YO - I NEED SOME INPUT

[Kuro]

Information in terms of Average Temperature for Nanaimo, BC.

http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/...1202+0011725G2
http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/...1200+0011725G2
http://www.worldclimate.com/cgi-bin/...1204+0011725G2

http://www.grc.k12.nf.ca/climatecanada/nanaimo.htm



Anyways, I was thinking of keeping guppies outside of my residence, as there is no room otherwise.

If I was to include a 200 W heater, maybe more than one as one could be a backup, what would you think?

The tank is a 50 gallon one...



Equipment
200 Watt heater - maybe more than one [backup]
50 gallon tank - maybe larger
bubbler
filter

Oh yeah, be nice and try to explain why it's not a good idea.... It's just common curtsey

You would hay to cover the tank as insects would lay there larva in the tank. Some larva would kill the guppys most are dangerest to all who's in the tank. Dragonfly larva is at the top of the list. It will eat it's way into the fish or attach itself to the fish and eat it from the outside in. Most insects can fit throw a covered tank in one place or another. I've had a outside tank for going on 2months now. Just when i start getting fry soething strt to eat them. I've had it covered with a number 9 scran. And there still getting throw. This is the smallest scran pattern you can buy that still allowes air and sunlight to get throw.

[justrelax]

i figure that if the avg. temp. in december and january is 38F, that could possibly mean that almost 35% of those days are below freezing. if you were going to do this, i'm sure you would want a whole bunch of heaters! or better yet, if you could somehow run the water into the house to a cannister filter with an inline heater AND have backup heaters in the tank, you may be successful. do you get snow at all? seems like an awful lot of variables to an already complicated hobby, imo.

[Kuro]

Originally Posted by justrelax

i figure that if the avg. temp. in december and january is 38F, that could possibly mean that almost 35% of those days are below freezing. if you were going to do this, i'm sure you would want a whole bunch of heaters! or better yet, if you could somehow run the water into the house to a cannister filter with an inline heater AND have backup heaters in the tank, you may be successful. do you get snow at all? seems like an awful lot of variables to an already complicated hobby, imo.

snow, sometimes and it only lasts a day if that

[joannde]

This is an interesting thought. I'd love a tank outside but since I'm in florida I'd have the opposite problem - it gets too hot, and a chiller would be a bit expensive.

I hadn't thought of the insect larve, but that's an excellent point. I believe guppies eat mosquito larve, but dragonfly and damselfly larve might be another story - you might want to look into that first.

I'd definitely vote that its an INTERESTING idea, but at this point I can't tell whether its good or bad, but I do hope it works out for you - I'd love to try it sometime myself.

[Devilishturtles]

Hmm. Line the back of your wall with heaters and it might work. You would have to constantly try and keep your water temperature (sometimes) 30-40 degrees F above the air temperature. I hope you have a LOT of money, because heaters are expensive to run and you would definitley need more than one.

I really think it would be a great idea...but since you don't live in a warm climate I just don't see it working, to be honest.

[Toirtis]

For the summer/fall, sure, but you will not be able to do this in the winter. Firstly, you do not want those heaters/filter/etc exposed to precipitation (they are designed for indoor use), and although the glass tank (if kept out of direct sun) may be fine in summer, it is not designed to be filled with warm water with an outside temp of freezing or below (besides, with the heaters running at full-blow 24/7...and the tank non-insulated in any fashion, your power bills would be brutal)...I can see the possibility of spectacular breakage. As well, for summer use, you would need to protect the tank against insect larvae and things like giant water bugs (which fly from body of water to body pof water) which would make quick work of your guppies.

However, if you wish to try this as a pond, you can, and it has been done right close to you: http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/...ange_pond.html

[Kuro]

thanks for the tips... I'll take them into consideration

[hc8719]

just relax- only 38f in january, i live in ohio and in winter, its not uncommon to see 6f