All of Kinds of Fish I Currently Own:

(Not in the same tank, of course...)

 

1. Betta (2)

2. Oscars (3)

3. Firemouth Cichlids (1)

4. Jeweled Cichlids (7)

5. Pelcos (1)

6. Parrot Fish (1)

7. Convict Cichlids (1)

The problem with an outdoor pond is that it's harder to control the conditions there.  Ponds are larger than most aquariums, true, so there's more leeway in the water conditions.  Larger bodies of water change their chemistry more slowly than small bodies of water, which is why it's really easier to maintain a bigger aquarium than a smaller one.  You have to deal with fewer fluctuations.

But there will always be changes in either water chemistry or temperature, and bettas are delicate fish.  A drop in the outdoor temperature one night might well result in a dead betta in the morning.  Or the pond could be polluted some way and stress the betta to the point of sickness or death.  And, it's easier for a predator like a bird to kill a smaller fish like a betta than a large, robust goldfish or koi.

See where I'm going with this?  Bettas do better in aquaria because it's easier to control their living conditions and monitor their health.  It's hard to see when a fish as small as a betta is having trouble, especially in a large pond.  I have read in older (think 1970s) books about breeding bettas and raising the fry in ponds, but with today's technology, it's my opinion that bettas should be indoor only fish. 

Fish: 2 ryukin (goldfish), 1 fantail goldfish, some type of top minnow from the local river, 5 whitecloud mountain minnows, a few female yellow guppies, 3 turquoise betta splendens (1male/2female).

The bettas have been in there for about a month - month 1/2. They haven't made bubblenests- the females are laiden, but the male gets chased away... They eat food amonst the minnows and goldfish. They've done fantastic so far. I wouldn't suggest them for a pond that doesn't have a heater if you want them in there over winter. I think I'm going to leave one female in the pond with a heater this winter to see if she will survive it. There's no information on the internet (that I've found) about if a betta will survive it, so I guess I'll be experimenting.

I'd suggest you try it (HINT: the short-finned varieties do much better than the fancier strains. My two females are round tailed and the male is a short crowntail.) But you will have to bring them back inside for the winter unless you don't have frosts... I'm still experimenting with what will survive. I live between zone 6 and 7.

I have a 2 1/2 year old cat named Ricky, but he doesn't bother the fish too much. They just go under the lily leaves or just swim down deeper. He's never actually tried to put his paws in the water. He does like to chase the dozen bullfrogs that have moved in... A dog that likes water such as a lab or something would be hard to keep out of the pond area without a fence or something. They would eat the fish- especially koi if you have any. We have a bunch of racoons and possums around here... but they go for my chickens. I've never seen signs of them around the pond or vegie gardens.

There have been alot of articles written online about having big plastic tubs outside as holding tanks for breeding fish during the spring/summer/fall months. You just have to make sure that they are either brought inside or given away to someone else. I'm always on the lookout for fish that will look great when you look at them from above. Yellow finned guppies are great for that too- I breed them, so the females I won't breed usually go in the pond. Then in the fall I'll give them to the petstore (call them first though to make sure that they will take them!).

My pond is elevated a bit from the rest of the gardens, so no mulch or soil ever gets in it. I don't fertilize the gardens except with composted cow manure in the fall. Be sure not to use chemical fertizers around the pond area as this can cause a headache of algae, as well as other problems.

Mine have lived just fine. I take them out to look at them every week or so, and to tell you the truth, the oldest female (which I've had a year) looks so much better than when I kept her inside. She is plump with eggs and her colors have brightened considerably. I think it has to do with the sunlight and probably all those young tadpoles she's been eating. The mosquito population is extremely low, a thing I am well pleased about.

Hope this helps... and I hope I'm not starting a quarrel here!

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"For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished" (2nd Peter 3:5-6)

i have kept bettas in a 60 gallon pond with only plants for filteration, at the time. i first put the female in to be accostumed to the pond then the male about a week later. they did spawn but the eggs were either infertile or he was too distracted by the female to tend to them because when i found them they were white. i would love to try this again and its really neat if you want to try it. but be careful of what might be living in your pond if its already established. watch out for water bugs and any guppies that might tear your bettas fins apart.

10 gal: 4 black kuhli loaches, 1 female sailfin molly
29 gal: 1 Dalmation molly (male), 1 bumblebee catfish, 1 yoyo loach.
5 gal planted: 2 pygmy cories, 2 amano shrimp, 2 nerite snails, 1 mosquitofish, 3 fancy guppies.
2.5 gal: male betta Nathaniel (avatar) .
20 gal: 9 unknown fish from canal, 3 blue-fin killifish, 1 holbrook's mosquitofish,
Pond: 3 comet goldfish, Panda, Ricco, Elizabeth.
Container Pond (20g): 1 oranda, Reginald

"I dont have too many fish tanks, you dont have enough!"
"Hello poor goldfish, doomed to a life in a bowl... er, lack of life"