Patio Pond - Mom Wants One - Potential stocking and building?

[Rocksor]

I think I will use a large terracotta pot, and have Red Leaf Floater thingies, Hornwort, maybe creeping Jenny, and a small Aquatic Horsetail. I think I will use a small sponge filter, and have it unheated. Stocking will be simple: go to Petsmart and let my sister and my mom pick out some cold-water species like Corydoras and a small group of White Cloud Mountain Minnows. Or, go to Aquatic Warehouse and get a Reticulated Hillstream Loach and some Pygmy Sunfish or something like that. My mom wants it to be educational to my sister, so she gets to pick the plants and the fish out. Of course, I will be like "No, that one needs higher Ph" and just have her pick out plants I like

White clouds won’t like the rise in temperature into the 80s, especially the heat waves seen in the summer

 

[The Masked Shadow]

Ok, I guess I can go to home depot and see what play bins I can find. By education, my mom just wants her to learn about the plants, fish, and what they do to the water. Simple stuff. And Rocksor, I was thinking about how Terracota would affect the heat, and it would most definitely raise the temp. Thanks for your help. Will convene tomorrow with my mom and see if we could set it up the next day. And lastly, the plant stock:

3-4 Red Root Floaters
1 Hornwort
1 Dwarf Cattail or Sweet Flag (anybody have success with this plant)
1 Mosaic Plant
1 Bushy green plant

 

[eon aquatics]

might as well buy a stock tank if you live somewhere thats warm and have space outside

 

[eon aquatics]

i wonder how much a 2000 gallon aquarium built into a heated winter greenhouse would be?

 

[Rocksor]

Paradise fish can definitely be raised outside in SD weather. Other fish folks have raised outside

guppies, swordtails, mollies, gymnogeophagus, rosy barbs, black skirt tetras

 

[ichthyogeek]

White clouds can definitely enjoy temperatures in the 80s...I bred them in Arkansas, and like most people who keep WCMM's outside, they'll breed. And breed. and breed some more. We got temperatures up to like, 100 F? that summer. Not including the humidity of course.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

Probably some Barbs or Tetras. Can I add a few Female Bettas?

 

[kendragon]

Patio ponds in San Diego are harder to maintain than a tank. Lost all my lotus last year to wild animals and battled algae along with green water.
May be you can figure it out and teach me something. Good luck.

 

[ichthyogeek]

Probably some Barbs or Tetras. Can I add a few Female Bettas?

I mean you can. I don't think I'd recommend it. One betta/gourami/anabantoid in a 20 gallon outside is my rule. I wouldn't trust myself to make an outdoors sorority.

 

[Rocksor]

White clouds can definitely enjoy temperatures in the 80s...I bred them in Arkansas, and like most people who keep WCMM's outside, they'll breed. And breed. and breed some more. We got temperatures up to like, 100 F? that summer. Not including the humidity of course.

What was your water temperature? I've never been able to keep them long in 86F water temperature (98F air temperature) in a small 20g tank or pot type.