Outdoor aquarium

[Tetramad]

Thinking of building an outdoor aquarium. It would be 60"x18"x24" on a brick base in a shaded part of my garden against the house. A cupboard underneath for electrical connections and air pump and filter etc. I would heat it to keep it from freezing but stock with small carp etc. It would have no hood just some lillies for shade, and be planted out like a tropical aquarium. Probably a bit of a crazy idea, but please let me know your thoughts. I know the carp will get BIG!! I`ll move them on to a pond, then re-stock with small ones again.

Mark.

 

[Whitey]

dude....what made u think of this?

 

[WILDER]

If it's having no lid wan't to be careful of pets and cats in the garden.

 

[Tetramad]

big cheap tanks on ebay and not enough room for one inside!!! also they have some baby mirror carp at the LFS and they are stunning, can`t really see them in a pond.

Mark.

 

[GSD]

it could work!itd be interesting to see
watch out for pets and the rainwater would get in if its pollouted also birds could get at them and the heater would get wet!

 

[Tetramad]

Yep I thought of the open top but forgot to mention. I have cats myself so it would have a mesh top. Rainwater should be OK. I would use a normal aquarium heater but the plug etc. would be underneath in a waterproof cupboard. Shall I go for it?

Mark.

 

[Grim Reaper]

not sure about this

y not just buy a small tank and keep inside

 

[BigC]

The water and tank will turn to green (algae) in no time at all. I've kept tanks outside to culture livefoods for killifish, for that purpose they are OK. You will hardly see your fish. IMO there's no point really in doing what you suggest unless you are breeding Goldfish and the likes off, and are not intrested on how the tank looks. If you are wanting a nice clean tidy tank outdoors then forget it, build a pond.

 

[Tetramad]

I`ve really not got anymore room inside!! 5 tanks already!! my wife would go ape.
I wan`t to try something from a different perspective and it would look amazing. Just think, watching those golden mirror carp bottom feeding in dappled sunlight through the crystal clear glass, with your feet up in the sun with a Bud in your hand..............

Mark.

 

[Whitey]

Have u thought about erecting a small canopy or roof over the tank, that way u could have a lid on the tank and it would be fine.

 

[Tetramad]

Yes I did think about a hood/roof etc, but i wanted it open to get natural light but it will be out of direct sunlight with a couple of lillies or floating plants. If the algae got too bad I could use a UV system on it like they do for ponds. I want to do it more and more now!!!

Mark.

 

[scott67892002]

there was a tank on e-bay recently that had been used outside for kio look really good!

 

[troutfly]

I have an idea for a solution on the heater, how about using a submersible heater instead of the hang on the back type, this would eliminate the worry of water getting into the control knob and prevent a possible failure.

Just my thoughts..........

 

[BigC]

Where are you going to put the carp when they grow? Goldfish stunt to the size of the available room provided, Carp do not, and will soon outgrow that tank. In winter carps metabolism slow down and they receed to depth of six feet or more in the pond where the temp is more stable and overwinter. Your tank will freeze in winter and probably crack if you suggest heating it then what's the heating bill for winter going to be like with the heater on most of the time. You can still enjoy your bottle of BUD sat around a nicely landscaped pond listening to the sound of trickling water down the waterfall. And you fish will be a lot happier.

 

[MegTheFish]

Where are you going to put the carp when they grow?

He said in a pond.