Your concern for the fish is a good thing. The number of fish you report
suggests that they are doing well and reproducing.

Food: You can go to catfish food and save a lot of money. There is some
discussion about the fact that the food is designed for young fish...but
many of us have used it for decades without noticeable bad effects.

Population: Kathy is right about pet shops and about the value of cutting
back the numbers of goldies. Unfortunately, that will also fuel their
successful spawn. However, the big guys will eat up the babies if they are
hungry.

Algae bloom: You will get a spring algae bloom from winter waste. From
there, balance is a big issue. Too bad there is no electricity. You may
have blanket weed later this year if the nutrients are way out of line.

Size: Is the pond lined? Do you know its depth? If you do, you can
calculate the volume and thus its basic carying capacity. Here is a pond
calculator site. http://www.gardenponds.com If your pond is oval and has
an average depth of 2 ft, it is about 4400 gallons! How does it get/retain
its water? Do you add? Is there a spring? If it runs off, you may have a
problem of goldies entering the wild...not good.

Fun: Sounds like you have a well estqblished pond. Enjoy it!

Jim

"The Space Boss" wrote in message
ps.com...
Hello,
I recently moved into a new place that includes a large pond on
the property (I'd say it is approximately 15 ft by 25 ft and deep), and
there are maybe a couple hundred goldfish in there. I have been feeding
the goldfish flake food twice a day, and they seem to be doing fine. I
have not measured the pond, but it seems to be fairly deep. There is a
lot of vegetation in the pond (lilly pads and other plants). The fish
seem to be doing fine, but I've been told I should have some sort of
filter or something on the pond. The problem is, I have NO electricity
on this particular area of the lot where the pond is. The water is also
a greenish color, so there is obviously algae in the water. Is this bad
for the fish? I know I can get some algecide to put in there, but would
that reduce the oxygen in the water? Is it possible to buy some kind of
"air" pump that just floats on the surface of the water and shoots air
down through a hose or something? Please advise me what to do as I want
to take proper care of the fish, but I don't want to spend a ton of
money, and remember there is no electricity at this location.

Thank you in advance. Any suggestions appreciated.