Tai has a love for native fishes, and he explains how you could design a garden pond suitable for a variety of species that naturally reside here in Britain.
I'm currently reading Local by British explorer Alastair Humphreys. After years of trekking across deserts and jungles, Humphreys turns his attention to the landscape on his doorstep, exploring every grid square of his local map. His journey is a reminder that nature doesn't have to be remote or exotic to inspire wonder.
I was reminded of this while exploring a village near Cambridge, where I spotted a brown trout (Salmo trutta) lazily swaying in a shallow stream. As soon as it noticed me, it fled in an explosion of energy, zooming upstream, leaving me grinning as I gazed after it. It was the first wild brown trout I'd seen close to home in decades, and the excitement rivalled seeing oscars for the first time in Brazil's Pantanal. Like Alastair, I had found wonder close to home
Photo by Tai Strietman
It's easy to overlook Britain's native fishes when the aquarium hobby is filled with colourful tropical species, but our local wildlife has plenty to offer. One of the biggest champions of our native fishes is Jack Perks, whose books, films, and documentary Britain's Hidden Fishes reveal the fascinating lives of species often dismissed as dull. So when I was asked to write about native fishes suitable for garden ponds, I jumped at the opportunity.
While the UK is home to 42 native freshwater fish species, many aren't suitable for the average pond because they grow too large, need fast-flowing, oxygen rich water, or are enthusiastic predators. So, to narrow down our options, I've selected a range of species that are both practical and interesting, grouped into three pond scenarios. Some can be bought from specialist suppliers, while others may be collected legally from the wild – provided you check local regulations first.
Photo by Shutterstock
Not got space for a fish pond? Well you can still create a pond for native wildlife. You won't need pond filters, or pumps, but you can decorate it with plenty of gorgeous plants, read more about nature ponds here.
Small Native Pond
For this setup, I’m imagining a pond of around 2x1.5x0.5m (6.5x5x1.6’), although you could go somewhat smaller if only keeping the humble three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). Otherwise, with plenty of native aquatic and marginal vegetation, this pond would be suitable for a small group of dace (Leuciscus leuciscus), or the less common bleak (Alburnus alburnus), pictured below. Both these fishes are surface feeders and will happily take dried foods.
Photo by Shutterstock
In my native East Anglia, they are found in fenland drains, canals, rivers, lakes and large reservoirs, but will also be happy in a mature pond. It is important to provide depth to keep them cool in summer and away from any ice in winter.
You could still include a gang of Sticklebacks (two females per male is a good ratio) who will move around at lower levels, feeding on whatever macroinvertebrates they can catch. You could create a pond especially for this project, ideally with gently sloped banks, or you could retro-fit an existing pond.
Hottonia palustris in fenland habitat - Photo by Tai Strietman
The key will be to provide plenty of dense planting, with deep water plants, including waterlilies, and marginals such as flag irises and marsh marigolds. While stocked with fishes, the plentiful vegetation will still provide a habitat for other wildlife, attracting frogs, newts, damselflies and other invertebrates.
Flowing Raised Pond
At home I have a raised, two-part pond built from railway sleepers, with an upper pool spilling into a lower one, pictured below. The same effect could be achieved with bricks or a gently sloping, dug stream. A design around 4×1m (13×3.3') and 0.5-1m (1.6-3.3') deep provides plenty of room for native stream fishes.
Photo by Tai Strietman
The ponds are planted with the native yellow water-lily (Nuphar lutea), whose flowing underwater leaves, floating pads and bright flowers add interest throughout the season, alongside hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) and fringed water-lily (Nymphoides peltata). At present they're home to frogs and newts, with bogwood ladders allowing them to clamber in and out, although I hope to add sticklebacks once the pond has matured.
