Summer Tubs Recap

[Aquatic Journal]

I kept four tubs outside this summer. No filter, no air, just a bunch of plants. These are 55 gallon drums just cut in half. Super cheap to setup and hold about 25 gallons. I kept red swordtails, guppies, cherry barbs, and furcata rainbowfish.

The egg scatters I had no success with the fish I put outside I brought back inside. Their colors definitely got better and they got much fatter but I did not get any fry! I think next year I will use bigger rocks at the bottom to allow the eggs to fall through and try and grow a lot more guppy grass or even try and grow hair algea! 

The guppies I have had a hard time with since I got them. Most guppies I can’t get to live more than 8 months. I put 9 guppies out and I brought in 11. However, none of the original 9 made it through the summer. Only the fry survived. I ended up pulling out some platinum guppies. I put in green cobra, blue neon, and purple dragon. So I got mitts that I think are more beautiful then the ones I put out. I will give them more cover next year and hope to have better success.

 

On the most positive note I put out 3 swordtails at the beginning of the year and pulled out 39. Many are already 1-1.5 inches. And then maybe 10 new fry! I am super happy with how they turned out!

 

If you haven’t done summer tubing I highly recommend you try it next summer! 

[aquachris]

Awesome.. I'm really thinking about doing something like this next year if I get enough plant growth over the winter lol.  

[Aquatic Journal]

27 minutes ago, aquachris said:

Awesome.. I'm really thinking about doing something like this next year if I get enough plant growth over the winter lol.  

Hopefully we will get to have club meetings before next summer and I can get some good coverage plants from meetings and auctions! 

[aquachris]

That's kind of what I'm hoping 🙂  I haven't been to them, but I heard its the place to go to get this kinda stuff.