One of my livebearer ponds.

Video of a mix of livebearers (with the exception of guppies and shubinkins, all are wild livebeareer species) swimming in my paddle pool of 3 meters x 2 meters x 0,66 meters. This pool is in the back corner of my backyard.

Iv been wanting a tropical pond how do you keep it heated ? Lots of electricity or is there a better way ?

Guyb93 said:

Iv been wanting a tropical pond how do you keep it heated ? Lots of electricity or is there a better way ?

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Well, in no outdoor tub, tank or pool is a heater present. This is how I keep them ever since the mid 1980's outdoors. Depending on the kind of livebearer, the first ones will go outdoors mid spring and depending on the weather conditions, I'll harvest them somewhere in fall. All of those livebearers outdoors come from tropical or subtropical zones. So basically, I don't have any costs in electricity or gas for that matter when it comes to those outdoor tubs, tanks and pool. There's lighting but they are all solar lights.
The wind is able to move the surface, which takes care of the oxygen level. And I use outdoors pond plants, which also takes care of the oxygen and filtration. How cheap can you wish for...?
It's been going well for 37 years now, the way I keep them outdoors.

Where is NL @emeraldking ? I know people who keep tropicals outdoors, my trouble is getting them in before a flash cold front comes thru. I was keeping Mozambique Tilapia in an aquaponics setup, raising tomatoes and swiss chard on the filter tray, and I thought I got them all into the greenhouse tank, water temp got below 55 and the bodies appeared, then the greenhouse got too cold too fast and the survivors spent the winter in one of my 55's. Sold them off in spring. Not enough to a mozanbique to make them worth the mess but they sold like hotcakes. Deep old undergravel filter in the 55. I didn't lose a single fish once I got them indoors.

I’m super shocked they survive the winter , I always imagined the weather to be similar to the Uk . Making me think about heaters I’m general now

Alice B said:

Where is NL @emeraldking ?

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NL = The Netherlands.

Guyb93 said:

I’m super shocked they survive the winter , I always imagined the weather to be similar to the Uk . Making me think about heaters I’m general now

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Well, no fish stays outdoors during winter with the exception of the Shubinkins. We do have similar weather conditions. But where I live and in the south-east of Holland, is a bit different from the rest of the country when it comes to temperatures. In summer it's way warmer than somewhere else. And in winter it's colder than somewhere else of the country.
Overhere a link of how I keep those fish outdoors:

No predation on the fish from birds, or any other critters?

What about aquatic pests? (dragonfly/damsel fly nymphs, etc.)?

those tropicals are pretty small, compared to some of the damsel fly nymphs I see, but I've never kept fish in a cooler climate. They may not get that big in the Netherlands?

Slaphppy7 said:

No predation on the fish from birds, or any other critters?

What about aquatic pests? (dragonfly/damsel fly nymphs, etc.)?

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Nope. From time to time a dragonfly hops by. They come from a pond in our park close to where I live.

Alice B said:

those tropicals are pretty small, compared to some of the damsel fly nymphs I see, but I've never kept fish in a cooler climate. They may not get that big in the Netherlands.

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Well, they can still become large overhere. A lot of livebearers do come from tropical countries but live in subtropical subzones. So, they are okay with the temperatures we've got during specific months of the year. Last year, a number of sailfins grew up to 20 cm. And those were kept in a paddle pool in the backyard. I've sold them to an acquaintance of mine. They are now swimming in a 400 liter tank.
Wild swordtails like Xiphophorus yucatan and Xiphophorus alvarezi have become large outdoors. So, there's no matter of stunt growth in those livebearers when kept outdoors during the better months of the year. Also other livebearers become bigger and stronger than their relatives that are kept indoors.

Guyb93 said:

Iv been wanting a tropical pond how do you keep it heated ? Lots of electricity or is there a better way ?

Click to expand...

We used bubblewrap on the surface of ponds to extend the growing season of tropical fishes outdoors. We cover about 90% of the pond surface with bubblewrap (bubbles about 1 inch) and leave a small opening for gas exchange. We have an airstone in each pond to circulate the water.

Most were brought in during winter but we did leave some young outdoors all year. Or we might leave them out till it gets cold and kills some, then bring the rest in until the following year. Then we put the survivors outside and let them breed. The following winter we let the water get cold and if no fish die we leave them outdoors. But if we lose fish, we bring the remaining in and keep them in coldwater tanks indoors until the following spring. Then they go back out and breed and so on. Doing this has allowed us to develop coldwater strains of tropical fish and they will tolerate water temperatures from 2C to 40C+.

We have had numerous Australian & New Guinea rainbowfish live permanently outdoors. Rosy, ruby and gold barbs. Tilapia and a variety of other cichlids from Africa and Central/ South America. And plenty of livebearers (swordtails and platies in particular).

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The other way to heat pond water is with black poly pipe (irrigation tubing) and a black box with glass lid.

You get a roll of black poly pipe and put it in a black box of some sort. The box sits in the sun with a glass lid. The poly pipe is connected to a small water pump that pumps pond water through the black pipe and back into the pond. The sun heats up the black box and poly pipe and you can get warm water if you have sunlight.

The more poly pipe you use, the more time the water gets to warm up while it's in the black box.

Have the pump come on an hour after sunrise and go off at sunset.