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  • Hi - New here!

    Hi guys -

    Just signed up this morning.  I've kept fish since childhood with my largest tank being a 180 used as a room divider.  I loved it and stocked it with mainly south american chichlids - geos., apistos., etc.  It was plumbed from the bottom so nothing got in the way of the view of the fish.  I kept discus for a while, but where I lived hardness was always an issue.  I once had about 10 tanks in my small apartment - the 180, a 55, 20 hex, and about 6-7 small tanks I was raising fire bellied toads in.  Back then, supposedly no one was raising them in captivity.  I didn't try, it was truly an accident, but I raised about 450 firebellies that I sold back to my local LFS/reptile store.

    When I moved into my current home, my husband and I travel so much we felt an accident with the large tank while we were away would be horrible, so we put in a 500 gal "koi" pond w/waterfall in our atrium.  If you know anything about koi (we didn't but alot of these places will lie to you to sell their stuff) they need way more than 500 gals. so we we added a very small 3,500 gal and 1,200 gal koi ponds in the back yard.  I used the 500 gal pond for baby koi for several years, but it's just no good for koi - and I don't do goldfish (except for when my cat's in a fishing mood).

    Last year I converted the 500 gal pond in my atrium into a tropical fish pond.  Of course, most tropical fish are meant to be viewed from the top.  I am currently searching for more varieties that will survive during the winter.  Last year's survivors:  gold barb, rosey barb, angel botia, longfin danios, buenos aries tetra, and a few things that were singles in tanks I picked up out of pity and didn't really get their names.  What didn't survive - albino buenos aries tetras, congo tetras, the "sharks," Clown loach, tiger barbs, white clouds (the heat, not the cold), roseline sharks (I loved them they are georgeous from the top), various rainbows, golden killifish, guppies, platys, dwarf & pearl groumis.  I've recently added some of the glofish danios, giant danios, red glass barbs, a different type of killifish and paraside gouramis.

    I have fry already and I think they are rosey barbs.  The buenos aries tetras look ready to breed, but I think I may have all females.  And there is at least one pair of killifish as the male is definitely displaying to the female.

    Would love some suggestions on things that might survive our winters.  I bought a large (800 watt I think) pond heater last winter but it ran all the time and made little difference, so we took it out, so I don't think heating the pond is an option.

    Nice to meet everyone.

    Chantal

  • #2
    Re: Hi - New here!

    Welcome to the fish box Chantal, it sounds like your into fish a little.....
    I'm in the Cypress area and am in the middle of putting in a prefab pond liner at this time. I'll look forward to picking your brains down the road some when it comes time for some pond maintenance issues.

    Again, Welcome.


    CF
    Truth is the cement that holds the bricks and stones of a sane and civilized society together. Remove the former and the latter will crumble.

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    • #3
      Re: Hi - New here!

      Welcome to the HoustonFishBox, its a wonderful place to find knowledge and share it :)

      What fish do Jesper have
      180 WC T. Moorii Chilambo +1 Petro trewavasae.
      110
      Cyps, WC Xeno Spilopterus Kipili WC/F1/F2 T. sp red Kiku
      58 S. Decorus

      "The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." -Margaret Thatcher

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      • #4
        Re: Hi - New here!

        Welcome to the forum, this is a great place.

        Couldn't tell you what to do with a pond here.  It would be nice to have a tank you could put the fish in case of a winter.  Sometimes the whole season skips this part of Texas, and I have been here all my life and a few Christmases ago it snowed for the first time.  Besides the unpredictable winters, I wonder if the hot summers has an impact on your pond.  Cause of all the rain we haven't had any 100 degree days but we are only half way though the summer.

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        • #5
          Re: Hi - New here!

          Hi CichlidFan --

          I can share a lot when it comes to building ponds, waterfalls, bogs and filters, etc.  We've done both the firestone liners and the atrium pond is fiberglass insert.  Level, level, level - or you will hate yourself later.  I am pretty proud that my 3500 gal (finished 2001) is still almost perfectly level.  The 1,200 gal and deck were tore out last fall as the oak tree didn't cooperate.  I'm replacing the deck with decomposed granite and rosestone and will generally have a flower bed under the oak.  I do want to put in a small pond and fountain - just a feature.