Photo by Tai Strietman
A flowing pond like this is also ideal for Eurasian minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus), pictured above, and the often-overlooked gudgeon (Gobio gobio), both of which appreciate well-oxygenated water. I came to appreciate these species while snorkelling in France's Dordogne, where dazzling shoals of minnows darted through beds of common water-crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis), an attractive native oxygenator that's equally at home in streams and ponds. Gudgeon, meanwhile, patrolled the gravel and sand in lively groups, constantly searching for food.
In the garden, gudgeon need good water movement, plenty of oxygen and a sandy or gravelly bottom, where they'll forage naturally while readily accepting sinking pellets. Dace also suit this type of pond, providing activity near the surface to complement the gudgeon's bottom-dwelling habits.
Photo by Shutterstock
With even stronger flow and abundant gravel, stones and pebbles, this setup can also accommodate two delightful stream specialists: stone loach (Barbatula barbatula), pictured above, and European bullhead (Cottus gobio), also known as Miller's Thumb. Both thrive in mature ponds rich in invertebrate life. Stone loaches often wriggle actively across the streambed, while the superbly camouflaged bullhead is much harder to spot – a challenge that's all part of their appeal.
Related article: Brighten up your garden pond.
A Large Native Pond
If you're fortunate enough to have space for a large pond, it can support a remarkable community of native fishes. While koi and goldfish are the obvious choices, Britain's own species are every bit as rewarding, while also being well adapted to our climate and contributing to a more natural garden ecosystem.
Related article: How to identify your koi carp: a complete guide to koi varieties.
A pond of at least 5×5m (16.4×16.4') and 1.5-2.5m (5-8.2') deep, planted with abundant marginal vegetation, waterlilies and oxygenating plants, offers plenty of possibilities. Alongside sticklebacks, dace and bleak, you could add rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus), whose coppery bodies and bright red fins make them one of our most attractive native fishes. Spending much of their time near the surface, they also help control duckweed. Roach (Rutilus rutilus), with their silvery bodies and red fins, favour deeper water, while ide (Leuciscus idus), if available, make impressive feature fish.
Photo by Shutterstock
The lower levels can be occupied by tench (Tinca tinca), pictured above, and our only native carp, the crucian carp (Carassius carassius). These gentle bottom-feeders help turn over the substrate as they forage, improving oxygen penetration and recycling nutrients that support aquatic plants such as hornwort and water soldier (Stratiotes aloides).
Photo by Tai Strietman
With abundant planting and sensible stocking levels, a pond like this may require little or no filtration. Introduce fish gradually, ideally in late spring or early summer after amphibians have bred, giving the pond time to establish a balanced ecosystem before winter.
No Garden, No Problem!
Not everyone has space for a stream or even a small garden pond, but that doesn't mean native fishes are out of reach. A simple outdoor aquarium can work surprisingly well.
A friend of mine converted a 150×55×55cm (60×22×22") aquarium into a miniature wildlife pond, mounting it on a homemade stand and filtering it with an air-driven Matten sponge filter. Stocked with three-spined sticklebacks, it soon became alive with dragonfly larvae, Daphnia and countless other aquatic invertebrates, providing the fish with a constant supply of natural food. When we eventually emptied the tank, we found healthy, full-bodied females alongside brilliantly coloured, red-throated breeding males.
Even a smaller aquarium can become a seasonal native fish display, making this an ideal summer project for anyone short on space. However large your garden, there's almost always a way to make room for Britain's remarkable native fishes.
Related article: How to build a Great British aquascape.
For a more in depth look into the UK's fishes, I highly recommend the following books:
Still Water - The Deep Life of the Pond by John Lewis-Stemple.
Freshwater Fishes of Britain by Jack Perks
Silver Shoals: Five Fish That Made Britain by Charles Rangeley-Wilson
British Water Plants (RHS) by S. M. Haslam, C. Sinker, and P. A. Wolseley
This article was first published in the September 2025 issue of Practical Fishkeeping.
We may earn a commission when you purchase through links on our site or emails, but rest assured, this never affects the products we recommend.