Unheated Basement Pond

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

Chad55

Blue Tier VIP
MFK Member
Jun 10, 2005
3,330
7
343
35
Michigan
Hello. Been a really long time since I have posted here. Used to frequent a lot when I was younger and, as with many hobbyists it seems, life got crazy got out of the hobby for a while. Well I am looking to come back when I return home in January/February. I have the go ahead from the wife to build a basement pond. Plans are for a pond somewhere between 4’x8’ possibly all the way up to something like 8’x12’. It really all just depends on what kind of pricing I can find for liners and what not. Big thing for me is I don’t want to deal with the high cost of heating it plus the humidity issues. So I used to have a bowfin, largemouth bass, and a pickerel all of which I miss dearly. I plan on getting one of each of those again. What else cool would you put in an unheated pond of that size? I really want a red tail cat and giant gourami (they have always been favorites of mine) so maybe someone knows their 65 degree water counterparts lol. Thanks
 
  • Like
Reactions: tlindsey
Hello. Been a really long time since I have posted here. Used to frequent a lot when I was younger and, as with many hobbyists it seems, life got crazy got out of the hobby for a while. Well I am looking to come back when I return home in January/February. I have the go ahead from the wife to build a basement pond. Plans are for a pond somewhere between 4’x8’ possibly all the way up to something like 8’x12’. It really all just depends on what kind of pricing I can find for liners and what not. Big thing for me is I don’t want to deal with the high cost of heating it plus the humidity issues. So I used to have a bowfin, largemouth bass, and a pickerel all of which I miss dearly. I plan on getting one of each of those again. What else cool would you put in an unheated pond of that size? I really want a red tail cat and giant gourami (they have always been favorites of mine) so maybe someone knows their 65 degree water counterparts lol. Thanks


Welcome back
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chad55
Well gars handles low temps. Flathead catfish might be an alternative to an rtc? Or an bullhead
 
Lots of good info in there.
Well gars handles low temps. Flathead catfish might be an alternative to an rtc? Or an bullhead
I was thinking about a gar as well maybe but might wait until I get a decent size out of the chain pickerel or northern pike that I would like to get. Back in the day that was probably my favorite fish that I had kept was my little Redfin pickerel so I want to make sure that species gets a decent head start and doesn’t have any issues. Also I think flathead like to lay around a bit too much for me and I’m not quite sure a bulkhead will get large enough. Maybe a channel cat? Not sure how they are as “wet pets”.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com