Pool/Pond Experiment Journal

[MattyIce]

Turned my Grandparents neglected unused 4 foot deep 16 X 32 pool into a no filtration pond earlier this year.

I have several planted tanks that lead to the need for a tank for trimmings, and then a second tank for trimmings, and then a third tank for trimmings, and then i just started dumping extra trimmings into an outdoor 100 gallon rubbermaid mini pond which was already full of water Hyacynth and other plants.

I cleaned out the pool and filled it with about 6 inches of well water, transfered about 25 water hyacynths, about a pound of duck weed, a good amount of guppy grass, and lots of other random clippings.

It has been about 2 months now and it hasn't completely failed so I'm making a photo journal about it.

Unfortunately these are the oldest photos I have, they are from about a month after I first cleaned the pool, late July/Early August:






These are from about a week and a half ago, thanks to rain the pool is about 1.5 feet full and my Dwarf Aquarium lily is blooming:

Trying to do a Time Lapse of the flower opening:

And here are some pictures from Today, 2 of my water hyacinth have bloomed:

 

 

Edited August 25, 2020 by MattyIce

[Alesha]

Ohhhh...the hyacinths are beautiful!!! You've got some really nice growth going on in that pool!

[Andy's Fish Den]

That is cool! I keep telling my wife and kids that if they don't use our pool more, that I'm going to turn it into a pond next spring.

[Dawn]

Me too!!!

[Taylor Blake]

Do you have any fish in their? And if not do you have plans to add some and what kind?

[MattyIce]

5 hours ago, Taylor Blake said:

Do you have any fish in their? And if not do you have plans to add some and what kind?

I had some issues with an indoor tank while I was away a little over a month ago, had 7 rice fish, was left with just one. 

I was out in the pool/pond the other day and noticed an orange glint, found a mature male rice fish out there.  with it mature id say no way it was an egg that hatched, I think at some point prior to the die off, i scooped him up with some plants and didn't notice it and he has been out there for at least a month.

I caught him, put him in quarantine, gave him some Prozi, fins are a little rough but hes eating good, normal poop, probably going to move him with the other rice fish soon.

Really glad to find another of my rice fish is still alive and surprised he survived out there.

Around the same time I noticed the rice fish I also found a mosquito fish, probably got caught in horn wort or guppy grass while moving excess out to the pool/pond.



With the experience of trying to catch the rice fish, it makes me wary of winter and having to catch out any fish I put in the pool/pond, i live in Pennsylvania and winters can be cold.

The other issue is Dragon Fly nymphs, with out a mesh there are tons of them and no real predators.



I am thinking about putting some Mosquito Fish out there since i have lots, they breed like crazy and i know there is already one surviving out there.  

I am also thinking about ways to keep the water from freezing solid in the winter, maybe a green house type pool cover, if I can get something like that set up I was also thinking about trying to over winter some PA native blue gill, with the blue gills hopefully serving as a predator for the dragon fly nymphs.

Edited August 26, 2020 by MattyIce

[Taylor Blake]

4 hours ago, MattyIce said:

I had some issues with an indoor tank while I was away a little over a month ago, had 7 rice fish, was left with just one. 

I was out in the pool/pond the other day and noticed an orange glint, found a mature male rice fish out there.  with it mature id say no way it was an egg that hatched, I think at some point prior to the die off, i scooped him up with some plants and didn't notice it and he has been out there for at least a month.

I caught him, put him in quarantine, gave him some Prozi, fins are a little rough but hes eating good, normal poop, probably going to move him with the other rice fish soon.

Really glad to find another of my rice fish is still alive and surprised he survived out there.

Around the same time I noticed the rice fish I also found a mosquito fish, probably got caught in horn wort or guppy grass while moving excess out to the pool/pond.



With the experience of trying to catch the rice fish, it makes me wary of winter and having to catch out any fish I put in the pool/pond, i live in Pennsylvania and winters can be cold.

The other issue is Dragon Fly nymphs, with out a mesh there are tons of them and no real predators.



I am thinking about putting some Mosquito Fish out there since i have lots, they breed like crazy and i know there is already one surviving out there.  

I am also thinking about ways to keep the water from freezing solid in the winter, maybe a green house type pool cover, if I can get something like that set up I was also thinking about trying to over winter some PA native blue gill, with the blue gills hopefully serving as a predator for the dragon fly nymphs.

White clouds would probably be fine year round if you have some air going and having dojo loaches if legal where you are would keep invertebrate predators in check and would be fine year round as well 

[MattyIce]

1 hour ago, Taylor Blake said:

White clouds would probably be fine year round if you have some air going and having dojo loaches if legal where you are would keep invertebrate predators in check and would be fine year round as well 

Trying to go no filter/air, I don't want anything electric running out there and I like White clouds too much, if it gets cold and i lose a dozen white clouds I'm going to be more depressed than if it gets cold and I lose a dozen mosquito fish.  next year though, going to do rice fish and white clouds, try to start by May and breed hundreds.

I had gotten interested in the Dojo loach a little while back, and was thinking about getting some for an indoor tank, but never ended up doing it.  They are Legal in PA and Aqua Huna has a 4 pack for 30$, Id say there is a strong a strong chance i will go with that if i figure out some things to help with over wintering.

Put in about 30 mosquito fish earlier today:

[Taylor Blake]

11 hours ago, MattyIce said:

Trying to go no filter/air, I don't want anything electric running out there and I like White clouds too much, if it gets cold and i lose a dozen white clouds I'm going to be more depressed than if it gets cold and I lose a dozen mosquito fish.  next year though, going to do rice fish and white clouds, try to start by May and breed hundreds.

I had gotten interested in the Dojo loach a little while back, and was thinking about getting some for an indoor tank, but never ended up doing it.  They are Legal in PA and Aqua Huna has a 4 pack for 30$, Id say there is a strong a strong chance i will go with that if i figure out some things to help with over wintering.

Put in about 30 mosquito fish earlier today:

Dojo are not legal up here in Minnesota because they can over winter here. I also have fellow fish keeper friends who have the gold white clouds out year round in a pond with a air and a sponge They do fine as long as the water doesn't freeze all the way through. I've never kept rice fish up here but I'm sure they will do fine for you once you get a population going. How cold dose it get and how long dose it last?

[MattyIce]

2 hours ago, Taylor Blake said:

Dojo are not legal up here in Minnesota because they can over winter here. I also have fellow fish keeper friends who have the gold white clouds out year round in a pond with a air and a sponge They do fine as long as the water doesn't freeze all the way through. I've never kept rice fish up here but I'm sure they will do fine for you once you get a population going. How cold dose it get and how long dose it last?

we usually get 1 -2 weeks straight where it doesn't get above mid 20's and is in the singles at night, every other winter or so.

My friends have a 1/4 acre pond and most years it gets frozen solid enough to take a car out on it.

Edited August 27, 2020 by MattyIce

[bryanisag]

What a cool project. Is there a reason you don't fill the pool up more? A deep pool would likely not freeze to the bottom and white clouds or rice fish would do fine through the winter I think