Now that the pond season has well and truly finished, we have closed our otdoor coldwater area until next spring. However, our indoor coldwater selection remains fully stocked.
Coldwater species
Approx Sizes
Golden Orfe
4" - 5"
Golden Orfe are schooling fish which grow to around 18" in length. These yellowish-orange colored fish are quick moving and will be seen darting around the surface of the pond as a school. Golden Orfes are many times more sensitive to water conditions than goldfish or koi. This is the biggest reason most people avoid them. If keeping Golden Orfes in your pond, you must pay very close attention to the quality of water. If you are considering the Orfe as a fish for your pond never introduce fewer than 3 as without a complete school the fish will not survive.
Blue Orfe
4" - 5"
Diamond Sturgeon
8" up to 14"
Sturgeon, any of the numerous fishes of the family Acipenseridae, sturgeons have five longitudinal rows of bony plates(scutes) on the body,an unequally lobed tail fin, and a long snout with a toothless mouth and four sensitive barbels on the underside of the snout. The barbels are dragged over the bottom in search of invertebrates, small fishes, and other food.
Sturgeons may attain great size and age (possibly 200-300 years in the beluga).The eggs are small, sticky and numerous. The young grow rapidly until maturity,after which growth continues slowly for several years.
Ghost Carp
3" - 4" up to 10"
Butterfly Ghost
4" - 5"
Butterfly Koi, Longfin Koi, or Dragon Carp are a type of ornamental fish notable for their elongated finnage. The fish are a breed of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, (which includes numerous wild carp races as well as domesticated koi ("Nishikigoi").
Butterfly Koi originated in the mid 20th century as a result of an effort to increase the hardiness of traditional koi. Japanese breeders interbred wild Indonesian Longfin river carp with traditional koi. The resulting fish had longer fins, long barbells, pompom nostrils, and were hardier than koi. These were known in Japan as “onagaoi” or "hire naga koi", or translated in English “long tail koi”. Randy LeFever, the son of Wyatt LeFever, a noted breeder of koi, is credited with suggesting they looked like butterflies, a trait for which the breed is named. They are also sometimes referred to as Dragon Koi.
Green Tench
3" - 4" up to 8"
One of the prettiest of our freshwater fishes, easily identifiable by its distinctive shape and colour. It has a short, sturdy thick-set body with a layer of silky smooth slime, the tiny scales are deeply embedded in the skin. It has a short pair of barbules on the yellowish-orange upper lip. The dorsal fin is high and
Gold Tench
3" - 4" up to 8"
convex, the caudal fin is wide and squarish, rather like a paint brush. Pectoral and pelvic fins are thick and strong, in the mature male, pelvic fins are almost joined together and cover the vent.The back can vary from almost black to olive green in colour, graduating to a creamy or white belly. There are lots of colour variations and ornamentals: golden, yellow, orange with black spots, etc.
Sterlets
6" - 7" up to 18"
The Sterlet ( acipenser ruthenus ) is the smallest European sturgeon seen for sale. A maximum size of 4ft and 16 kg , but this is very rare and 2ft ans 1.5 to 2kg is the normal size
The Diamond sturgeon ( acipenser gueldenstaedti ) is the second fastest growing European sturgeon and can grow in excess of 8ft. but 4 ft is about the maximum
The Siberian sturgeon ( acipenser baeri ) is a quick grower and can reach 5 ft but 3-4 ft is more normal.
Mirror Carp
3" - 4" up to 6"
Comet Goldfish
2" - 3" up to 5"
The comet is the variety of goldfish that is producet in the greatest number. The humble comet is always readily available, very hard and fares well in every situation from goldfish bowl to the outdoor pond.
Sarasa
3" - 4"
plenty of swimming space. The single tail fin is as long or longer than the body in high quality fish and each lobe comes to a point. All the other fins of the Comet are much longer than the normal single tailed breeds. Avaiable in a range of colours from yellow through to orange, and intense reds nearing scarlet.
Shubunkin
2" - 3" up to 5"
There are two types of this single tailed breed. One has a long tail fin with broad tail fin lobes that are rounded on the end. the other has a short tail fin like the common goldfish. What makes these fish a particular breed is that they are of the nacreous scale group (calico) which are primarily bred for their beautiful colors. Red, black, and sky blue are the perfect colors of the calico breeds and the Shubunkins come closer than any other breed to these ideals.
Lemon Goldfish
2" - 3" up to 5"
English bred Koi
3" - 4" up to 12"
Koi varieties are distinguished by coloration, patterning, and scalation. Ghost koi, developed in the 1980s are metallic hybrids of wild carp and Ogon koi and are not considered true Nishikigoi. Butterfly koi, Longfin koi, or Dragon Carp were also developed in the 1980s and are notable for their long and flowing fins. They are actually hybrids with Asian carp and, like Ghost koi, are not considered true Nishikigoi.
Grass Carp
4" - 5"
The grass carp is a long slender member of the minnow family. It resembles the common carp because of its large size and scales. Grass carp differ from the common carp with the lack of a sucker-like mouth, and the absence of
Albino Grass Carp
4" - 5"
barbels on the mouth. Furthermore, grass carp are usually silvery-white, rather than the brownish-yellow of the common carp.