          Sound's like your near me - don't waste money buying expensive waterlilies - I always have starts to share.

          Good luck.

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          • #6
            Re: Hi - New here!

            Welcome to the box!

            If you don't mind me asking, how deep is your 500g pond? I have never had a pond myself, but have set up a couple in my day. From my experience, it seems as though deeper ponds hold the temperature better.  There are quite a number of people here that actually have ponds, hopefully one of them will be along to help you out. I think guppymax has a rather large number of outdoor ponds that he keeps guppies in year round (I could be wrong here).

            Anyhow, good to have you aboard!
            Scarecrow : I haven't got a brain... only straw.
            Dorothy : How can you talk if you haven't got a brain?
            Scarecrow: I don't know... But some people without brains do an awful lot of talking... don't they?
            Dorothy: Yes, I guess you're right.

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            • #7
              Re: Hi - New here!

              The 500 gal is only 18" deep or so - and it is entirely in the ground.  I could probably hold temp better in the winter if I turned off the waterfall, but I rely on that water circulation to keep orchids, bromeliads and other tropicals warmer.  The pond is also entirely enclosed by my house, but open roof, which keeps this area around 10 degrees warmer than actual outside.

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              • #8
                Re: Hi - New here!

                Welcome to HFB!

                Like armthehomeless said, I don't know too much about ponds, but there are a lot of people here that do.

                Post pictures if you can! I know we'd all love to see your ponds!
                "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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                • #9
                  Re: Hi - New here!

                  Greetings and Salutations

                  You should try Paradice Fish - They are a bubble nester and do well in the cooler water.  Are your ponds soft acid water from the leaves and such ?
                  'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
                  He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

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                  • #10
                    Re: Hi - New here!

                    Welcome ! and likewise would love to see some pictures. I had a little (500gal) homemade above ground pond next to my patio for several years, but took it down this year. It was about 24 inches deep, and I sometimes put some guppies and my big old Pleco out for the warm months. I'd just catch them out and put them in a tank in the garage with a heater for winter, though.  Too bad the heater didn't work better for you, but it sounds like a beautiful setup.
                    MY MANTRA: Yes, I CAN have too many fishtanks!

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                    • #11
                      Re: Hi - New here!

                      Thanks all -

                      Not having any problems with the pond (it's functioned perfectly since 2000) other than what to put in it.  I did get 3 paradise fish which I am enjoying alot - they really stand out.  Pearl gouramis are one of my favorites and I may try another one this year.  When I had my 180 set up, I had a pearl that I could pick up with my hand anytime - he was very sweet.I was hoping I'd find someone here who knew more about the habitat the different fish come from so I could select others with a good chance of surviving.  Otherwise it will just be trial and error.  Also, I guess it could just be different populations might take lower temps than others.

                      I'll try to post pics - but so far I haven't figured it out.  I resized the pics under 256 kb but they just don't seem to attach.  Anyone want to give me pointers?  Thanks.

                      Okay, I made an album under cpiefer -- maybe, if i did that right.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Hi - New here!

                        welcome to the box cpiefer.....i saw the pictures....those are gorgeous ponds.....as cichlidfan stated earlier....we are in the process of a pond...but we have a stump giving us a headache at the moment ....but if we can get that thing out of there...we're on our way i think.... ...and thanks for the offer of starte lillies...i'm sure we'll be getting with you on those....anyway welcome to the box.....


                        fishlady.....

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                        • #13
                          Re: Hi - New here!

                          Nice to have you here!

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                          • #14
                            Re: Hi - New here!

                            Hey Chantal,
                            She is telling the truth that she will share plants as I have a water lily I got from her.  She has beautiful ponds.  I am fairly new here myself.  Met a few nice folks.  Even traded some plants for a blue crayfish (in a tank not my ponds)  
                            Dan Robinson

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                            • #15
                              Re: Hi - New here!

                              Hello and WELCOME!

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