Outdoor Tank: Plant Ideas

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

I'm in the midst of planning an outdoor tank. This will be a 100% natural planted tank using a soil substrate with a thin sand top layer. I'm hoping to be able to get some plants that will be able to stand up to Goldfish since that is the only fish I can think of that would be able to handle the outdoor temp range here. I live in South Carolina so we do get some cooler temps in the winter and some rather warm temps in the summer. Light will be 100% provided by sunlight and there will be no heater. I am planning for a low powered pump for water movement alone. I am figuring on having to do some pond plants that can withstand the elements here and hopefully some fully submersed plants as well. Any ideas I can get for plants or maybe even some alternates to Goldfish would be great as well.

BTW, tank size is 125gal.

[sailor]

Here ia s link or 2 for cold water aquarium fish

http://freshaquarium.about.com/od/fishqa/f/coldwaterfish.htm
http://www.e-aquarium.com.au/planning_aquarium.htm

and plants

http://www.lifeforceonline.co.uk/coldwater_plants_a_to_l_page40.html

http://www.lifeforceonline.co.uk/coldwater_plants_m_to_z_page325.html

I hope this helps

[Dave66]

I'm in the midst of planning an outdoor tank. This will be a 100% natural planted tank using a soil substrate with a thin sand top layer. I'm hoping to be able to get some plants that will be able to stand up to Goldfish since that is the only fish I can think of that would be able to handle the outdoor temp range here. I live in South Carolina so we do get some cooler temps in the winter and some rather warm temps in the summer. Light will be 100% provided by sunlight and there will be no heater. I am planning for a low powered pump for water movement alone. I am figuring on having to do some pond plants that can withstand the elements here and hopefully some fully submersed plants as well. Any ideas I can get for plants or maybe even some alternates to Goldfish would be great as well.

BTW, tank size is 125gal.

GB,
You could do guppies (60 to 90 temp range). Any livebearer would work.
You could run a bunch of the ornate danios (choprai, margaritatus) long as the temps are between 65 and 75, and you'd end up with bunches of fry in a tank that size with lush plantings, and with the demand for them, you could make some money. Several Otocinclus to keep the algae under control, about four hours direct, the rest indirect, sunlight and fish do fantastic in outdoor tanks. Might want to run an air pump to keep the pH stable and keep the water topped off.
Water will be a touch green with the sunlight. If you can get ahold of some clean freshwater mussels, they'll take care of it.
Even the gold fish would have to be moved when it gets too cold or too warm, so you might get a couple three months with any fish you choose.
You can plant it with swords and crypts just like an indoor tank. Both can bloom outdoors.

Dave

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Ok, so I;ve made some progress on the species of fish I'm wanting to keep. After a bit of research I think I've really settled on Rainbow Dace. They are absolutely stunning little beauties that are found right here in our own waters.

[Nautilus291]

around here dave the temperature can get down to 0*F I know a couple of people that keep their goldfish/koi in their ponds all year round and they have lived for years. They just break the top of the ice to keep the water pump running.

GB sounds like you will have a great pond setup!

[Dave66]

around here dave the temperature can get down to 0*F I know a couple of people that keep their goldfish/koi in their ponds all year round and they have lived for years. They just break the top of the ice to keep the water pump running.

GB sounds like you will have a great pond setup!

Nautilus,
If the pond doesn't freeze solid and there's a hole in the ice for gas exchange, the goldfish, which are carp, just slip into a stupor until it warms up again. Pond has to be at least four feet deep for Koi. You don't feed goldfish nor Koi when the temp drops to 60 degrees.

Dave

[ILuvMyGoldBarb]

Notropis lutrensis is the species I'm figuring on. I figure that there will be a somewhat constant supply of live foods for them since we seem to be able to grow mosquitos rather well down here, however they will be fed normally as well. After doing some research on them I've found that even though they are bred in Singapore as tropical/sub-tropical fish, they are actually found in US waterways as far north as WI.

Something I am also considering very seriously with this is an open top so that the plants can grow out over the top. I may nix this idea though in favor of a plexiglass lid.