Tropical Pond

[saltynay]

I just moved into a new house and low and behold there is a beautiful space on the 4th floor balcony just outside the office that has a ready made tiled area/pond (I don't know if its ever been used as such before but Asians are heavily into water features for feng shui luck reasons). I will take a few pics when I get my camera working to give a true sense of the space but for now I rustled up a quick CAD drawing of it (click to enlarge):

Right side looking in

Left side looking in

Birds eye view

Bottom corner where I plan to hide a sump filter


I plan to filter it using a sump system with 2 compartments for filtering (1 sponge, 1 bioballs/rocks) and then a little polishing wool through the baffles to the pump. The sump tank is a custom made 300x800x480 (WxLxH in mm)tank with 5 baffles as you can see below.The water will flow to the sump through the 30mm tube in the bottom of the pond (already present but needs plumbing extension) and I will make a 50mm tube through the pond wall which will act as an overflow into the top of the sump. The 30mm tube coming from the bottom of the pond will be a T section with ball valve to allow for easy drainage.

(click to enlarge)

In terms of decoration I am thinking a sand substrate with lucky bamboo on the left side that will grow to prevent neighbours looking over their balcony in to mine. Lillys in the right corner close to the post then I am not sure what else I need to go the LFS to find out what I can find. I may build a structure covering the right side to allow for a basking area for terrapins to climb up and out of the water as I have some tiles laying around if I do go with terrapins that is.

Inhabitants: (not sure)
Option 1
Red Eared sliders x2
Oscars x2
Guppies - start off with 20 to get the pond cycled and within 50 days I should have 60 plenty of food for the oscars and turtles should they want a live snack.

Option 2 Vietnam biosphere
1 x clown Knifefish (Chitala ornata)
2 x giant gouramis (Osphronemus goramy)or a walking catfish (Clarias batrachus)

 

[mark4785]

You sound like you've thoroughly planned this pond out. I've never had the ability, due to climate, to create a tropical pond so I'd be really interested to see some footage of it. A tropical pond is pretty much unheard of in England due to extremely cold or unusual seasonal weather.

If I had the facility you have I would stock it with dwarf cichlids as their behaviour can often be aggressive/territorial in small or cramped environments; such negative behaviour should disappear or become infrequent if they have a pond to swim in!

 

[saltynay]

Yeah I know the tropical dilemma I have a pond at the family home in Essex. It is possible to have a semi tropical pond in the SE with a green house in the summer months but a tank inside for winter or to have one actually built into your house as a feature point. A pond here may still need heating in the winter but fortunately it should be ok for 10 months per year provided it doesn't get too hot but due to the integrated drain I can just fill it with cold water from the hose and drain it at the same time.

I am pretty sure on the stocking now I am going to get
1 x lima shovelnose catfish
1 x silver arowana
1 x clown knifefish
2 x Marbled motoro stingrays

 

[kizno1]

Yeah I know the tropical dilemma I have a pond at the family home in Essex. It is possible to have a semi tropical pond in the SE with a green house in the summer months but a tank inside for winter or to have one actually built into your house as a feature point. A pond here may still need heating in the winter but fortunately it should be ok for 10 months per year provided it doesn't get too hot but due to the integrated drain I can just fill it with cold water from the hose and drain it at the same time.

I am pretty sure on the stocking now I am going to get
1 x lima shovelnose catfish
1 x silver arowana
1 x clown knifefish
2 x Marbled motoro stingrays

The stocking looks good to me apart from Limas do best in groups so you would b best getting 3 but im not sure how the rays would get on with them.

 

[bae1994]

so at two sides is it just a shear drop if what if any jump?

 

[saltynay]

This has been some of my reading which to me says either or but more bring out social behaviours that otherwise are not present:

They are quite sociable as big cats go and it is possible to keep a group of these catfish in one tank. Three Lima shovelnoses would do well as a group in a large enough tank. This is especially true if all three are raised in the same tank together.

Social behavior: An active nocturnal predator that will eat smaller tank mates. Combine only with other large, hardy fish. Can be kept in groups or singly.

When you keep more than one individual they interact with each other in interesting ways.

This catfish is a predator, and will eat any small fish that it is able to fit into its mouth. However, as long as the other fish in the tank are too large to be eaten, it is very peaceful. This catfish is also tolerant of its own kind, and so can be kept singly or in small groups

If you have a source that I have not read please send me the link I want to know everything about this fish I can. I am thinking of a tank indoors that will be 7 feet long and 2 feet wide that I would like to keep a group of preds in as well so perhaps a school of shovelnose to see them hunt in packs like I read about. The same tank again would be underneath converted into half sump, half cardinia Iwagumi tank. Probably just a pipe dream though.

so at two sides is it just a shear drop if what if any jump?

Half a side (approx 1.2m) is a sheer drop down 4 floors. 3 sides are a drop of 2 foot onto the balcony with 1 side protected by the black railings which most fish I think can jump through if their lucky. I am still trying to figure out a solution as I don't really like pond netting due to its restriction on viewing and then my bamboo can't grow though.I was thinking acrylic but that will cause a hotter pond because the steam can't leave and low oxygen levels in the water. Acrylic round the edges would be difficult to clean and probably look tacky. Leaving me with pond netting again as pretty much the only viable option but then there's the minefield of how to attach it so that a bird can't get in and a meter long fish can't get out but I can still do maintenance when I desire, all whilst being aesthetically pleasing.

Any thoughts?