Sharon M Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 Has anyone tried this and if so, how did it go? I'm thinking about putting Neon Tetras (which I haven't obtained yet) outside this summer for a little vacation. I'd use a deep tub, filled with plants and a net on top. I live in a temperate region, but it gets warm in the summer. (Currently cycling a 20 gallon Blackwater for them. It's almost ready, just haven't had time to drive and buy them.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 I would probably not do neons since they can be a bit delicate. But guppies, white clouds, and rice fish are popular choices since they seem to tolerate wider condition ranges than many others. I’m sure others will chime in, too. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theplatymaster Posted February 8, 2023 Share Posted February 8, 2023 ive heard Platies and Swordtails do well outdoors. I am planning on move some platies out this spring myself. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon M Posted February 9, 2023 Author Share Posted February 9, 2023 On 2/8/2023 at 6:56 PM, Theplatymaster said: ive heard Platies and Swordtails do well outdoors. I am planning on move some platies out this spring myself. I like both of them, I just don't want to have a population explosion on my hands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyndi Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 In my region (Southeast USA) I think It would get too hot for neons. Water in a tub easily gets around 80 degrees. But maybe Cardinal tetra which look like neons but can tolerate hotter temps? Also, I love the look of neons in blackwater setups. I think this shows them off to their best advantage - can't wait to see pics! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon M Posted February 9, 2023 Author Share Posted February 9, 2023 Thank you Cyndi. I need to practice taking pics with my cell phone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Armstrong Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 On 2/8/2023 at 4:04 PM, Sharon M said: I like both of them, I just don't want to have a population explosion on my hands. Not sure tetras will be different. Just read last night about a guy who uses outside summer tubs to breed all sorts of tetras. If a fish is happy it'll breed, and babies seem to survive better outside (probably because lots of small live food and hiding spots are available). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Burke Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 I luv summer tubbing! I done plattys, goldfish, and mollys. I had great luck breeding the plattys, and the goldfish live in the tub year round. @Fish Folk bred some of the prettiest guppies as well. Highly recommended. here are a few links: 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Burke Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 I would love to try yellow labs, if my wife would let me move the goldfish out 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 (edited) @Sharon M You'll adore keeping fish outdoors once you get the hang of it. I absolutely recommend Dr. Ted Coletti's book The Tub Pond Handbook. You can learn everything you need to succeed from this little book. He has bred loads of tropical fish outside successfully. He outlines that near the end of the book with photos. First thing to learn is exactly what _gardening zone_ you live in. This will provide you with a window for when fish can be put outside, and when they need to be brought in: Next, you will want to invest in an appropriate tub / mini-pond / water garden. You can dig and line them. Or you can just buy a movable tub above ground. Lowes and Tractor Supply will have _some_ helpful items. Your LFS may also be able to order you things if you inquire about tubbing. But I have found that a local Landscape Supply store has _Everything_ I need to be a monster success. They have all sorts of pond starter equipment, floating plants, emerse-growth plants and marked by zone. I built these last summer... If you invest in larger mini ponds, you'll be able to achieve more stability. I recommend Tractor Supply. Look for the food-grade animal feed / stock tanks. I picked up a 40 gallon one recently. Most folks like the larger, 100-gal ones. I prefer smaller ones I can actually manage / move... What I do is make sure that they're outside all spring leading up to tubbing season proper in mid-June (which is when my gardening zone is safe for putting fish out). I like to fill up with aquarium water from inside to get the cycle started. Sunlight and outdoors does everything else needed. You can leave it bare, or put in substrate. I like a skiff of substrate. But leaves will eventually fall in, decay, and make a nice organic base for everything. Being outside for months allows mosquitoes and bugs to begin laying eggs in them. I rarely feed fish outside all summer. I throw my plants in from the garden center about a month in advance. Once I add my fish, they are headed into an amazing environment. Sunlight brings in loads of vitamins, and brings out colors that are hard to believe. Here are my guppies the week I brought them in after a few months outside last summer... I recommend choosing a location where you get no more than 50% sun at high noon. I even chalk-marked my back porch so that I wouldn't put them in direct sunlight at peak heat. My guppies can survive temperature swings from high 50-F up into the mid 90-F. I put in risers with holes in for my emersed plants to sit in top of. This allows the fish to find a very sheltered, dark place to hide in and stay cool. If you add a bit of air, you can keep Rainbow Shiners outside pretty easily. And you can start them outside a month earlier because they really do fine in low temps. I hope to try that this summer. Here is what mine are starting to look like as they put on color indoors this week... Edited February 9, 2023 by Fish Folk 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon M Posted February 9, 2023 Author Share Posted February 9, 2023 (edited) Thank you! These are great links, and you gave me some great advice. Your guppies and shiners look amazing too. Edited February 9, 2023 by Sharon M 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicohorse318 Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 Hi there! Summer tubbing/pond was so much fun for me last year - it was my first time with fish outdoors and thank goodness for this platform/forum! Everything went great. I threw a few of my Red Wag Platys (all males, I had too many indoors) and two males/three female Gold Guppies that I got from Bishop Aquatics. My goodness, those fish did AMAZING! The pond that my fiancé and I built is semi-inground - we used a preformed pond liner and dug it about 3/4s into the ground, then built rocks up around it. I believe @Ken Burkelinked my original blog posts somewhere in this thread, showing the building process. I should really update that! 