20 gallon round

[NatureFish]

I have a 20 gallon plastic tote and am needing stocking suggestions. I want something exotic and Intresting! However this tank will be unheated and outdoors. The temps in the winter get to be around freezing and sometimes a little bit below freezing and in the summer it's around 80-105 degrees Fahrenheit. It will be in a shady part of the yard though so it should be up to 90 at the very highest.


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[ImACoolguy]

That's a huge swing in temperatures. You might want to consider a heater for the winter and maybe some form of chiller in the summer. 90 degrees is way too hot even for tropical fish.

Your best bet is probably mosquitofish as far as suggestions go. They are very hardy.


Caleb

 

[NatureFish]

I would get a heater except for the fact that I can't really plug anything in. I mean there's an outlet on the porch but its super old and barely works.


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[PNWaquarist]

I hate to rain on your parade, but I can't think of a single fish that will both fit into a 20 gallon tank and survive those conditions.

 

[ImACoolguy]

I hate to rain on your parade, but I can't think of a single fish that will both fit into a 20 gallon tank and survive those conditions.

I agree. With no way to regulate temperature, no fish will thrive in those temps.


Caleb

 

[Rivers2k]

Also if there is no outlet for heater or chiller I am guessing there is no filtration either.

 

[NatureFish]

That's what I thought you guys would say.
Maybe if I can fix the outlet I can put a heater in there. If I had a heater in the winter and nothing in the summer what could I house if anything?


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[ImACoolguy]

That's what I thought you guys would say.
Maybe if I can fix the outlet I can put a heater in there. If I had a heater in the winter and nothing in the summer what could I house if anything?


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If temp is reaching 90+ like said then nothing that's too hot.


Caleb

 

[Brookster123]

Use it to start a live food culture like daphnia and mosquito larvae??

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[NatureFish]

Also if there is no outlet for heater or chiller I am guessing there is no filtration either.

Thanks for reminding me! I completely forgot! But I will definitely try to fix the outlet so that I can have a heater and filter. I'm not too familiar with chillers. I was looking at some one day and they are quite pricey. I'm not sure it's really nessecary in this situation to be honest. The temps that I wrote were the record temps that we have ever had and not the normal temps. I just wanted to make sure if something like that happened again they could handle it. But on average it's like 40 in the winter and 80-90 in the summer.


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[biondoa]

I think a 20 gallon in those conditions is asking for trouble. It will freeze nearly solid in winter and cook the fish in summer. You need much more water to make this work, even with a heater.

 

[Fresh2o]

You could do submerged and/or floating plants. 20g is not a lot of volume for fish (fluctuating temps and no filtration).
You could possibly run it outdoors for 2.5-3 seasons of the year and bring it indoors in the winter. As mentioned above, it could work as a culture tank.


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[Trainer_Ruby_]

You could go to a local creek and catch some minnows and crawfish and create a little pond with that.


Keep calm and drum on

 

[Fresh2o]

You could go to a local creek and catch some minnows and crawfish and create a little pond with that.


Keep calm and drum on

The only problem with that is the minnows are used to moving water and lower temps. This is 20g of still water. In addition, most native fish blend it well (not flashy) so you would not be able to see them very well.


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[NatureFish]

So if I brought it in my garage during winter would that work? I may be able to keep it there all year once I have few garage sales.


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[PNWaquarist]

So if I brought it in my garage during winter would that work? I may be able to keep it there all year once I have few garage sales.


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I'd guess that something like White Cloud Minnows might be OK in the winter IF your garage is insulated and you could keep the temperature from dropping below 60 F with a heater (probably multiple heaters). The problem is going to be those days in October when it's 90 F one day and 40 F 36 hours later. You're not going to want to carry a 200+ lb tank in and out of the garage to accommodate the weather.

Your climate sounds like it's great for a Koi pond, but I don't think that you'll have success with a 20 gallon tank outside or in a garage that isn't climate-controlled.

 

[NatureFish]

I'd guess that something like White Cloud Minnows might be OK in the winter IF your garage is insulated and you could keep the temperature from dropping below 60 F with a heater (probably multiple heaters). The problem is going to be those days in October when it's 90 F one day and 40 F 36 hours later. You're not going to want to carry a 200+ lb tank in and out of the garage to accommodate the weather.

Your climate sounds like it's great for a Koi pond, but I don't think that you'll have success with a 20 gallon tank outside or in a garage that isn't climate-controlled.

I have a giant pond with goldfish and koi and another 200 gallon fountain with just Goldies. I was just wanting something small like minnows this time around. I would keep it inside my house but too much moisture would cause mold wouldn't it? I already have a 10 gallon tank in my tiny room. There's a small space where a non-planted tank would work ( because there's not enough room to put a light) but I'm very sensitive to mold due to severe allergies. Are there any solutions to that besides a dehumidifier? I have a dehumidifier but we need at our ranch to prevent mold while we aren't there. If the whole moisture thing wasn't a problem I would love to have it in the house.


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[PNWaquarist]

I seriously doubt that a 20 gallon tank would cause mold issues. Heck, you could do a 65-degree tank with White Clouds and that would probably contribute less moisture to your home than your morning shower.


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[NigelK8485]

Why are you so insistent on putting fish in this little plastic bin? Use it for storage or something instead


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[NatureFish]

Why are you so insistent on putting fish in this little plastic bin? Use it for storage or something instead


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It doesn't have to be fish. It could be a grow out tank for my plants.


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