Meowtroid Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 Cory mentioned in an old livestream that outdoor mini ponds are perfect for renters like myself, and I realized one of the mini ponds Dean has set up is the perfect size for my little balcony. Not entirely sure what's going to go in it yet, though I really would like to try rice fish, but PHEW getting this hefty old whiskey barrel planter up three floors was a workout! Anyone else ever do mini ponds on an apartment balcony before? I'm going to be happy not to have to worry about raccoons. 🦝 Old Mini Pond livestream: One of many Dean videos showcasing his mini ponds: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katherine Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 On 5/28/2022 at 7:22 PM, Meowtroid said: I'm going to be happy not to have to worry about raccoons. 🦝 I wouldn't bet on that. We used to get raccoons on our second floor balcony all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meowtroid Posted May 29, 2022 Author Share Posted May 29, 2022 On 5/28/2022 at 8:36 PM, Katherine said: I wouldn't bet on that. We used to get raccoons on our second floor balcony all the time. Wow!! I think because we have a lot of light in our courtyard outside and the way our balconies are built the odds of them getting to a third story balcony are small, but that's nuts. Were there trees they were able to scale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katherine Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 On 5/28/2022 at 7:38 PM, Meowtroid said: Wow!! I think because we have a lot of light in our courtyard outside and the way our balconies are built the odds of them getting to a third story balcony are small, but that's nuts. Were there trees they were able to scale? Nope, they climbed right up the wooden posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick_G Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 Last season I kept a small summer tub on the deck. It was a lot of fun. I was amazed at how many guppy fry were produced in just a few months. I’m thinking of trying Swordtails if the weather cooperates this year. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meowtroid Posted May 29, 2022 Author Share Posted May 29, 2022 On 5/28/2022 at 9:10 PM, Patrick_G said: Last season I kept a small summer tub on the deck. It was a lot of fun. I was amazed at how many guppy fry were produced in just a few months. I’m thinking of trying Swordtails if the weather cooperates this year. That would be awesome! I personally haven't had much interest in keeping live-bearers, if only because I grew up with them so I'm a little bored of them, but swordtails and endlers have always been exceptions that I've considered. What sort of weather do you hope for when it comes to swordtails outside? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineSong Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 On 5/28/2022 at 11:49 PM, Meowtroid said: What sort of weather do you hope for when it comes to swordtails outside? I'm not Patrick G, but I live in the lower midwest and put my swordtails out about two weeks ago, when daytime temps were in the high 70's at least and nights were above 55 for the most part. My pond is 110 gallons and does not have a heater but is not far from a couple of brick walls that no doubt retain some heat. So far, so good. They are out there with guppies and white clouds and they are bold and eating actively--they will jump up onto leaves to eat food that has fallen on the leaf--so I believe they are doing well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boca Betta Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 Hi! Is that the MacCourt preformed liner? I have one but haven't been able to find a barrel it fits in properly. Do you mind sharing what barrel you're using there with it? I'm planning on rice fish myself if I can find some! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 Yes I have had the itch myself. Thinking about getting a tub myself and give some feeder goldfish a good home. I have a small patio like this at my apt to. I really have everything I need other than a tub. Let me know how yours goes and I'll check in with mine when I get it going. Where did you find the barrel at? Would love that over just a plain tub 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 I'm trying to figure out how I can get power to an air pump to keep a sponge filter going for it. I don't have an exterior outlet to plug into. And I can't run an extension cord out of my windows. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meowtroid Posted June 4, 2022 Author Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 9:15 PM, Boca Betta said: Hi! Is that the MacCourt preformed liner? I have one but haven't been able to find a barrel it fits in properly. Do you mind sharing what barrel you're using there with it? I'm planning on rice fish myself if I can find some! On 6/3/2022 at 9:19 PM, Uttjrt3 said: Yes I have had the itch myself. Thinking about getting a tub myself and give some feeder goldfish a good home. I have a small patio like this at my apt to. I really have everything I need other than a tub. Let me know how yours goes and I'll check in with mine when I get it going. Where did you find the barrel at? Would love that over just a plain tub Yes, it is the MacCourt 20gallon preformed pond liner! I got mine at Lowe's, they're about $25 so not bad at all. As for the barrel, I did a search for whiskey barrels in the same dimensions and Home Depot had some available so I went about five miles down the road to look. The /only/ thing that I was able to test fit perfectly was a repurposed genuine Jack Daniel's whiskey barrel planter. It looks amazing but I should warn you - it was very heavy and carrying it to a third floor apartment was hell, and because it was repurposed from actual materials used to make whiskey, the barrel rings are rusty and don't hold as tight. For decoration purposes, though, it is perfect. The one I got from Home Depot was about $40, but honestly I should have asked them to knock the price down a bit since it was in kinda poor shape. If I'd been a little more patient, I probably could've found a cheaper one on Craigslist as Dean suggested in his video 🤣 A warning on feeder goldfish - if they're comets, they get to be pretty massive! I have a Shubunkin I adopted that needed a bigger home and right now I've got her in a 75gallon tank and even that isn't big enough for her. If I can ever swing it, I want to upgrade her to a 300gallon. Comets get about the same size! Here's the mini pond as of this past Sunday. There's a large Aquarium Co-Op sponge filter in here with black airline tubing. In this picture I had it running with the only spare air pump I had on hand which was a Tetra air pump that was way too heavy duty, I've since replaced it with another nano usb air pump - the tupperware container is to protect it from the elements and will be hidden by some potted plants. There's a very thin amount of gravel inside just for beneficial bacteria and to make it look a little less plain, there's a piece of drift wood with some extra anubias nana petite and a sprig of a mini bolbitis I had laying around, with a little bit of extra Subwassertang just chucked in at the bottom. The salvinia minima on top is from my chili rasbora tank, while I purchased the water hyacinth, broad leaf watersprite, and some frog bit from a local fish store. There's also some anacharis in there I got from the local fish store for good measure. It's dosed very heavily with Easy Green right now, nitrites and nitrates off the charts. I'm trying to get algae to grow but the one downside to my little balcony is that it's north-facing means it gets very little sunlight!! Here's hoping by around July it'll be growing like crazy and ready for fish. Maybe by then I'll even manage to actually /find/ some rice fish, hah! 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 9:48 PM, Uttjrt3 said: I'm trying to figure out how I can get power to an air pump to keep a sponge filter going for it. I don't have an exterior outlet to plug into. And I can't run an extension cord out of my windows. I've found that mine do not need a sponge filter or air. As long as you're not in constant direct sun, and as long as you set up your tubs so that they'll have shaded / covered areas, and so long as their surface space is generally greater than depth, you'll be fine. Here are some photos of mine so far this season... And here's how the Guppies color up on the natural sunlight with ample mosquito larvae to eat... 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meowtroid Posted June 4, 2022 Author Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 9:48 PM, Uttjrt3 said: I'm trying to figure out how I can get power to an air pump to keep a sponge filter going for it. I don't have an exterior outlet to plug into. And I can't run an extension cord out of my windows. Wish I could help! My balcony has two outlets for exterior power. An extension cord would likely be your best bet, but I'm not sure how you'd run it outside without having an open door or window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 10:09 PM, Fish Folk said: I've found that mine do not need a sponge filter or air. As long as you're not in constant direct sun, and as long as you set up your tubs so that they'll have shaded / covered areas, and so long as their surface space is generally greater than depth, you'll be fine. Here are some photos of mine so far this season... And here's how the Guppies color up on the natural sunlight with ample mosquito larvae to eat... I think I have a pretty good balance of sun and shade. I have a balcony above me as well to block some full direct sun so it may still be able to work. Do you ever do any water changes? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boca Betta Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 Thanks so much! I tried the Jack Daniels barrel myself but I felt like the bottom of the liner didn't touch the bottom of the barrel which worried me. Maybe I can get that plus some levelling sand to build a foundation within the barrel. Thanks again for your help! