10 of the UK’s Best Pond Fish according to Instagram

A pond is a lovely, tranquil feature in a garden on a hot summer’s day. You could spend all your time looking for essentials like pond pumps and filters, or pond accessories like artificial floating lilies and duckling ornaments that you could forget all about the fish.

The number of fish types for a pond is enormous. It ranges from goldfish, gold orfes, guppies to grass carps and more. Picking which ones would best suit your newly made garden pond can be a tough decision to make. There are many factors to consider, but one of the most important is whether or not they look good. That’s why the team at Finest Filters compiled a list of the most Instagrammable fish.

Love it or hate it, Instagram is one of the core means of communication these days. Merging photos and videos with actual location data, Instagram has become one of the trend-setting arenas. Not only can you decorate your house with the hottest items, but you can now populate your garden pond with the best fish.

Fish	Hashtags
Koi	2,944,692
Goldfish	2,126,327
Guppy	785,284
Minnow	107,735
Grass Carp	53,576
Tench	50,424
Rudd	23,411
Shubunkin	13,628
Sterlet	3,245
Golden Orfe	685

Koi – #2,944,692

Descended from common carp, these colourful fish are as hardy as they are stunning to look at.  They come in an array of stunning patterns and colour combinations. Including orange, yellow, white, black and even blue. They can survive a wide range of temperatures and are extremely easy to take care of. If you take care of your Koi, then they can live in your pond for up to 40 years.

Goldfish – #2,126,327

These are one of the best-known fish in the world. Whilst they are often seen in bowls and aquarium tanks, they are far better suited to ponds. The goldfish that swim in your pond can survive for 20-30 years. These fish are also extremely resilient, which makes them perfect for new pond owners. One thing to watch out for is how quickly they breed. Whilst a few Goldfish are great, an overpopulated pond can lead to serious problems.

Guppy – #785,284

These South American fish are some of the most adaptable fish out there. Guppies originate in warm climates but can thrive in waters around the world. They’re hardy, small and amazing to look at. Get a few of these for your pond and they will eat everything from mosquitos and algae. This will make your garden and your pond far more habitable in the summer.

Minnow – #107,735

For small-medium sized ponds, you can’t go wrong with a minnow. The rosy red minnow in particular is bright, colourful and a great addition to any pond. They can also survive all year round with relative ease. Much like the goldfish, the rosy red minnow can reproduce rapidly if left unchecked. There are plenty of species of minnow out there, and their variety is another reason why they are so popular.

Grass Carp – # 53,576

Grass carp are very natural-looking fish, they often come in an olive-brown colour. What they lack in bright colour combination, they more than make up for in their size. These fish look like torpedoes in the water and don’t have the mouth barbules of other varieties of Carp. As fish go, the grass carp is very relaxed and you will often see it gently cruising just below the water surface

Tench – #50,424

Often dubbed ‘Doctor Fish’ trenches supposedly prevent other fish from getting sick. This might be in part due to the fact that they often eat fish waste. This helps reduce the nutrients that cause an algal bloom. Whilst being hugely practical, these fish can often be elusive as they hang around near the bottom of the pond. You could also choose the more colourful Golden Tench. Although, both are great additions to your pond.

Rudd – #23,411

A local of UK freshwater locales, the Rudd is a mainstay of any garden pond. With golden flanks and red fins, they are extremely distinct. Whilst not being bred for captivity, captivity suits these fish very well. Their upturned mouths make them specialists at surface feeding, and you’ll often see them hanging around near the surface for their next meal.

Shubunkin – #13, 628

This fish is a genetic mix of the calico telescope eye goldfish, comet goldfish, and the common goldfish. They are bred specifically for captivity and often come in a combination of orange, black and white. Their long breeding history means that they are a very resilient species, which is a reason why they are so popular.

Sterlet – #3,245

A sterlet is a small species of sturgeon which is perfect for any garden pond. They grow slowly and often grow up to a maximum of a metre long. They are quite active fish, so they do need a larger pond than some of the others on this list. Since they are bottom feeders, you’ll often see them hanging around at the bottom of the pond. They are very sleek and are reminiscent of sharks. Except they’ve got a long snout and protruding whiskers. All in all, it is a very unique species of fish that is a great addition to any large pond.

Golden Orfe – #685

How could anyone not want a fish nicknamed ‘carrot’. Golden Orfe’s are slim-bodied, orange flashes in your pond. Golden orfes are shoaling fish and tend to swim in formation with other golden orfes. You could spend hours looking at them swimming around the pond, and it’s a shame that they aren’t more popular.

 

In light of this research, Adam Green at Finest Filters said that “choosing fish that complement one another and are suitable for your pond is a difficult task. That’s why a good thing to do is look online to see what other people are doing. These fish are popular for a reason. They’re bright, colourful and resilient. Do your research and you can’t go wrong.”

 

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