Pleco Pond and questions

[HannahJSDavis]

Hello!

Disco, my common pleco, is in for a treat but I have some questions. My husband and I are going to build an above ground pond for my pleco and my one outdoor goldfish. The current dimensions would equal out, roughly, to 145 gallons. It's to be in a spot where it's mostly sunny all say save for a few hours before nightfall, water temps range from high 80's near the top to slightly lower temps at the bottom in our current 35 gallon preform pond.

Disco has been in a 55 gal for the last five years after being rescued from a woman who was going to chuck it into the local waterways- I lectured her on that and told her I would take it, and learn it had been kept in a ten gallon for nearly 3 years prior. At that point, Disco was only 4-5", she is now a foot long.

I want her/him to be content in a larger space practically to "herself" (I call it a she) with only the goldfish as company. The tiger barbs on the 55 have
been picking on her, mangling the sail.

What all should I be considering for this pond as far as pumps, temps, and possible heaters go? Is there enough space for her and the goldie? Would I also be able to put in my 2 raphael cats? We are building it out of garden timbers and rebar stakes with pond liner as well as making a ledge to keep her from leaping out.

Thanks! If you need more info, just ask
We live in Savannah, GA so the summers are warm and the winters are cold, but rarely get to freezing (with the exception of this past winter).

 

[HannahJSDavis]

Holy cow, my apologies for misspellings and such- I have a cat on one arm and typing with the other!

 

[HannahJSDavis]

Should this be moved into the outdoor pond section? I'd just liked to get some replies before we get to building this thing.

 

[ElectricBlueSeanBurch]

What are the dimensions on the pond?

 

[clemsonguy1125]

Pleco are tropical fish while goldfish are coldwater, anything under 60 can kill the pleco.

 

[HannahJSDavis]

The dimension of the pond are up in the air, either 3'd x 2'h x 5'l, or 2'd x 2'h x 4'l.

As far as temperature requirements, that's why I asked for what kind of pond heater I should be considering. I cannot keep the pleco indoors, I have no space for a large tank and no place for an indoor pond. The summers here get pretty toasty but I've had no issues with my single outdoor goldfish and keep frequent checks on the temperature (I work from home, so it's a daily thing). We've had cold winters, but again..


I've heard of people building mini greenhouses or coldframes around their outdoor ponds to help with heat retention in winters up north, so in addition to a pond heater I could consider building one around mine.

Addedly, I don't have a problem putting the goldfish elsewhere during the winter as I will have the 35gal available during the winter months.

Edit: I could potentially use a 500 watt Titanium Heater, or any of the aquarium heaters couldn't I, as long as it's protected from the elements?

 

[Allan01230]

You would have to make sure the temp does not fall below 72 degrees. So a heater is a must. The goldfish can take any Georgia winter with out batting an eyelash but the pleco is tropical and needs at least 72 degrees. Both the pleco and goldfish would be fine for life in 145 gallons of water. You could probally add a few mor shubunkins or comet goldies but stay away from koi as they just get tooo large. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[HannahJSDavis]

I won't be getting anymore fish, just the ones I have (I put myself on a "no more pet" rule for a year).

I looked around online and found several aquarium heaters that I could double up to keep the temperature set, and more than likely I will end up building a small frame around the pond to keep the ambient air temps warm too.

With the pond, we will be building it out of garden timbers with foam insulators between the frame and the pond liner, so I am hoping that will help keep the temps stable too.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

Plecos are tropical, goldfish are coldwater, mixing is not a good idea. Plecos can also suck off the goldfishes slime coat. For my above ground pond, I took a preformed pond and propped up all horizontal surfaces with cinderblocks, works great.

 

[HannahJSDavis]

Like I said in a previous reply, I don't have a problem keeping them separate. I will see how they do together first, the goldfish is still small so I don't see Disco getting a hold of it until it's larger in size. As soon as I see any issues I will separate them.