# Aquariums outside



## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

Hi there folks! Just wondering if anyone else is planning on keeping any aquariums or cultures outside in the summer, and if so, what you're going to do?  Perhaps it'll seed some ideas for others  I know I'll be keeping a couple of tanks outdoors, and potentially a daphnia culture.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

I did this for a shrimp tank 5.5g the shrimps didn't die, well the babies did. I feed them maybe once a month. Algae mania, fly, mosquito eggs mania. 90+f don't do it.

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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

coldmantis said:


> I did this for a shrimp tank 5.5g the shrimps didn't die, well the babies did. I feed them maybe once a month. Algae mania, fly, mosquito eggs mania. 90+f don't do it.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


What shrimp did you keep, and what exactly was the set up like? (planted/not, location, frequency of water changes etc). As if you were to use really hardy species that like warmer temps, they'd do well in a larger tank (talking about fish) I'd imagine... if it was kept in the shade and such... plus the mosquito larvae, among other insects would be a free live food source for the fish, which I'm sure they'd enjoy.


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## coldmantis (Apr 5, 2010)

Cherry shrimps, Floating plants only no WC only top ups. Put it up around may took it down around september. I also kept it under my garage roof where its shaded most of the time

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## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I hope to buy a solid plastic 4 foot diameter kiddie pool to grow plants in this summer. I'll toss in a few dozen feeder guppies


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## darkangel66n (May 15, 2013)

Tanks outside typically do not work. Sometimes they do if conditions are right but of the time they do not. They heat up to fast and cool down to fast. Grow tremendous amounts of algae and are generally not something you will be able to see into. Much better off going with a plastic pond.


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## dave pauls (Jun 29, 2010)

I use ten gallon black buckets as grow out tanks for my rainbowfish fry. They have rope handles and I fill them just to the point where I can still lift and move them. I keep them inside at night and outside during the day when the weather is cold at night. I also move them in if they get way too hot. Rainbowfish can take a lot of heat though, so they are good candidates. I have a sponge filter in each tub and do a 50% water change once a week. I feed them brine shrimp a couple times a day and mosquito larva as soon as they hatch. I cover the tops with hard wear cloth to keep dragon fly larva out. The water usually turns nice and green, I get lots of mosquito eggs which get eaten as soon as they hatch, and bloodworms growing in there as well. The rainbows get fantastic colour from eating algae and getting direct sunlight. I put them out at around half an inch and in two or three months, they are 1.5 - 2" and full colour, ready to go into breeding tanks or get sold. I think direct sunlight, swings in temperature and natural live food makes all the difference in colour and condition.


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

pyrrolin said:


> I hope to buy a solid plastic 4 foot diameter kiddie pool to grow plants in this summer. I'll toss in a few dozen feeder guppies


I was thinking of doing something quite similar, just exchanging feeder guppies for platies.


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

dave pauls said:


> I use ten gallon black buckets as grow out tanks for my rainbowfish fry. They have rope handles and I fill them just to the point where I can still lift and move them. I keep them inside at night and outside during the day when the weather is cold at night. I also move them in if they get way too hot. Rainbowfish can take a lot of heat though, so they are good candidates. I have a sponge filter in each tub and do a 50% water change once a week. I feed them brine shrimp a couple times a day and mosquito larva as soon as they hatch. I cover the tops with hard wear cloth to keep dragon fly larva out. The water usually turns nice and green, I get lots of mosquito eggs which get eaten as soon as they hatch, and bloodworms growing in there as well. The rainbows get fantastic colour from eating algae and getting direct sunlight. I put them out at around half an inch and in two or three months, they are 1.5 - 2" and full colour, ready to go into breeding tanks or get sold. I think direct sunlight, swings in temperature and natural live food makes all the difference in colour and condition.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


Hmm... what rainbowfish are you using in this? (sounds like a great system by the way!)


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## dave pauls (Jun 29, 2010)

It works good with pretty much all rainbows. Maybe not g. wannamensis though, they like it warm all the time. I haven't tried it with them. You just have to be careful of "tear always"... those ones that grow twice as fast as the rest... In a tub you are kind of guessing how much to feed, and if it isn't quite enough, the big ones will eat really well and the small ones will be out competed. In a tank you notice and separate, but in a tub.... Not so much. 


