young minnows between 2 and 4 cm.
 The common minnow is a small native shoaling fish  common and widespread across the UK. It is found in small streams, rivers, lakes and sometimes ponds. Minnows are omnivorous and will eat  small creatures, including small aquatic insects, midge larvae, zooplankton and worms as well as some plant material. They can also be fed frozen bloodworm, daphnia, flake food floating or sinking pellets. Minnows live between 2 and 5 years depending on water conditions and a temperature of 12 - 20° c is preferred. With good availability of food they can reach a max size of 10cm, however a size of 5 to 7 cm is more common. They are the third smallest native fish after the 9 spine and 3 spine sticklebacks, which makes it highly suitable for small wildlife ponds. They are also easy to breed so you can create a self sustaining population in your pond.