Advice please - is it possible to move a fish outdoors?

[Havanacat]

I have a goldfish, it's about 4 years old, in good health but really getting too big for it's tank. The filter has recently stopped working, so the water needs more changing than before. I need to get a new bigger tank and filter very soon, but I wondered if it would be possible, and humane, to move it outdoors to a pond.
My Mum has just dug one, so there is a nice new pond which I could move the fishy into, but I don't want to harm it be doing so. Would it be ok? Help!

Yes, it's fine to move goldfish outside if all the conditions are right. It's the right time of year to do it, so that's one box ticked.

What sort of goldfish is it? If it's a common goldfish, a comet (like a common goldfish but with slightly longer fins), or a shubunkin (same shape but gold, white and black) then these are breeds that will be fine outside. The fancy types with the fat bodies and long fins are not suited to outdoor living.

How big is the pond? It needs to be deep enough to escape from extreme weather and from predators. About a metre at the deepest part is needed, but it doesn't have to be that deep all the way around. Floating plants are a good idea too to provide shelter.

Hey, thanks for answering! I think fishy is a common goldfish. Pond is about 3 foot long, 2 foot wide, about a metre deep at its deepest point. So should be ok.
I've put in some elodia, a lily from my own pond and at the weekend I got a floating hyacynth for surface cover - there's a bit of that tiny floating weed too from my wildlife pond - think it's called duckweed? But I doubt that will grow much more now it's cooler.
I was browsing at my local garden centre and they had some freshwater mussels for sale, I had a chat with someone working there and they were suggesting these would be a good thing to have in a pond without filtration. Do you know anything about these? Are they a good idea do you think?

I don't think mussels will do much in the way of filtration. If he's the only fish then you might be OK without filtration but it's a good idea to add a fountain or something to increase oxygenation.

The water hyacinth isn't hardy so will die off at the first frost, but the duckweed will keep on going throughout winter.

Have you moved him over yet? What does he think?

Fishy is in the pond! He/she seems healthy and happy and it's great to see him swimming around and enjoying all the extra space.
Thanks for the tip about the hyacinth & I might look into a fountain, that would look nice as well. I've put in another plant too, to provide a bit more cover.

Aw, brilliant, hope he enjoys his new home. Keep an eye out for herons/cats just in case!

Did you go with the mussels in the end? I was wondering about getting some for my pond.