Could I?

[jordan barnhart]

I came across horse troffs for free. My grandfather has horses and these are in the barn. Id say around 10 feet across and 3 feet deep. Theyre circular.

Could I make a pond out of these? I could get a filter, drill if necessary, put in a foot under the ground, heat it, line it with some pool liner? fill the bottom with sand? or what do you use for substrates in ponds? put rocks around the entire thing so it looks like a giant well. PLant it and stock it.


Just and idea I got once I saw these and asked if I could have them.

 

[The-Wolf]

Hi
My only concerns are the type of winters you have in Nashville,
I mean I have no idea how good/bad they are , and the material its made from.
Bieng made of metal this would draw more of the cold into the water and the water would freeze quicker than say a rubber linned pond. If it is galvanised steel then I see no problem but if it's some other kind of metal I'd look into what effects that would have on your water parameters.

Good luck and If you go ahead then post some pics please

BTW I work it out to be 1762 u.s. gallons.

 

[ryan]

Sounds like a good idea if you line it with pond liner and sink it, that should help during the winters, the 3' depth is also on your side. Should be a nice set-up, keep us posted.

 

[jams.alaskan]

They make floating and underwater tank de icers for these very same tanks. They are not that expensive to run (I should know, I'm in Alaska and have three of them to keep ice free for horses). Most are galvanized so there is sometimes and issue with leeching of metals but I've also seen plenty with goldfish in them. Lineing them would be a great start. I would bury them for better viewing but I have mine covered with a closed cell foam and then sprayed with the truck bed liner stuff for insulation. It would look rather nice if you have landscaping skills.
Watch that you don't let the water level get too low before you add more as I think that the change in temp of your water at these times can be really hard on the fish.
Also be aware that children are drawn to water and a tank like this can be a terrible trap for kids and pets. I would have some sort of ladder on the inside that squirrels and other animals can use to get out if they should fall in. Don't laugh, I have to do this in all my tanks or I have all sorts of dead things in the water...
Let us know how it works for you...

ALASKA

 

[jordan barnhart]

HAHA! I guess I got the hook up. My uncle works in an auto shop and does Rhino-Lining.

Awesome. . How would I line the inside of it? With a tarp or pool liner? Black? Blue?

Also, do I need to have a substrate of like sand of anything? I was thinking like a mini fountain in the middle with alot of lilly pads.

The winters here aren't to bad. It only snowed 3 times all together last winter and ven then it was around the 2-4 inch mark.

Two seasons ago we had a two foot snow storm though.

Unpredictable here I guess you could say.

I just have the question about the substrate and how would I aerate this thing and filter this thing properly. I dont care about price as long as it isn't stupid high.

If drilling is an issue I can take care of that too. I am quite good at working with metal, wood, and I work for my friends lawnscaping and lawncare. Done a few of those inground rubber ponds with tiny gold fish in it.

 

[Paul_MTS]

Sounds great what you got there.

With the substrate you can put it in or just leave it blank.

both our ponds were empty until this summer when i added sone loach to 1 of the ponds so need to added subsrate for them to bury in. it's up to you really.

i found that with gravel in the both on that ond it makes it soo much brighter and easier to spot the fish.

 

[bribones]

ill take 2
its troff if your up north trofft if your down south pronounced traughft

 

[ajhainey]

If you still want to know the spelling - in Uk english anyway it is trough -

see http/www.hyperdictionary.com/dictionary/trough - defn 2.

Sounds great by the way - wish I had enough room for something like that in my garden.....

aj xx

 

[The FISH made me do it!]

trough is the right spelling in the US too.....Ive never heard it pronounced trofft even here in the south....but then some people say hIth (hight- th) instead of height so....

 

[bribones]

critics you folks down south have a bath pronounced baaaath with the a sounding like an arrrr sound us up north have a baff

trough troff trofft hehe