Wally World Pools....

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AttackFish

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 10, 2007
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Torrance
So, I really want to set-up a pond this summer out on my deck.
Not something huge, but somewhat monster if you get my drift..

Inhabitants so far would be a channel catfish. I have no idea what else I'd put in there besides koi seeing as temps do get pretty cold in WA state.

Here's what I've been looking at for a pond though:
First choice:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4634028

Second ultra-cheapo-holy-crap-I'm-so-broke-why-would-I-build-a-pond:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5913269


My questions are, if going with the first option, would the filtration it comes with be sufficiant enough to filter the pool with fish?
How would I cycle the pond?
What could I keep with the channel cat besides koi(I like koi, and might add some, but just wondering what else would do well with the channel)

If I were to heat the pond so I could keep tropicals, how would I do so cheaply and effectively?

Thanks all!
 
Go with the first one, the second can be punctured to readily by the catfish and it difficult to clean.

I keep a couple of the second ones around as emergency ponds tho.

No, the filtration that comes with it is not substantial enough for alot of fish (it's a cartridge filter and has no biological filtration) and you'll need to aerate it also. Build a cheap 50g tub sump with plants in it (Cattails, Iris' and some Canna's can go in water and are good filtering agents and add some color).

How are you going to over-winter the fish?

I'd stay with the goldfish family, Comets give a lot of movement and can grow to a good size. Some fantails, black moores and tricolors all give you something to look at.

If you want (or need) to heat it, solar would be the cheapest. A bunch of PVC pipe painted black and put on the roof with a pump for circulation and timed to shut off when the sun gets low (otherwise it will act like a radiator and cool the pond at night). You'll have to insulate the pond for this to work without tremendous temp swings.

Dr Joe

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I have no idea how I'm going to over winter the fish.
A friend of mine has a bunch of large ponds with Koi and has never brought them in for the winter...
 
everyone has diff experiences with those pools, but when i had one if you looked at the blow up ring funny it would spring a leak(air), granted mine was under a tree with all sorts of stuff falling onto it, but if i get another cheap pool it will be like this http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=9209010 with a frame and no top ring to pop, they also do make smaller ones and if you wait till the end of summer you can get smokin deals on pools.
 
I dont know when exactly I'll be setting this up, got some other projects I want to do.

Sometimes this summer hopefully I'll have a nice pond out on the deck.
 
The two with the metal poles on the sides work great, even with the existing filtration. It is a really long story, but we ended up with 10 huge (20 lb) carp in ours last summer.
They did really well, until they decided to jump out of the pool causing their death. So have an idea how to cover which ever one you decide to get.
 
I'm probably just going to use a large net weighted down with cinder blocks on the outside of the pond.
Thats what my friend who has ponds does with his large koi pond.
 
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