CalmedByFish Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 I'm having fun thinking through how to have an outdoor pond, but I have no access to electricity outdoors. Anything powered would have to be solar. Is it always necessary to have powered filtration, aeration, water movement, etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 I don't have powered filtration, aeration, etc in my ponds and I am happy with them. Admittedly, I do have a low threshold for happiness. 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenman Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 My pond has no power to it and it does fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalmedByFish Posted March 10, 2021 Author Share Posted March 10, 2021 Great to hear! Do you guys do anything with solar power? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Not the kind your thinking of. For me it is mainly just using the sun to grow a lot of hornwort. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cmike15 Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Exactly, hornwort and other plants can do the filtration. You just need lots of them if you plan on adding fish like I plan on doing this summer with a solar powered either bubbler or mini fountain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalmedByFish Posted March 10, 2021 Author Share Posted March 10, 2021 Does that mean hornwort is particularly good at filtration and hard to kill? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 13 minutes ago, CalmedByFish said: Does that mean hornwort is particularly good at filtration and hard to kill? yes, floating plants in general that grow and multiply quickly. They also provide shade and cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celly Rasbora Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 4 hours ago, Daniel said: Admittedly, I do have a low threshold for happiness. The secret of life. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilkyb Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Something you can try to circulate the water without electricity is the Trompe. Look up on YouTube Trompe device & there’s a great video explaining how it works. Essentially it is an inexpensive add-on to your garden hose that produces air bubbles via water flow & gravity. Whenever your sprinklers are running in the yard then air bubbles will be produced by the Trompe device. Run an air line from the Trompe air output into your pond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 For those of you who don’t use electricity—how deep are your ponds? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriendlyLoach Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 I think it should be fine, but it would be so much better with a solar powered pump. I use AEO solar water pumps. Just make sure the solar panel if makes the right amount of electricity and make sure you get a dc pump. You could also use a bilge pump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 29 minutes ago, Hobbit said: For those of you who don’t use electricity—how deep are your ponds? As shallow as 2 feet for the large aquarium overflow pond that has cherry shrimp year round: Up to 4 feet deep on the bigger one with rice fish and Daphnia in it. Before rice fish: After rice fish: Daphnia: 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celly Rasbora Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 1 hour ago, FriendlyLoach said: I think it should be fine, but it would be so much better with a solar powered pump. I use AEO solar water pumps. Just make sure the solar panel if makes the right amount of electricity and make sure you get a dc pump. You could also use a bilge pump. I've always wanted to do that, but I'm not handy and it seems too complicated to me. Is there a guide for someone like me with zero understanding of what you even said just now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CT_ Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 (edited) 7 hours ago, Daniel said: Admittedly, I do have a low threshold for happiness. This I think is the secret to living. I'm still working on it though 🙂 Edited March 10, 2021 by CT_ typo 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 16 hours ago, CalmedByFish said: I'm having fun thinking through how to have an outdoor pond, but I have no access to electricity outdoors. Anything powered would have to be solar. Is it always necessary to have powered filtration, aeration, water movement, etc? I set up a summer-season-only outdoor pond, a plastic kiddie pool. It is quite shallow, maybe 10 inches deep. I estimate it holds about 125-130 gallons. The pond is in the shade, to help smooth out temperature fluctuations. The solar fountain output splashes into a trickle sump filter made from a large planter trough sitting on cinder blocks. The solar panel was shaded during this photo; for at least 6 hours during the day, the outflow reaches 12 inches high, easily clearing the top of the sump filter. The splashing adds aeration. The large pots have fiber wicks that extend from the drainage holes into the water, to help draw water and nutrients into the pots. The water draining from the sump filter creates a gentle, but definite, clockwise current. Otherwise, there is no water movement. There is no substrate because the dogs would just stir everything up and cloud the water. The water is dark because the coconut coir in the sump filter leached out tannins. Last summer, this no-electricity pond housed a thriving and multiplying community of guppies, hornwort, American frogbit, pond snails, and Neocaridina shrimp. In the fall, I brought everyone (well, almost everyone) inside, where I am keeping them in tanks until the weather warms up. Not aesthetically what you are looking for, but you get the idea. 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 51 minutes ago, Celly Rasbora said: I've always wanted to do that, but I'm not handy and it seems too complicated to me. Is there a guide for someone like me with zero understanding of what you even said just now? I bought a solar fountain kit online for $125. This one is 20 W, 360GPH and comes with everything I needed—solar panel, wiring, output tube. The key is not to go too cheap, or you will discover the pump isn't strong enough to lift the water high enough for whatever DIY project you might have in mind. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celly Rasbora Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Thanks, I have found that the phrase ‘you get what you pay for’ to be true most of the time. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriendlyLoach Posted March 10, 2021 Share Posted March 10, 2021 Yeah something like this, if you don't trust your knowledge to piece it together you can buy a kit. https://www.amazon.com/AEO-Solar-Water-Pump-KIT/dp/B07NQZMWRD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalmedByFish Posted March 15, 2021 Author Share Posted March 15, 2021 On 3/10/2021 at 2:53 PM, Anita said: I set In the fall, I brought everyone (well, almost everyone) inside, where I am keeping them in tanks until the weather warms up. I just read your "almost everyone" saga. Sheesh! No fun. I'll heed the warning. By the way, the species you listed are almost exactly what I'd like to try. 🙂 This year will be my first attempt, so I'm pretty sure the only animal will be Malaysian Trumpet Snails - a low-pressure way to get the hang of it. But hey, next year I might have a lively pond, similar to yours! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anita Posted March 15, 2021 Share Posted March 15, 2021 32 minutes ago, CalmedByFish said: I just read your "almost everyone" saga. Sheesh! No fun. I'll heed the warning. By the way, the species you listed are almost exactly what I'd like to try. 🙂 This year will be my first attempt, so I'm pretty sure the only animal will be Malaysian Trumpet Snails - a low-pressure way to get the hang of it. But hey, next year I might have a lively pond, similar to yours! Yes, please learn from my mistakes! Your pond residents will thank you. 🐟🌿🐌 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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