Possible experiment

[carsona246]

I'm not entirely sure if I want to try this or not, so i thought I would get your opinions. I've always wanted to create a self sustained environment, and I have a friend who has a water hycinthe infested pond. I was thinking about buying one of those really large flower pots, filling it with water and hyacinth and putting one koi fish in it and leaving it out on my balcony as a mini pond type thing. From what i've read koi fish overwinter well, but do you think this will be humane? I would get a baby koi so hopefully it wouldn't outgrow the pot too fast, and the hyacinthe should control the nitrates along with refilling the pot when it gets low.
Good idea, or bad idea?
If it wouldn't be fair to the koi I'm probably still gonna grow the water hycinthe in the pot by itself so it wouldn't be too big of a loss, I would just like something to fertalize them.
If you know of a better fish I would prefer one that could eat the water hyacinthe if possible, overwinters well, and doesn't get too big

 

[Gearhead]

Rosy reds do great in small ponds, but I dont think any fish could last the winter in a small pot. And the hyacinths wont last the winter, they're tropical plants.

 

[carsona246]

well my friends water hyanciths overwinter well. hadn't consider rosy reds, might work as well. I'm thinking it might be best to wait until fall anyways, or I guess there wouldn't be anything wrong with keeping them inside, but I'm not sure how well the plants would do outside

 

[Gearhead]

I have a small 300g pond in my back yard, and i have to bring my fish in for the winter. I've used a floating heater before, and it worked fairly well but for some reason it stopped working. I have to buy new water lettuce and hyacinth every year because they dont last the winter and I dont have any room for them inside.

 

[nomel]

Not sure how cold it gets there, but I would think that the temperature of a pot out in the wind would be different than a pond in the ground. What if he freeezzzezzzezzezzzes?

 

[carsona246]

Thats probably true, I bet a pot gets a lot colder than a pond. I'll probably wait, or leave the whole pot inside for the winter if I get started early. I've been considering getting a lot of different fish, but I think i would most enjoy an oranda goldfish in there. If I can find a big enough pot does anyone have any experience with oranda's living outside? I want a fish that produces a lot of waste to keep the plants alive, but will be able to survive 50-85 degree weather. During the spring it's usually around 65-75.

 

[Gearhead]

Sounds fine, orands are pretty cool. And they sell half barrels as water gardens in most stores like Lowes and Home depot. I have one in my back yard that I keep rosies in during the warm months.

 

[carsona246]

half barrels might be a good way to go, I was trying to find a really big clear pot, but so far no luck. I was hoping to have a clear pot so i could get some submerged plants in there too,but I might just have to stick with plants that grow on the water surface, or grow out.