Jump to content

Community Outdoor Pond


awymorePDX
 Share

Recommended Posts

Is there any reason that you couldn't set up a pond the same way you would set up a community tank?

Im in Portland, so probably another month before I would set it up, and would run a sponge and a heater. I would transition into an aquarium in the fall once it cools down, and it would stay there long term. 

 

Im thinking Violet Cory's, Rummynose, Emerald Eye Ras, and some Apisto's

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, awymorePDX said:

Is there any reason that you couldn't set up a pond the same way you would set up a community tank?

Im in Portland, so probably another month before I would set it up, and would run a sponge and a heater. I would transition into an aquarium in the fall once it cools down, and it would stay there long term. 

 

Im thinking Violet Cory's, Rummynose, Emerald Eye Ras, and some Apisto's

 

Sounds reasonable. Never thought about running a heater, but it might work. Most tubers go for minimal equipment. We just run a sponge filter. But with some community fish, the temperature variance might get too extreme.

What fish were you thinking of?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, awymorePDX said:

 Im thinking Violet Cory's, Rummynose, Emerald Eye Ras, and some Apisto's

 

This is kind of killing 2 birds with one stone for me. Im still deciding exactly what I want to do for an aquarium for these guys, and I want to try the tub thing, as I have some aspirations of breeding some OB's, but that is a ways down the timeline for now

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, awymorePDX said:

Is there any reason that you couldn't set up a pond the same way you would set up a community tank?

Im in Portland, so probably another month before I would set it up, and would run a sponge and a heater. I would transition into an aquarium in the fall once it cools down, and it would stay there long term. 

 

Im thinking Violet Cory's, Rummynose, Emerald Eye Ras, and some Apisto's

 

No reason why it couldn't work. Just like a tank community, you would need to make sure your pond water parameters are compatible for all your community residents. I seem to recall that tetras and corys like soft, low pH water. Is that also true to rasboras and apistos? Also, you would need to check that all the residents are behaviorally compatible.

Some of the more delicate species may not survive the rigors of outdoor living. Remember, outdoor ponds are subject to more extreme environmental conditions—daytime/nighttime temperatures, sun/shade exposure, predation by animals, unseasonal cold snaps/heat waves, leaves/branches/dirt/fruit/whatever falling into the pond, etc. And depending on the size of your pond, gravel vacuuming may not be possible.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your summer pond might hold significantly more water than your winter tank. So you may have to make decisions about who gets to go inside when fall comes around. 

Not really a downside, but one thing I try to consider with my outdoor pond is whether any of my pond plants and animals could escape and become a problematic invasive species. Might a stray bit of invasive plant get picked up and carried to a local waterway by a visiting duck? Could a heavy thunderstorm cause my pond to overflow and spill the fish, inverts, and plants into a nearby creek or irrigation ditch? 

Let us know what you decide to do! 😎

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good points, thanks for the input!.....the "pond" will be a stock tank on my covered 2nd floor patio, so hopefully it will have minimal environmental issues to overcome.

I need to do some more research before I decide on final stocking, and I am flexible on it at this point. The pond will roughly match the size of aquarium everything will go to, and I'll do my stocking to reflect the size that the "forever" home will eventually be.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure if you've already considered this, but if you're getting adult fish for your pond, keep in mind they may be more likely to breed than they would indoors. Have a plan in mind for what you'll do if you end up with juvenile fish at the end of the season.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, awymorePDX said:

Good points, thanks for the input!.....the "pond" will be a stock tank on my covered 2nd floor patio, so hopefully it will have minimal environmental issues to overcome.

I need to do some more research before I decide on final stocking, and I am flexible on it at this point. The pond will roughly match the size of aquarium everything will go to, and I'll do my stocking to reflect the size that the "forever" home will eventually be.

Not sure what size pond you are planning, but keep in mind that a 100 gallon stick tank will weigh around 1000 lbs. If you are going 2nd floor, make sure your patio can hold the weight. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...