😉 My pond even attracted some local frogs, who used it as their summer vacation spot - at any given time I had at least 2 frogs hanging out on the floating plants or just chillin in the water. The guppies bred like crazy - there was a constant supply of food between bugs, algae, plant matter, etc. that I often only fed the pond every two days, and even that was just a small sprinkle of Xtreme Krill Flakes. I did have a filter and only serviced it once all summer, and it did an excellent job keeping the water clean. I will post some photos later of the finished pond, and all my fish. I still have the guppies indoors now, as it gets much too cold to keep them outside in the winter. I can't wait to put them back out again this summer! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon M Posted February 9, 2023 Author Share Posted February 9, 2023 Sounds amazing Nicohorse318! I cannot wait to do it. I still have zero fish, b/c I'm getting my 20 Gallon long cycled for my new fish friends, neon tetras. By summer I will be set up. The only thing I worry about is dragonfly larvae! Love Dragonflies, but they are quite brutal towards fish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Expectorating_Aubergine Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 I've bred bettas outside before. I had HUNDREDS of bettas at the end of the season. Be sure you have a plan for the fish you're going to produce. Even if that plan is a hungry turtle. Tub responsibly my friends 👍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theplatymaster Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 @Fish Folk i have been looking to get that book. I want to start planning to tub some platies, but dont know what im doing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 On 2/12/2023 at 8:13 PM, Theplatymaster said: @Fish Folk i have been looking to get that book. I want to start planning to tub some platies, but dont know what im doing. What’s your Gardening zone number? I’m in 6. It is safe for fish by 2nd week of June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 On 2/12/2023 at 8:13 PM, Theplatymaster said: @Fish Folk i have been looking to get that book. I want to start planning to tub some platies, but dont know what im doing. All you need to do is buy a tub that is food-safe. Heavy-duty plastic Animal feeding bins from a farm supply shop are very good. Put in outside 2x months early. Drill a hole or two 1-inch down from the top edge to drain in case you get a flood. Place the tub in a location that will get 50% sun at high noon. Fill with tank water over the course of several water changes, starting 2x months early. 1x month from safe time, go to a local landscape store and buy floating hyacinths and / or Water lettuce. By your safe zone, Platies should do great! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theplatymaster Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 @Fish Folk by this chart it looks like im in 6or7 On 2/12/2023 at 9:23 PM, Fish Folk said: 1x month from safe time, go to a local landscape store and buy floating hyacinths and / or Water lettuce Can i just get Water Lettuce from my LFS? @Fish Folk by this chart it looks like im in 6or7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted February 13, 2023 Share Posted February 13, 2023 On 2/13/2023 at 5:51 AM, Theplatymaster said: @Fish Folk by this chart it looks like im in 6or7 Can i just get Water Lettuce from my LFS? @Fish Folk by this chart it looks like im in 6or7 You can get water lettuce anywhere. But unless your LFS has it growing outside, it will not be huge like you’d want for tubs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PlaneFishGuy Posted February 16, 2023 Share Posted February 16, 2023 I'm in my second season in North Alabama with a 100 gallon stock tank - Mosquito Fish and White Clouds are finishing up their second winter with multiple times icing over and of course the brutal Alabama heat in the summers. The first year I managed to over-winter CPDs then I removed them to go to a tank inside. I am going to look for something with more color to try this summer. My Frogbit has died off both seasons but returned each year despite no signs of life by the end of winter- I have to chuck it by the handful weekly near the end of summer. Hornwort has had some die back but seems to get enough relief with out inconsistent weather to stay strong. Bacopa and Java have died off, but I have green water so there is a chance there is some surviving below. The tank has become loaded with all kinds of small worms and water bugs so I only really feed flake because I enjoy it. after a year of not introducing anything new to the tanks I even had a Ramshorn snail boom appear in addition to the pond and bladder snails despite having no ramshorns anywhere in my other tanks. All i did was add some gravel, cinder blocks, some plants, and a spongefilter (that you can squeeze all kinds of creepy living things out of) and nature made a crazy ecosystem in less than a full year. All I really due is top off water every 2-3 weeks and I've been amazed at what they can survive in a more extreme natural setting. Its given me some more confidence at trying some more challenging fish indoors where things are pristine compared to the stock tanks. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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