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

dave pauls said:


> It works good with pretty much all rainbows. Maybe not g. wannamensis though, they like it warm all the time. I haven't tried it with them. You just have to be careful of "tear always"... those ones that grow twice as fast as the rest... In a tub you are kind of guessing how much to feed, and if it isn't quite enough, the big ones will eat really well and the small ones will be out competed. In a tank you notice and separate, but in a tub.... Not so much.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk[/QUOTE
> Yeah that makes sense... If I were to keep rainbows outside, my choice would probably be some Melanotaenia praecox


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

dave pauls said:


> I use ten gallon black buckets as grow out tanks for my rainbowfish fry. They have rope handles and I fill them just to the point where I can still lift and move them. I keep them inside at night and outside during the day when the weather is cold at night. I also move them in if they get way too hot. Rainbowfish can take a lot of heat though, so they are good candidates. I have a sponge filter in each tub and do a 50% water change once a week. I feed them brine shrimp a couple times a day and mosquito larva as soon as they hatch. I cover the tops with hard wear cloth to keep dragon fly larva out. The water usually turns nice and green, I get lots of mosquito eggs which get eaten as soon as they hatch, and bloodworms growing in there as well. The rainbows get fantastic colour from eating algae and getting direct sunlight. I put them out at around half an inch and in two or three months, they are 1.5 - 2" and full colour, ready to go into breeding tanks or get sold. I think direct sunlight, swings in temperature and natural live food makes all the difference in colour and condition.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


For the hardware cloth... which band/type did you use? Or does it matter? I'm just concerned about metals or plastic substances leeching into the water...


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## dave pauls (Jun 29, 2010)

I just use standard galvanized wire mesh. Mine is painted black because I stole it from an old aviary I had lying around. I don't know that it really matters. Mine is well above the water, and I do a water change every week. You can get plastic stuff that is marketed for keeping birds off trees. It is important to have the mesh though to keep out dragon fly larva, and even more so birds. Nothing ruins all your hard work like a dead bird in the bucket.


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## solarz (Aug 31, 2010)

dave pauls said:


> I use ten gallon black buckets as grow out tanks for my rainbowfish fry. They have rope handles and I fill them just to the point where I can still lift and move them. I keep them inside at night and outside during the day when the weather is cold at night. I also move them in if they get way too hot. Rainbowfish can take a lot of heat though, so they are good candidates. I have a sponge filter in each tub and do a 50% water change once a week. I feed them brine shrimp a couple times a day and mosquito larva as soon as they hatch. I cover the tops with hard wear cloth to keep dragon fly larva out. The water usually turns nice and green, I get lots of mosquito eggs which get eaten as soon as they hatch, and bloodworms growing in there as well. The rainbows get fantastic colour from eating algae and getting direct sunlight. I put them out at around half an inch and in two or three months, they are 1.5 - 2" and full colour, ready to go into breeding tanks or get sold. I think direct sunlight, swings in temperature and natural live food makes all the difference in colour and condition.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


That sounds fantastic, and you've now made me want to try something similar.

Does anyone have suggestions on what kind of fish would be hardy enough to survive Toronto summer in a large bucket?


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

dave pauls said:


> I just use standard galvanized wire mesh. Mine is painted black because I stole it from an old aviary I had lying around. I don't know that it really matters. Mine is well above the water, and I do a water change every week. You can get plastic stuff that is marketed for keeping birds off trees. It is important to have the mesh though to keep out dragon fly larva, and even more so birds. Nothing ruins all your hard work like a dead bird in the bucket.
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


What is the size of cloth that you're using? As I went down to a couple different hardware stores, and they all had some, but in varying sizes (1/4''x 1/4'', 1/2''x 1/4'' etc). I don't know what would be the correct size.


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

Also, to give an update on the outdoor aquarium situation: every tank/tub is free of algae, except the 40G breeder I set up, it is full of green water. The plants and such are okay though, pearling every day! I have no complaints on the green water though, makes feeding the daphnia cultures right beside the tank a breeze  plus the white cloud minnows which I put in there have already bred, and I have seen a few fry here and there in the tank.


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## dave pauls (Jun 29, 2010)

1/2" x 1/2" mesh is fine for keeping the dragon flies out.


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## tranceaddict (Apr 3, 2011)

Look up dustins fish tanks on youtube. He gets into this heavily with a aquarium green house. 

Rainbow, and Discus have been kept in ponds.


