Would you consider pond fish pets?

Over the years I've kept pond fish that include ornamental carp, grass carp and even trout.

Apart from the ornamental carp, these were really wild fish that were kept in large outdoor ponds. However, the carp are very intelligent and affectionate fish and when you feed them they will come to the surface to greet you. They will even poke their heads out of the water to eat from your hand.

The trout are much wilder, and though they will approach the bank at feeding time they're not like the carp.

Personally I would consider the carp as pets and the trout as not.

What about others here, would you consider fish that interacted with you, even if they are not in the house and live most of their lives like wild animals as pets?

Of course people who own ponds consider the fish in it as pets. Pets don't have to be super smart to be pets.
However I believe the fish come to the surface during feeding time only out of habit. Some people had done experiment of using a bell or simply clap the hands before every feeding, and after a while the fish will react to those sound even when you do not feed them afterward.

Eat out of your hand is something else, I would say they are extremely hungry or simply couldn't resist the food.

The most common pond fish are koi or goldfish. Plenty of oriental ponds are like that. Although people do not normally pet these fish, they make great sight in the garden.

Yes, I would consider pond fish to be pets. When I was in school, I was a member of the Aquarium Club. We had a large cement pond under a roof. In the pond we had many types of fish. Most of the fish were fresh water fish we caught from the river. There were also a few carp which we bought and put in there. The carps were about the only fish that was visible in the pond because the river fish had coloration that blended in with the color of the bottom of the pond.

If an animal is in captivity, and it is relaying on your feeding to survive, then it is a pet. Pond fish do not live like wild animals, unless the pond sustain itself completely without your intervene.

I might be biased, since I love pet fish. ^^ A pond fish is obviously a pet to me. For those who have no love for fish, I very much doubt they will agree.

In Florida, we had a huge one acre pond on the property. It had lots of sunfish and catfish, and some ornamental orange and golden carp, as well as, a fish called a blue shark. It was not related to the shark family, but I was told the fish could get quite large. I was swimming in the pond underwater one day and came face-to-face with this fish. We were eye-to-eye, that close and it scared me. I did not even know it was in there before that. I learned it is harmless to humans. I looked for it again but never found it. The ornamental carp were very friendly and would swim along with me and would eat from my hand.

I think pond fish can definitely be considered pets, especially if they're friendly like the carp! Just because the bond may not be as strong as, for example, your bond with a dog or cat, doesn't mean that they can't be affectionate! Also, since they are technically dependent on your feeding them, and you're not just keeping them with the intent of catching and eating them, they are definitely a pet!

My husband had a pet bass that was in a small pond. He would feed that bass lizards and small tree frogs by hand. The bass grew big and would often jump out of the pond to take the food offered right out of his hand.
So I think some fish can be considered a pet when they forget their natural instint and fearlessly approach us for food.
Other fish in the pond may just be there or might be considered pets by those who own the property.

Goldfish that live happily in an outdoor pond grow to a much larger size than if they are confined to a small fish tank, and carp can live a long time when they are well looked after in a nice outdoor environment.

If you have a pond you can put both species together, and you can get them in a variety of patterns and colorings. The important thing when keeping fish outdoors is to protect them from preditors. Make sure local cats cannot catch them, and provide sheltered areas with plants or netting to protect them from a passing heron or other large bird that could swoop down and take them.

(04-01-2013, 05:17 PM)Rube Wrote: Goldfish that live happily in an outdoor pond grow to a much larger size than if they are confined to a small fish tank, and carp can live a long time when they are well looked after in a nice outdoor environment.

If you have a pond you can put both species together, and you can get them in a variety of patterns and colorings. The important thing when keeping fish outdoors is to protect them from preditors. Make sure local cats cannot catch them, and provide sheltered areas with plants or netting to protect them from a passing heron or other large bird that could swoop down and take them.

Actually that is not true. Fish size has nothing to do with the size of the fish tank whatsoever. Yes, I have heard of this false rumor from the novice fish keepers. It is false. It is the very reason why we recommend people to get fish tank big enough for the adult full size fish rather than their current size. If the fish tank is too small, the fish will outgrow it. No, you will not see the fish become too big to move. What will happen before that is the fish produce way too much ammonia for the undersized tank to take, and it will end up dead.

If one day I have a pond of my own, I will have koi fish in it.

As for predators, it is rare to have cats fishing from the pond. This practice is fairly common with raccoon. I doubt they can catch a large koi fish, but smaller goldfish is fair game for them.

(04-01-2013, 11:06 PM)Ram Wrote: Actually that is not true. Fish size has nothing to do with the size of the fish tank whatsoever. Yes, I have heard of this false rumor from the novice fish keepers. It is false.

As for predators, it is rare to have cats fishing from the pond. This practice is fairly common with raccoon. I doubt they can catch a large koi fish, but smaller goldfish is fair game for them.

Thank you for explaining this. I can see that it's more likely for fish to grow bigger in an outdoor pond because generally they will live longer than a fish in a small tank.

There are no raccoons in my part of the world, but pond fish do get taken regularly by herons. Cats probably do not actually catch many fish, but might be tempted to try if it is just a small garden pond.

As a footnote to the cat fishing scenario. Cats can and do try and fish a pond, it's their nature as a hunter. For anyone one who'se never actually seen this they will sit at the edge of the pond and if anything comes close enough will try and hook it out with their claws. Although they very rarely manage to hook a fish unless it is already injured or ill they can cause damage to the fish with their claws.
In many countries the list of wild preditors is very large and many enter natural ponds as a matter of course in search of the next meal. If they come across an ornimental garden pool they will treat it in exactly the same way.

(11-29-2012, 12:06 AM)gwydion Wrote: Over the years I've kept pond fish that include ornamental carp, grass carp and even trout.

What about others here, would you consider fish that interacted with you, even if they are not in the house and live most of their lives like wild animals as pets?

I consider my goldfish pets right up to the day I give them to my cats.

I surely consider my Koi fish as pets! I've had my pond for years now, of which I must clean weekly and feed the Koi once or twice daily. Which I consider almost as serious as keeping a dog or any other type of domestic pet! I must take care of them carefully as my pond is my pride and joy!

-Paul

(06-10-2013, 07:14 PM)Crazzyy_ Wrote: I surely consider my Koi fish as pets! I've had my pond for years now, of which I must clean weekly and feed the Koi once or twice daily. Which I consider almost as serious as keeping a dog or any other type of domestic pet! I must take care of them carefully as my pond is my pride and joy!

-Paul

As a former koi enthusiast myself, I couldn't agree more! I had over 20 koi in my garden pond and during feeding time they would eat right out of my hand (it felt really ticklish!). They were so "programmed" to expect food from my hand that every time someone walked right up to the water's edge they would start coming to the surface and begin gulping and thrashing about like a mock feeding frenzy. Of course a fish might not have the personality of a dog or cat, but they are pets nonetheless.