An outside pond in a pot...

Kash

Has anyone done this?


Any recommendations for fish? Plants? Do I need a pump?
Any other hints & tips?

Thank you!

Silverfish

I can't think of any fish that can be kept outdoors that could survive in that.

It'd be nice for plants.

kylith

I think that kind of thing is just for plants. Goldfish get much, much too big.

cjf

I have a half whiskey barrel pond on my patio- 1 fantail, 6 minnows, few ramshorn snails and quite a few pond snails now!! I have 2 oxyegenating grass plants and one other can't remember plant name will check it later! I have no filter but do partial water changes every week and my water is fish friendly and crystal clear! I set up the barrel and plants first and did partial water changes for 4 weeks before I added any fish to let the Eco system in the barrel get started, I added my fantail which was in a small tank in week 5 and the minnows in week 8. Only other thing I use is pond start powder after every 2nd water change and water treatment drops to remove chlorine and to keep the good bacteria going! Had one algae bloom where water went like pea soup just netted out the floating stuff and within a few days the water cleared up. Il post up a pic later! I have a small filter which was lying around so I took out the sponge partially submerged it and it makes a nice water feature now to keep the water from going stagnant but I don't leave it on all the time!

Cameron Poe

How long have you had the half barrel running? I'd say you've just been lucky so far.

OP, you'll never keep fish in something like that picture.

cjf

Hmm this one going about 5 months Started another one in June but had homeless turtle so put him in and he wrecked it so had to start that one again got plants in it but no fish yet was going to put the fantail in that one but he in with the minnows for now and is doing well so may not move him at all now. I do partial water change every week and siphon gravel every so often, have done one big water change/clean since started it (3/4 of water out). I trim the plant and grass when they get unruly and quickly net out any floaty stuff when feeding them.

Nervous now!! What happens when my luck runs out??

WIZE

that lovely
no need to be nervous your fish are fine . Just get a tempature guage and monitor water . you should get an aquarium for the winter time .

Cameron Poe

You have no biological filtration. Because of this it is likely that over time your ammonia and/or nitrites could reach fatally high levels. The water changes are probably keeping it reasonably ok. If you tested your water I would not be surprised if there is already high enough levels present now.

It's also a very small body of water so the temperature will fluctuate wildly in the winter months.

Kash

That looks lovely cjf! If you could find out the names of the plants, that would be great, they seem to be doing the trick. Did you bring them inside over Winter?

We were inspired by the abundance of fish in pots in Thailand, so are trying to imitate that. The pots I have are bigger than the one in the picture I posted - they are about 75 cm wide, and 65cm deep. I figured that seeing as it is a damn sight bigger than a goldfish bowl it would be big enough for fish! I'm still not convinced that it's not - it appears to have been a success for cjf - maybe i'll be equally as lucky

Cameron Poe

Keeping any fish without adequate filtration (never mind none at all) is a death sentence for a fish. No point in kidding yourself. Bowls are a complete disgrace.

You could add a filter and would have more success but pond filters tend to be big and unsightly. I'm unsure how indoor aquarium filters would hold up for outside use. I'n that body of water a freeze will probably kill them.

Plants won't solve ammonia and nitrite issues. Keeping them alive for five months over the summer when the garden is getting lots of attention and the weather hasn't been extreme is not a success. It's just a start.

WIZE

i dont know where this luck is coming from

monitor the temp and the Water Quality and have a Plan B ( Aquarium )

you will be fine

Go to a Aquarium Shop ( Not a Pet Shop ) and ask for advise on the type of fish to get

cjf

Cameron Poe wrote: »

Keeping any fish without adequate filtration (never mind none at all) is a death sentence for a fish. No point in kidding yourself. Bowls are a complete disgrace.

You could add a filter and would have more success but pond filters tend to be big and unsightly. I'm unsure how indoor aquarium filters would hold up for outside use. I'n that body of water a freeze will probably kill them.

Plants won't solve ammonia and nitrite issues. Keeping them alive for five months over the summer when the garden is getting lots of attention and the weather hasn't been extreme is not a success. It's just a start.

A successful start I hope plan to wheel barrel into shed for winter and can plug in water heater there so they won't freeze. Getting bigger filter for my turtle tank soon so will stick smaller filter in barrel then.

OP The grass is just called mixed oxyegenator plant and the label is gone off the other one but think it's a water hyacinth supposed to produce little purple flowers in the spring.

It's a very basic DIY 'pond' but got sick of staring at the rubble in the garden waiting to win the euromillions so decided to brighten up one little corner of it till I can build the real thing!

Cameron Poe

WIZE wrote: »

i dont know where this luck is coming from

If you keep fish alive in a small body of water with no filtration you have been lucky.

That's all.

diverdad

Hey OP,
My wife was impressed with the notion of a barrell type pond. Do you have any side on photos of your setup?

I was thinking a black pond liner sheet would look more attractive.
Nice arrangment of plants and bright gravel.

cjf

Will stick one up later not as attractive as could be though! When researched barrel ponds saw that some people get a touch plastic barrel that sits inside the wooden barrel which would mean so plastic over the edge and easier to clean as no liner folds! My barrel is also an old one I had lying around but have seen nice ones with varnish on the outside which would look nice! As I said before mine was very DIY and I'm no good at DIY!!