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## TorontoPlantMan (Aug 16, 2013)

tranceaddict said:


> Look up dustins fish tanks on youtube. He gets into this heavily with a aquarium green house.
> 
> Rainbow, and Discus have been kept in ponds.


Canada & Kentucky cannot be compared. The discus Steve has in his pond also will not survive the Kentucky winter 100%, I believe Dustin even mentioned it in the video. Also 90% of his tanks are in a green house where he is able to control the environment year round with fans, heaters, shade cloths etc. I'm not trying to down play Dustin or anything I'm just getting at the point that we can't compare Kentucky to Canada.

With all that said...I have a tank outside which I grow a couple plant species in, I don't use a lid and I keep a bunch of guppies in it which love to eat the fry and can handle the temp swings. Come November i'd take the tank out though, or even October.


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

solarz said:


> That sounds fantastic, and you've now made me want to try something similar.
> 
> Does anyone have suggestions on what kind of fish would be hardy enough to survive Toronto summer in a large bucket?


How large of a bucket are we talking? As thus far, I've got platies, sword tails, and white cloud minnows outside between large rubbermaid containers (guesstimate about 20 gallons each), and the 40G breeder tank, and they're all thriving. As a previous poster said, many rainbowfish species work as well


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 7, 2014)

i just got a free 10g with filter and lighting, i skipped the light and cleaned it up filled it and stuck in a few different plants i am trying to just have a growout tank for the summer.

no fish or live creatures and will have freq water changes. will update you guys as it goes.


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

philipraposo1982 said:


> i just got a free 10g with filter and lighting, i skipped the light and cleaned it up filled it and stuck in a few different plants i am trying to just have a growout tank for the summer.
> 
> no fish or live creatures and will have freq water changes. will update you guys as it goes.


What species did you stick outside?


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## philipraposo1982 (Mar 7, 2014)

Dwarf sag, rotala rotundifolia, guppy grass, hygro corymbosa siamensis, ferns, water sprite, dhg, pennywort, and an unknown species I have


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## dave pauls (Jun 29, 2010)

I stuck around twenty 1" rainbow fry out the other day. I put them out at the start of that hot spell. They are in a whiskey barrel that I cut in half, so I would guess its around thirty gallons. I stuck a sponge filter in it, a pot with some crypts, some riccia to provide shade, and a couple of buckbean plants I collected from a near by pond. The temperature dropped pretty low the last couple of nights (low teens) and the fish are still fine. I don't feed them when it is cold. 


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## dave pauls (Jun 29, 2010)

Scratch that... I just checked them and they are struggling very hard right now. I'm siphoning a bucket of warm water in to get the temp back up. I may lose a few though. 


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## dave pauls (Jun 29, 2010)

Ha ha... So I'm back to the original... As soon as the sun hit the tub, they all snapped out of it and they look fine again. I should toss a thermometer in to see what they are actually withstanding. They are a lot tougher than we give them credit for.


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

Keep me posted on how that works out for you! 

To update on my own:

I currently have 1 x 10 gallon tank, 1 x 40 gallon breeder tank, and 4 roughly 30-40 gallon rubbermaid tubs outside. 

Their inhabitants per tank/tub:

-10 gallon: 10-12 black mollies
-40 gallon breeder: 8 Jordanella floridae (american flagfish), and 3 bristlenose plecos
-1st tub: a bunch of black mollies
-2nd tub: 3 gold mollies
-3rd tub: several individuals of a platy variant
-4th tub: daphnia 

... the tubs definitely work much better then the tanks. the 40 gallon breeder got baked with WAAAAY too much sun a couple of weeks ago while I was out of town (forgot to put the covers back before I left), and 70% of the plants died back. It's bouncing back, but it was a mess... lots of algae too (green water, as well as this quite stringy green algae, that doesn't stick to anything, but doesn't look good... I blame zero circulation for that.). The colours of the plants and more so the fish are stunning though... the flagfish didn't look like much inside... they've been out there for three days, and they don't even look like the same fish lol


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## Fishlover02 (Feb 25, 2013)

None of the mollies were planned for, they were given to me by a family friend, but hey, they gave me a good excuse for more tubs


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## moon (Mar 11, 2006)

I have a 30g tank drilled on one side with a bulkhead. I got some G. Balzani from Mike at Finatics. These guys need a cool period being from Equidor. So they will stay outside till Oct/Nov. The frequent rain provides the WC and they are fed once week. The other days it is natural food. They are doing great.


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