tomherndon
Aquarium Advice Activist
Apologies in advance for lack of photos!
So I'm not ready to dig a hole, trench water and wires to it, add a liner and call it a pond in my yard, but I needed a place for some classroom goldfish that were getting too large to go back to school every year (20 gal limit in my classroom (self imposed). And I really do want a dug in pond at some point.
I searched craigslist, etc for discarded tubs, but never found one that would work. Then I realized that the livestock suppliers (cows, etc) carried plastic troughs built for water that sit above ground. Rubbermaid makes a 50 and a 100 gallon. (maybe even larger)
These rigid tanks can be placed about anywhere with just some brick/rock beneath to level them. I purchased a 50gal for $70. The footprint is an oval about 4' long and less than 3' wide. It's about a foot deep.
I made a DIY filter by placing a pvc section with a t-fitting vertically in a small, thick plastic trashcan (with the T at the bottom) and then back filled the whole thing with river rock and cut a drain about an inch below the top with a male/female fitting to form a bulkhead that I fit a 5/8 ID plastic hose.
I included a small (80gph) pump (seated inside a caulked clay pot to prevent accidental emptying of the pool if any water line accident occurs) to lift water about 18 inches from the bottom of the pot to the top of the filter So I'm sure it's nowhere near 80gph.
There are three 4" common comets, a 3" shubunkin and a 3" sarasa (? white with orange splotches) comet enjoying it for now. I don't think can fairly add more. I'm estimating that I keep about 40+ gallons in the main pool with about a 2-3 gallon reservoir in the DIY filter.
I placed the whole setup on the NE side of the house which is also shaded by oaks whose lower limbs haven't been trimmed so it doesn't get direct sunlight and it's close enough to the exterior outlet that I can hook a surge protector into the outlet and hide the sockets under a plastic bin.
I turned over some clay pots and dishes IN the pond to give the fish some cover/hidey spots (looks like smurf village) and poured about 1/2" layer of natural gravel on the bottom.
I haven't put plants in yet. I was a little intimidated by the price of hardy lillies (native) at the local garden supplier and think I'll wait until spring.
NC winters haven't been very harsh lately and I think I can place a heater if things turn cold.
I really like the trough cause I can move the whole thing in an afternoon if I want OR if other changes occur, I can get all the hardware in the shed in less time.
any recommendations on plants for next spring and any other changes I should worry over?
So I'm not ready to dig a hole, trench water and wires to it, add a liner and call it a pond in my yard, but I needed a place for some classroom goldfish that were getting too large to go back to school every year (20 gal limit in my classroom (self imposed). And I really do want a dug in pond at some point.
I searched craigslist, etc for discarded tubs, but never found one that would work. Then I realized that the livestock suppliers (cows, etc) carried plastic troughs built for water that sit above ground. Rubbermaid makes a 50 and a 100 gallon. (maybe even larger)
These rigid tanks can be placed about anywhere with just some brick/rock beneath to level them. I purchased a 50gal for $70. The footprint is an oval about 4' long and less than 3' wide. It's about a foot deep.
I made a DIY filter by placing a pvc section with a t-fitting vertically in a small, thick plastic trashcan (with the T at the bottom) and then back filled the whole thing with river rock and cut a drain about an inch below the top with a male/female fitting to form a bulkhead that I fit a 5/8 ID plastic hose.
I included a small (80gph) pump (seated inside a caulked clay pot to prevent accidental emptying of the pool if any water line accident occurs) to lift water about 18 inches from the bottom of the pot to the top of the filter So I'm sure it's nowhere near 80gph.
There are three 4" common comets, a 3" shubunkin and a 3" sarasa (? white with orange splotches) comet enjoying it for now. I don't think can fairly add more. I'm estimating that I keep about 40+ gallons in the main pool with about a 2-3 gallon reservoir in the DIY filter.
I placed the whole setup on the NE side of the house which is also shaded by oaks whose lower limbs haven't been trimmed so it doesn't get direct sunlight and it's close enough to the exterior outlet that I can hook a surge protector into the outlet and hide the sockets under a plastic bin.
I turned over some clay pots and dishes IN the pond to give the fish some cover/hidey spots (looks like smurf village) and poured about 1/2" layer of natural gravel on the bottom.
I haven't put plants in yet. I was a little intimidated by the price of hardy lillies (native) at the local garden supplier and think I'll wait until spring.
NC winters haven't been very harsh lately and I think I can place a heater if things turn cold.
I really like the trough cause I can move the whole thing in an afternoon if I want OR if other changes occur, I can get all the hardware in the shed in less time.
any recommendations on plants for next spring and any other changes I should worry over?
