Small outdoor stock tank pond without filtration?

[kfelton22]

So I aquired a large number of comet goldfish (baitfish) and have rehomed all but 5 of which I intend to keep. How I aquired them is a long story, but for the short version we were going fishing, saw a sign advertising goldfish at the bait store.. saw the goldfish and wanted some.. got a tank and the rest is history. I wanted 4 and the man gave me 18-20 because he figured since they were pond raised most of them wouldn't live. Well they all lived. Trying to keep my 55 gallon aquarium clean with just the 5 comets was impossible and the nitrite spikes were killing me with 25-50% water changes daily upward to even 75% water changes occasionally when the nitrites would climb to 5ppm and up. My tank is about mid-cycle.. little to no ammonia and nitrates of about 5ppm.

Sorry for all the backstory!!

Anyway, we have 3 large 110 gallon rubbermaid stock tanks we used to use as baby chicken brooders. I cleaned one thoroughly and filled it with tapwater with the hose, put water conditioner in and moved 3 of the largest comets (5-6 inches each) outside to see if my water conditions in my aquarium would improve with just the 2 smaller 3.5 inch comets. I put two stems of anacharis in the stock tank to start as a trial to see if the goldfish would leave them alone for them to grow and when my husband and I go fishing next weekend I am going to get a few hydrilla plants to put in the tank for filtration and oxygenation. I don't want anything pretty, just practical to keep the fish alive. I am rather fond of the largest female comet as she is very beautiful and I haven't seen a goldfish with her colors/pattern. My question is... can I keep the goldfish in the stock tank with plants only and no other means of filtration or oxygenation aside from weekly water changes? I added about 4 gallons of water from my 15 gallon plant tank that is well cycled. I figured the bacteria would help to give the tank a nice jump start toward cycling.

I am rather new at the whole fish keeping biz and would have never attemped to keep such a large number of comets in an aquarium had I known better.

Any suggestions/input/advice would be appreciated!

Thank you!!

 

[jlk]

Hi! Unfortunately, your comets will turn most plants into dinner entrees. Actual filtration means will be a necessity with messy fish that grow big very quickly. Plants simply will not be sufficient by themselves (assuming they survive). Please do not hesitate to ask questions!

 

[kfelton22]

Hydrilla grows like scary fast and I don't think even goldfish could even make a dent in its growth. They haven't even bothered to touch the two stems of anacharis I am letting free float in the tank. I have no intention of dropping a ton of money on a pond filter but wouldn't mind getting one if I could find a small one under say $50. I've already invested way too much lately into my indoor tanks with new lighting, new filters, plants, etc. My husband would kill me. I am going to experiment with the hydrilla in the tank. If I can't keep the tank parameters in check I will probably just rehome them to a nice local pond. I would love to keep the fish until I save up enough to build an actual pond for them, which has always been something I wanted to do.

 

[henningc]

Well you have taken an easy stock tank project and made it a bit more tricky with the comets. Based on my experience here is my advise:

First a Magnum HOT filter will work fine and you can likely find a used one here or on Aquabid for $50 or under. Another way to go, or stuff to add cheaply, is to get a small air pump and rig up a cheap box corner filter with carbon, gravel and floss. Change the floss 1-2 times weekly and the carbon every 2-3 weeks. You can get a 2 way gang valve and also run a sponge filter off the air-I use sponge rated for 125gal they are $14.

Next make sure to give these guys shade as they can overheat. Using an air pump really helps with this as well. You can also toss in a filled with water frozen milk jug, I rotate mine on super hot days.

Green food, get a bag of frozen peas, some fresh green beans, a bunch of kale. Blanch all the peas and green beans and freeze in small serving sizes, you can toss them in with ice or frozen in ice the fish won't care. Just make sure you cut the green beans up into small enough pieces for the goldfish to swollow. The Kale needs to be blanched and fed every 2-3 days.

I would do a 10% water change daily while the filters prime. I raise Endlers, Swords, Platys, Least Killies, Corys and Crayfish in these kinds of tanks all the time-even as we speak. My first year I did not use air or filtration and everything turned out fine. Over the next year or so I discovered the differences in reproduction and growth rates associated with filtration, air, shade, etc.....

Best of luck and P.M. me if you have questions. Also other than a used Magnum HOT you can get the rest at Ken's or FartMart.

 

[NatureFish]

You should get a pond pump and wrap a piece of sponge filter media around it and use it as a filter. That's what I have in the 300 gallon fountain full of fancy goldfish and comets I have.


NatureFish
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[enrgizerbunny]

I have hydrilla in my indoor tank, it doesn't grow as fast as you'd think, and it does much better rooted if you ask me.My fish enjoy the dimmed light and cover it offers floating, though. I am slowly planting some of it, but I'm waiting to switch my substrate to sand before getting serious about it.

This ids the second time I have introduced hydrilla, the first time I planted segments of it and my rainbow shark ate all of it.

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