Outdoor Aquarium

[fishwatcher]

I am thinking of moving my 30-g goldie tank outside on my patio. It is on an iron stand, has a heater and HOB filter.
Any suggestions as to the quality of this thought?
Thank you!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

The plugs on the heater and filter won't be designed for outdoor usage, which will be a problem.
Generally speaking i wouldn't advise it as the temp changes in such a small tank will be very great, falling very low at night (which could be too much for the heater to cope with) and warming up very quickly during the day, even turning the tank tropical, which will be quite stressful for the goldfish.

edit: Hmm...What i would advise is having a small outdoor pond tub, with filter and pond heater designed for outdoor usage- getting a good heater will be very important as it will need to be powerful enough to prevent the water from freezing or the temp plumeting too low during colder weather. I wouldn't advise a glass tank as the temp will change too quickly as glass does not make a good insulator and the water will also heat up quickly in the sun.

 

[fishwatcher]

Do you think a semi-buried rubbermaid container would work? I used to have a real pond (muc larger than a 30-gal tank) a long time ago, and dug it up bc it was too much work. Now I miss it, and really want some room back in my house (can you say MTS!?!). I'm trying to figure out how to put a smaller tank/pond outside again....

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Do you think a semi-buried rubbermaid container would work? I used to have a real pond (muc larger than a 30-gal tank) a long time ago, and dug it up bc it was too much work. Now I miss it, and really want some room back in my house (can you say MTS!?!). I'm trying to figure out how to put a smaller tank/pond outside again....

Yes you could use a rubbermaid container but i really have to emphasize that getting a good outdoor pond filter and heater is essential if this is to work.
Because such a tub is not very deep the goldfish will have next to no protection from predators like cats and herons though, so i would also definately advise getting some netting to go over the tub if you do go with it to help prevent predators stealing your goldfish .

edit: by the way, what sort of goldfish are yours?

 

[fishwatcher]

I understand the netting idea (thanks!), but why would I need a heater? I've never had one before, that's why I'm asking.
Thanks for the help!

I have 1 blue oranda, 1 red/white Ryukin and 1 fancy tail (gold with diamond scales).

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I understand the netting idea (thanks!), but why would I need a heater? I've never had one before, that's why I'm asking.
Thanks for the help!

Because unless the pond is of at least 3ft depth, a freeze during the winter could finish your goldfish off. The more depth a pond has, the more stable is temp will be and easier it will be for the goldfish to hibernate successfully and uninterupted through the winter.
If the temp warms up too much after a freeze during a short warming period in the winter, the goldfish can be fooled out of thier dormant state and think it is spring, which can be very bad for them if it is still actually winter and the freeze returns as the stress of coming out of hibernation and becomming active only to be forced back into hibernation can be too much for some goldfish to cope with. Parasites are also more active in warmer temps, and a short warming period in the winter can also make any parasites in the water active which can be very bad for any sleepy goldfish in the pond as their imune systems will not be as active as they would be during warmer months.

A deep pond of 3ft depth or more, or a heated pond (because a heater will help keep much more stable temps in the pond), is the best way to ensure the winter does not kill the goldfish off and that they come out of hibernation in spring healthy and untroubled .

If your goldfish are of fancy breeds then they cannot tolerate freezing temps at all, so an outdoor pond would always need to be kept above freezing temp levels (i would advise at least 11 degree's warm).
If they are breeds like comet or common goldfish, these slim type goldfish can tolerate freezing temps (although the pond would be too shallow for them if it was unheated), but will need a pond larger than 30gals (minimum recommend amount of gallons for a comet or common goldfish is 75gals, if you have 2 or more i would advise at least 90gals as these fish grow larger than fancy breeds as they can grow to over 12inches long and are also a lot more active).

Edit: ah you have fancy goldfish then- personally i would advise a heated pond of 40gals or more then (as fancy goldfish can't survive freezing temps) as generally speaking, with fancy goldfish stocking it is advised you have 20gals for the first fancy and 10gal for every one after that .

 

[fishwatcher]

If I have a 40-50 gal tub, then, what size heater would you recommend? Like I said, I had a pond before, but never a heater, so I have no idea about them. : )
Thanks!

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

If I have a 40-50 gal tub, then, what size heater would you recommend? Like I said, I had a pond before, but never a heater, so I have no idea about them. : )
Thanks!

Hm i forget how many watts you need per gallon when it comes to outdoor ponds, i think black angel might know as she looked into getting a heater for her pond last year.
Something like this might surfice for a 40-50gal pond though;

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/150-watt-Pond-Heater...VQQcmdZViewItem

 

[fishwatcher]

ok, thanks.
Would you bury the whole thing, or leave about half of it above ground? We have winters that have about 6-10 days of freezing temps, maybe 3-4 nights of temp in the teens. Zone 8 on the gardening zone chart is where I am, if that helps.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

ok, thanks.
Would you bury the whole thing, or leave about half of it above ground? We have winters that have about 6-10 days of freezing temps, maybe 3-4 nights of temp in the teens. Zone 8 on the gardening zone chart is where I am, if that helps.

It would probably help insulate the pond and help cut down on the electricity bill for the heater if you bury the pond, but if the heater is strong enough the pond should also be fine above ground too .

 

[GoldLenny]

Is your patio covered? How deep is the tub you are considering? One thing I've seen online are new/used 300G plastic farm water troughs that are 3' deep where you could bury it 2'+ and take advantage of geothermal heating/cooling... since the earth temp at 2' stays very consistently around 70F. The used troughs can often be purchased from local farmers or from farm auctions that may happen in your area. Here is a recent blog page of mine about smaller ponds and DIY stuff related to ponds that has a link to the water troughs and other stuff like a low-cost DIY filter system for a pond fountain. http/goldlenny.blogspot.com/2007/03/pond...d-diy-pond.html

Fancy golds should probably not be overwintered without adding a heater to keep the temps at least around 70F. If you only have commons/comets, then you could turn off the heater and pump and just keep a surface bubbler running to keep the surface from icing over completely so the water can outgas any CO2, etc.