Tank outside year round?

[Hybridfish7]

I live in an area where it's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Any way I can keep a tank outside (for native fish) without the glass taking damage from temperature swings? I have a shaded spot in the back that only gets direct sunlight 4 hours a day, but is on the sunny side of the house so it is warmer in the winter. Not that it gets that cold in the winter anymore anyway.

 

[Chief Tom]

I've been thinking of the same thing. Here in Jersey it rarely stayed near 40.

 

[jjohnwm]

As long as the water doesn't freeze, the tank will be fine. But if you have temps cold enough to freeze more than a thin skin of water on top, your glass will crack.

 

[tlindsey]

How would you keep the water from freezing?

 

[jjohnwm]

Personally, I'd move south.

I know other folks who keep part of their ponds open by using a stock tank heater; meant to keep liquid water available for cattle. I've experimented with an airstone, kept right near the surface so as not to mix up the water too much, allowing the warmer water to stay intact at the bottom. Both methods keep the surface from freezing solid, but they still allow for large amounts of ice to build up around the perimeter. I don't know if that would exert pressure on the glass the same way a solid sheet of ice would.

 

[Chief Tom]

I figured I'd put a hob filter on the side of a 55 thats all scratched up and only fill it 2/3 of the way to cause a waterfall of surface action. If it gets really cold I'll chuck a cheap heater in and maybe an airstone or sponge filter on the other side. I'm only putting 5 huge dither ass goldfish that won't die and one koi until I get the hang of it or get a pond dug.

 

[Chief Tom]

I thought more action generated heat in the water column.

 

[duanes]

When living in Wisconsin, I kept a tank outside spring thru fall.
At first the temp fluctuations were all over the place.
I found the only way to maintain stable temps, was to use my 1500 gal pond as a sump.
Here's the tank.


A pump was situated in a deep part of the pond and circulated water up into the tank and back.
I had to close both down in winter because even the in ground pond froze solid, 3 feet into the ground in Jan thru Mar.
All fish and pond plants such as lilies were brought into a kiddy pool in an unheated basement.


Here in Panama its easy to keep a tank outside, as long as the tank is keep out of direct sun, it only gets about 5 hours of indirect sun per, being under a patio roof.
The biggest problem here are the regular earthquakes that keep it constantly leaking.

 

[Hybridfish7]

I figured I'd put a hob filter on the side of a 55 thats all scratched up and only fill it 2/3 of the way to cause a waterfall of surface action. If it gets really cold I'll chuck a cheap heater in and maybe an airstone or sponge filter on the other side. I'm only putting 5 huge dither ass goldfish that won't die and one koi until I get the hang of it or get a pond dug.

I have an outlet out there I can hook a heater or something up to, I was thinking of just doing that to be simple