Can I Put Fish in My Swimming Pool?

Some homeowners have some pretty radical ideas about their backyard swimming pools. We’ve even heard about one pool owner who wanted to make their swimming experience more realistic by stocking their pool with live fish.

This is a bad idea for a number of different reasons. While some homeowners are decorating their property with water effects featuring live fish — such as koi ponds — adding fish to your swimming pool is not the answer.

Pool Service Pompano Beach — Swimming Pool Water 

The biggest problem is that the water that is safe for humans to swim in is generally toxic to fish. The chemicals added to your water to keep it safe — such as chlorine — will kill any fish you add to your pool within minutes.

So how can humans and fish swim in the same water in oceans, lakes, and other natural bodies of water? It’s because these are much larger ecosystems than your backyard swimming pool. Plus, they generally don’t have harsh chemicals to keep them free from bacteria and other hazards.

Pool Service Pompano Beach — Swimming with the Fishes

If you want to swim with fish, try scuba diving or snorkeling. Not adding fish to your backyard swimming pool.

Or buy a few mechanical toy fish or some inflatable fish and use those instead of actual fish. Adding live fish to your pool will only kill them, which is cruel to the fish and a waste of your money.

If you truly want to enjoy having live fish at your home, buy a fish tank and maintain it according to the standards that are best for the fish. Or install a koi pond or fountain in your home that is safe for fish and not for humans.

But it’s a bad idea to add fish to your backyard pool. Unfortunately, swimming pools and fish don’t mix.