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meowtroid Posted June 4, 2022 Author Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 10:15 PM, Boca Betta said: Thanks so much! I tried the Jack Daniels barrel myself but I felt like the bottom of the liner didn't touch the bottom of the barrel which worried me. Maybe I can get that plus some levelling sand to build a foundation within the barrel. Thanks again for your help! Oh that doesn't seem like a bad idea! I didn't bother if only because Dean didn't bother with his, and I'm willing to copy just about anything Dean does if it's worked for him hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 10:14 PM, Uttjrt3 said: I think I have a pretty good balance of sun and shade. I have a balcony above me as well to block some full direct sun so it may still be able to work. Do you ever do any water changes? I actually chalked-lined out exactly where the shade line fell at mid-day in order to reposition my tubs... I use plant holders, invert them, cut holes for fish to swim into and out of, and submerse... I reference this book quite frequently too. Dr. Coletti came and spoke at our fish club just a few months ago. His presentation really helped me this year... 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boca Betta Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 10:23 PM, Fish Folk said: I actually chalked-lined out exactly where the shade line fell at mid-day in order to reposition my tubs... I use plant holders, invert them, cut holes for fish to swim into and out of, and submerse... I reference this book quite frequently too. Dr. Coletti came and spoke at our fish club just a few months ago. His presentation really helped me this year... Are those the resin/plastic barrels you're using? They look great 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meowtroid Posted June 4, 2022 Author Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 10:23 PM, Fish Folk said: I actually chalked-lined out exactly where the shade line fell at mid-day in order to reposition my tubs... I use plant holders, invert them, cut holes for fish to swim into and out of, and submerse... I reference this book quite frequently too. Dr. Coletti came and spoke at our fish club just a few months ago. His presentation really helped me this year... That handbook looks amazing!! I'll have to order it! I'm always looking for more literature in the hobby - gotta clear my bookshelves of stuff I don't need/read so I can make room for good stuff like this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meowtroid Posted June 4, 2022 Author Share Posted June 4, 2022 Actually @Fish Folk you reminded me with your inverted planted pots, Tanner Serpa did something just like that for his indoor guppy pond which also has no filter. I considered doing something like this at one point but with apartment living I don't have any space really for using power tools like diamond tipped drills, unfortunately. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 10:35 PM, Boca Betta said: Are those the resin/plastic barrels you're using? They look great Yes. I got mine at Tractor Supply. The plastic is flimsy though, and can easily crack. I repaired one today that cracked over winter... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Burke Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 5/29/2022 at 6:49 PM, PineSong said: I'm not Patrick G, but I live in the lower midwest and put my swordtails out about two weeks ago, when daytime temps were in the high 70's at least and nights were above 55 for the most part. My pond is 110 gallons and does not have a heater but is not far from a couple of brick walls that no doubt retain some heat. So far, so good. They are out there with guppies and white clouds and they are bold and eating actively--they will jump up onto leaves to eat food that has fallen on the leaf--so I believe they are doing well. Is it time for an update pic of pinesong’s tub? Yes it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineSong Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/3/2022 at 11:13 PM, Ken Burke said: Is it time for an update pic of pinesong’s tub? Yes it is. LOL, you asked for it.The water has been between 80 and 90 all week. So far, all fish seem fine although something got into the pond one night and knocked the pot of creeping jenny and red tiger lily off the bricks it was sitting on. I made a DIY umbrella stand so the fish can have some shade. Neither of the Lowe's water lilies is showing any sign of growth that I can see 😞 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 (edited) @PineSong love that!! We set up one more tub yesterday, and our first water hyacinth of the season is starting to bloom… Edited June 4, 2022 by Fish Folk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Burke Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 On 6/4/2022 at 7:02 AM, PineSong said: LOL, you asked for it.The water has been between 80 and 90 all week. So far, all fish seem fine although something got into the pond one night and knocked the pot of creeping jenny and red tiger lily off the bricks it was sitting on. I made a DIY umbrella stand so the fish can have some shade. Neither of the Lowe's water lilies is showing any sign of growth that I can see 😞 I like the planted umbrella stand! On 6/4/2022 at 7:23 AM, Fish Folk said: @PineSong love that!! We set up one more tub yesterday, and our first water hyacinth on the season is starting to bloom… B e utiful! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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