, and they do just fine over the winter. Even this past winter when temps got so low that I had a good two inch thick slab of ice over the top, they emerged just fine. As someone said below, as long as it doesn't freeze solid, they will be fine, they will just hibernate their way through the winter. Keep in mind that the fish will also eat any duckweed you put into the pond and nibble on your plants too. Mine mostly eat the larva of the mosquitos and gnats, but I have seen them go after the duckweed too. In fact, the handful I got last year didn't make it through the summer.

Being so close to Snake Lake, and probably a bunch of other "ponders" in our area, the damselflies, and even some dragonflies show up at my pond without fail every year. You won't need to worry about that. They have a knack for finding water.

I am not sure if the edges of my pond are too steep, but I have yet to have any frog stick around long enough to mate with another and produce tadpoles. They do find the pond, as I hear them every once in a while. Since they haven't produced tadpoles the "natural" way I have scooped some tadpoles from a local pond so that I can see them swimming around and watch the little guys hop around later this summer and hopefully eat some of those pesky mosquitos and gnats that seem to hatch even though I have the fish to eat their larva. If I can't find any at local retention ponds, their is a pond store on Tyler street between Center and 56th. I can't remember its name, but he has everything from fish, to tadpoles, to plants (including hyacinths and duckweed), to any and all equipment you might need.

Good luck with your pond!
Erin

Hi, Erin. Nice to meet you :)

I didn't think about the sides of my container being steep. It's a salvaged concrete utility sink and doesn't have any rim to speak of, and 3 of the sides are vertical. I was hoping I could convince some frogs to set up shop and lay eggs, but maybe not.

I can't remember the name of that store either, but I do remember calling it, and he doesn't have anything but bullfrog tads, which I don't want. (I'll go check out the fish and duckweed though.) Another store said they could contact a local ponder who raised many different critters and see if he had some local species, but he didn't.

So, mind sharing your best tadpole-catching pond? I can't think of any off the top of my head that aren't fenced in, and maybe I'm a chicken but I don't want to have to explain to a cop what a grown woman is doing scooping for tadpoles with a Dixie cup! "But, but, but Officer, I really wanted those Pacific chorus frogs ..."

Kristin

Fish will eat frog eggs and tads. There are no tads in my big pond with my fish. Only in my small ponds without.

The frogs lay their eggs around plant stems, at least they do in my ponds.

I've had them breeding in pots of water on my deck too. And in whiskey barrels.

I must confess, I get the tadpoles from the pond here at my work. We have some bioretention ponds here and there are probably thousands of them. I could probably scoop some for you if you'd like.

Goldfish might eat the tadpoles, this is true, but my goldfish have yet to bother with the ones in my pond. I think they have so much more to eat that doesn't swim away as fast as the tadpoles do, and the goldfish are not yet big enough to get their mouths around the tadpoles. There is also a guy who comes to the Puyallup Farmer's Market on weekends who brings tadpoles too. I have bought some from him before. He's just a private seller and I don't think he has an actual store.

I do remember the pond store on Tyler only does bull frogs. Good choice not to let those invasives reproduce any more than they do on their own.
Erin

Below is a site about raising tadpoles. One important point they make is the chlorinated water.............which would also apply to fish.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tadpoles

I've read that goldfish actually can freeze with the water in a pool or pond and live. The other aspects--predation and pollution--are probably more important--especially in USDA 8. Remember that they are carp, the asses fouling the waterhole of fish. Even at Juanita Bay Park, where the aquatic system is all of Lake Washington, the water near the boardwalk overlook where someone is apparently feeding carp (their Creature from the Black Lagoon mugs materialize when you walk over and stand there) is noticeably muddied.