I used to have lots of aquariums but then we had kids and moved and I took all the tanks down during the move and sold most of them. I always planned to get back into aquariums, but I certainly won't be putting up 10+ aquariums like I used to have. I just don't have the disposable income or time at the stage of life we are at that I used to.
However, I am picking up a great 250g tank I hope to put in the house eventually tobe able to keep some of my favorite bigger fish. And while setting that tank up is further in the future, we spend a lot of time outside in the summer and I had a fun idea to do with the kids. I'm also hoping it will net me some in-store credit to put toward a few of the big, expensive fish I'd like to put in the 250g.
I have a big plastic pool, about 6.5ft in diameter and 12" deep. That comes out to between 200-250g, with lots of surface area. As a project with my kids this summer I'd like to set it up as a pond, and teach them about ecosystems, aquatic creatures and their breeding habits. I want to put several different types of small, hardy, community type fish in that pond that I feel have a good chance of breeding over the summer. They will only be in there June-August because I'm in Wisconsin, but I am close to the lake and a little more temperate (5b gardening zone). I have a great little corner of my house with a wall on the south and east sides. It gets morning sun and afternoon shade, so it shouldn't heat up so much in the afternoon, but the walls of the house passively hold heat and should help create a microclimate and help the temps not drop too much at night either. I plan to fill the pool with tons of plants for filtration and cover for the fry, and with the size and surface area of the pool, the size of fish I want to put in it I don't think I will need a filter, but wondering if should do a pump or a power head with sponge just for water movement. Thoughts?
I plan to fill the water as soon temps are staying above freezing to let algae start growing and also put some leaf litter in to encourage micro fauna. I plan to put substrate on one half and as weather allows I will add lots of kinds of plants and see which ones do well in the pond. I plan to put in Vals, Bacopa, Anacharis, Java and/or Xmas moss, Ludwigia, Amania, Wisteria, Hornwort, Salvinia, Red floaters, and Riccia. Maybe try a few crypts, sag, or hair grass too. Basically one bunch of every kind of plant I think has a good chance of doing well and I'll see what grows well. I'm hoping to have lots of plants to bring it in the fall and maybe even some extras to sell.
Then as the temperature start to rise I want to seed the pool with some daphnia and black worms and cherry shrimp. I know from experience CS don't need a heater and breed well. We have very few mosquitos here, but should eventually have some larvae from them as well. So I hope to have plentiful food sources for the breeding fish, as well as any fry they produce.
However, I am picking up a great 250g tank I hope to put in the house eventually tobe able to keep some of my favorite bigger fish. And while setting that tank up is further in the future, we spend a lot of time outside in the summer and I had a fun idea to do with the kids. I'm also hoping it will net me some in-store credit to put toward a few of the big, expensive fish I'd like to put in the 250g.
I have a big plastic pool, about 6.5ft in diameter and 12" deep. That comes out to between 200-250g, with lots of surface area. As a project with my kids this summer I'd like to set it up as a pond, and teach them about ecosystems, aquatic creatures and their breeding habits. I want to put several different types of small, hardy, community type fish in that pond that I feel have a good chance of breeding over the summer. They will only be in there June-August because I'm in Wisconsin, but I am close to the lake and a little more temperate (5b gardening zone). I have a great little corner of my house with a wall on the south and east sides. It gets morning sun and afternoon shade, so it shouldn't heat up so much in the afternoon, but the walls of the house passively hold heat and should help create a microclimate and help the temps not drop too much at night either. I plan to fill the pool with tons of plants for filtration and cover for the fry, and with the size and surface area of the pool, the size of fish I want to put in it I don't think I will need a filter, but wondering if should do a pump or a power head with sponge just for water movement. Thoughts?
I plan to fill the water as soon temps are staying above freezing to let algae start growing and also put some leaf litter in to encourage micro fauna. I plan to put substrate on one half and as weather allows I will add lots of kinds of plants and see which ones do well in the pond. I plan to put in Vals, Bacopa, Anacharis, Java and/or Xmas moss, Ludwigia, Amania, Wisteria, Hornwort, Salvinia, Red floaters, and Riccia. Maybe try a few crypts, sag, or hair grass too. Basically one bunch of every kind of plant I think has a good chance of doing well and I'll see what grows well. I'm hoping to have lots of plants to bring it in the fall and maybe even some extras to sell.
Then as the temperature start to rise I want to seed the pool with some daphnia and black worms and cherry shrimp. I know from experience CS don't need a heater and breed well. We have very few mosquitos here, but should eventually have some larvae from them as well. So I hope to have plentiful food sources for the breeding fish, as well as any fry they produce.
