1,500 Gallon Indoor Amazonian Sanctuary
- Thread starter aquaticdesignsp
- Start date
I finally feel like it's completed enough to show now. Here is a vid of the entire room, the pond and the Redtail enclosure.http://www.youtube.com/v/NjjNrsWjCc8
So they are rescued fish? Looking good. They look really happy and healthy. 
It would be great if more people could do the same and help out some fish that have outgrown their homes. I see many large fish ending up back at our LFS and nobody wants them. It's so sad.
It would be great if more people could do the same and help out some fish that have outgrown their homes. I see many large fish ending up back at our LFS and nobody wants them. It's so sad.AMAZING!
Thats the only way I can describe it to you!
Swimming with your fish has gotta be the best thing in the world! I would love to do that but would be worried for thier safety... and mine
do you have any pointers to build a pond like that I, myself am going to build one fairly similar to that one and am looking for some help with lessons learned and cost saving tips. any help would be appreciated greatly.
Thats the only way I can describe it to you!
Swimming with your fish has gotta be the best thing in the world! I would love to do that but would be worried for thier safety... and mine
do you have any pointers to build a pond like that I, myself am going to build one fairly similar to that one and am looking for some help with lessons learned and cost saving tips. any help would be appreciated greatly.
Thanks for the positive comments! I'm glad it reached you. As far as pointers, here's what I did. Hope it helps.
1. House foundation - concrete slab.
2. Tore out floor.
3. Built cinderblock walls directly on foundation, using Quickcrete Mortar mix.
4. Left 4 foot section in front for viewing glass, making sure to use block with center channel for glass to slide into.
5. Turned one top block sideways, concreting 4- 3/4 inch PVC lines into the holes for filtration.
6. Thickly stuccoed entire interior (walls and floor) with mortar mix.
7. Applied 2 coats of powdered cistern waterproofer.
8. Poured 3 inch concrete floor on top of waterproofer. Poured very wet to leave rough gravel finish.
9. Using glass-to-concrete silicone, sealed 48 x 21 x 1/2 inch Lexan into grooves in block. VERY IMPORTANT!! A groove must be cut into glass foundation for stability!!
10. After 30 day allotted drying period, painted exterior block with latex paint. Siliconed entire outer floor (including small cabinet for filtration), then placed linoleum peel-and-stick marble-finished flooring, siliconing in between every piece (If the fish are big, the messes are big!).
11. Spent evenings frustratingly figuring out filtration setup using previously owned pumps, line, canisters, UV sterilizers, and heaters to save money. Took into consideration water changes, and placed T-valve on the outside coming from 1,200 gallon/hour pump with universal pipe thread on one side. That allows for garden hose to be attached, and filtration to be bypassed, for quick exchange of H2O.
12. Placed landscaping bricks and paving stones across top edge to hold plants and decor.
13. Salvaged a 220 watt sodium vapor lamp, 110 watt halogen lamp, and a power compact fluorescent. Placed all lighting directly above outside of pond, aiming it toward the surface from above the viewer's head. This eliminates light refraction, which blocks the view of the fish.
14. Bite the bullet, know you've done it right, say a prayer and grab a hose.
15. After fixing the leaks you didn't know you had (small pinholes around PVC and Lexan), grab a net, grab your fish, and jump in.
Best money-saving tip: Don't be afraid to get dirty. Do the work yourself. That makes the payoff oh-so-much sweeter. Well, other than that, you know... the whole "not having a giant pond in your home" thing might save you even more... But I wouldn't know anything about that.
If you have any Arowana to move, go back in time, build the pond first, and place babies in so you never have to worry about moving them. A 3 foot Aro is fast, strong, and a helluva lot smarter than you are. Oh, and let's leave Red-Bellied Pacu in the Amazon. They're like giant aquatic cows, and they're just as intelligent.
Best of luck!! Any more questions, let us know. And if anyone knows of a large fish that needs a home, we've always got room. Have fun... I'll be swimmin' with the Aros!!
1. House foundation - concrete slab.
2. Tore out floor.
3. Built cinderblock walls directly on foundation, using Quickcrete Mortar mix.
4. Left 4 foot section in front for viewing glass, making sure to use block with center channel for glass to slide into.
5. Turned one top block sideways, concreting 4- 3/4 inch PVC lines into the holes for filtration.
6. Thickly stuccoed entire interior (walls and floor) with mortar mix.
7. Applied 2 coats of powdered cistern waterproofer.
8. Poured 3 inch concrete floor on top of waterproofer. Poured very wet to leave rough gravel finish.
9. Using glass-to-concrete silicone, sealed 48 x 21 x 1/2 inch Lexan into grooves in block. VERY IMPORTANT!! A groove must be cut into glass foundation for stability!!
10. After 30 day allotted drying period, painted exterior block with latex paint. Siliconed entire outer floor (including small cabinet for filtration), then placed linoleum peel-and-stick marble-finished flooring, siliconing in between every piece (If the fish are big, the messes are big!).
11. Spent evenings frustratingly figuring out filtration setup using previously owned pumps, line, canisters, UV sterilizers, and heaters to save money. Took into consideration water changes, and placed T-valve on the outside coming from 1,200 gallon/hour pump with universal pipe thread on one side. That allows for garden hose to be attached, and filtration to be bypassed, for quick exchange of H2O.
12. Placed landscaping bricks and paving stones across top edge to hold plants and decor.
13. Salvaged a 220 watt sodium vapor lamp, 110 watt halogen lamp, and a power compact fluorescent. Placed all lighting directly above outside of pond, aiming it toward the surface from above the viewer's head. This eliminates light refraction, which blocks the view of the fish.
14. Bite the bullet, know you've done it right, say a prayer and grab a hose.
15. After fixing the leaks you didn't know you had (small pinholes around PVC and Lexan), grab a net, grab your fish, and jump in.
Best money-saving tip: Don't be afraid to get dirty. Do the work yourself. That makes the payoff oh-so-much sweeter. Well, other than that, you know... the whole "not having a giant pond in your home" thing might save you even more... But I wouldn't know anything about that.
If you have any Arowana to move, go back in time, build the pond first, and place babies in so you never have to worry about moving them. A 3 foot Aro is fast, strong, and a helluva lot smarter than you are. Oh, and let's leave Red-Bellied Pacu in the Amazon. They're like giant aquatic cows, and they're just as intelligent.
Best of luck!! Any more questions, let us know. And if anyone knows of a large fish that needs a home, we've always got room. Have fun... I'll be swimmin' with the Aros!!
wow thats amazing thanks a lot for the time you took to give me thoes tips. I am a few months away from begining construction. I need to make the plans 100% before starting the build. I was thinking of a plywood frame but it sounds like Blocks are easier. I will have to give this a lot more thought.
Thanks again for all the info!
-CT
Thanks again for all the info!
-CT
