Beginner Outdoor Tubbing

[Mike]

Having aquariums indoors is fun and all, but I really enjoy being outside in my gardens. I want to have fish there too when I'm pruning, weeding, and planting. I have some spawn-happy white clouds and trapdoor snails that I eventually want to move to an outdoor tub. I'm thinking something like this Tuff Stuff 110 gallon for the tub:

I already have a bunch of water lettuce, water hyacinth, and western waterweed I can toss in there. I'll also add some aeration with a sponge filter + airstone hooked up to a co-op USB pump powered by a solar cell + battery. I'll have it in a location where it will receive 3 hours or less of direct sunlight and I'll probably partially bury it or mound up some dirt on the sides to insulate it a bit and plant around it.

Given all that, I have some questions:

1. How do I prepare the tub for winter? (I live in Seattle. We have mild winters but do occasionally drop below freezing. Hardiness zone 8b)
2. Are my light levels going to be an issue in the summer for heat?
3. What are some good resources (YouTube, blogs, forums, books) for beginners on this topic?
4. What have I not thought about?

[Streetwise]

This forum is already a great resource for tubs. Lots of us have threads on the topic. With all the tagging that goes on, they should be easy to find. Cory's thread would be a great jumping off point, as many of the folks in there will have their own tub journals, and you can click those tags too.

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Streetwise