Outdoor tank

[Ron Sower]

Well, I eventually got my 55g set up outside about a month ago. Potted some plants and put them in there. And I already mentioned I have a bunch of danios and white clouds in it. The water was crystal clear about 3 days then the green water set in. I dumped in a bunch of duckweed, water lettuce, and hyacinth, and the green turned to an amber and now there is a red dusty like algae coating the glass. We placed a patio table with an umbrella in position to shade it which helped.

Anyway, I'm disappointed in the lack of plant growth and the lack of time I've been able to spend out there messing with it and enjoying watching it with a beer and chips! Maybe this afternoon.

[Mugwump]

Well, I eventually got my 55g set up outside about a month ago. Potted some plants and put them in there. And I already mentioned I have a bunch of danios and white clouds in it. The water was crystal clear about 3 days then the green water set in. I dumped in a bunch of duckweed, water lettuce, and hyacinth, and the green turned to an amber and now there is a red dusty like algae coating the glass. We placed a patio table with an umbrella in position to shade it which helped.

Anyway, I'm disappointed in the lack of plant growth and the lack of time I've been able to spend out there messing with it and enjoying watching it with a beer and chips! Maybe this afternoon.

They can be a pain in the butt for sure..............I've had a nice offer for our 150 gal out back......I may take it...we'll never get that beast to the basement.......the water lettuce took off...the rest must have had too much sun.....not so good....

[GraphicGr8s]

I had my 90 on the porch of the fish house and it just got loaded with algae. And it was shaded. I tore it down and traded places with the 55 that was in the fish house. The 90 is doing well inside with only 2 Angels and a pair of albino plecos I got from Ron. Not Ron S. Ron that lives in the next town over

[LizStreithorst]

I can't do it in a tank, and it's too late in the season to start now anyway, but next year I'm considering raising Dots outside.  I have 2 150 gallon containers that were designed for keeping freshly caught shrimp alive until they were sold.  They're sitting in the storage area in my shop going to waste.  I wonder if I could raise betas in one.  Probably not.  Everyone breeds them in tiny tanks.  But think about it...They're the same type of fish as Dots so why not?

[Mugwump]

I can't do it in a tank, and it's too late in the season to start now anyway, but next year I'm considering raising Dots outside.  I have 2 150 gallon containers that were designed for keeping freshly caught shrimp alive until they were sold.  They're sitting in the storage area in my shop going to waste.  I wonder if I could raise betas in one.  Probably not.  Everyone breeds them in tiny tanks.  But think about it...They're the same type of fish as Dots so why not?

One of the founders of the GCCA. Kenny Schultz, bred and raised betta's in the kiddie blow up wading pools.....he did great..

[BillT]

I have three rubbermaid tubs I am trying to get my Moina going in. They are alive but have not made a dense population yet.

What kind of water temps are you guys getting.
My temps are usually between 74-85. 
The tubs are in direct sun for about 1/2 the day and get small squirts of cooler water 4 times a day.
Not bad for Monia, but would stress some sps of fish.

[LizStreithorst]

Can you find a link to his posts about doing it?  It would be a great fun project.  I could do it in a Rubber Maid 50 gallon horse trough which is much more shallow and would be easier on the Beta fry, I think.  I'd try it out with cheap fish to see if it worked before I invested in good fish.

I don't know what I'll do with these 150 gallon WS containers.  They're not good if you're breeding for quality, but I suppose I could use them for Angel fry to send to the wholesaler.  The guy I spoke to there actually suggested I do that.  I donno...I'm not big into cranking them out, but if there's a market, even a wholesale market, why not?

[LizStreithorst]

Can you find a link to his posts about doing it?  It would be a great fun project.  I could do it in a Rubber Maid 50 gallon horse trough which is much more shallow and would be easier on the Beta fry, I think.  I'd try it out with cheap fish to see if it worked before I invested in good fish.

I don't know what I'll do with these 150 gallon WS containers.  They're not good if you're breeding for quality, but I suppose I could use them for Angel fry to send to the wholesaler.  The guy I spoke to there actually suggested I do that.  I donno...I'm not big into cranking them out, but if there's a market, even a wholesale market, why not?

I just checked the temp of the water in the containers I have outside in mostly shade.  The ambient temp is 96.  The temp of the water in the containers is 88.6.  Monia would never survive.   Anabatnoids (spell check tells me that my spelling is wrong but you know what I mean) might survive in this heat if they had aeration to help  disperse the heat.  Heck, they raise fish in ponds in FL where it's even hotter than it is here.

[ghonk]

The ponds are probably deep,so i'm guessing the temps would be cooler.

[LizStreithorst]

Depth helps.  I didn't think of that.

[BillT]

I've been to some Florida fish farms.
They are quite variable. High end ones are in modern warehouse buildings.
Lots are deeper ponds or in greenhouses. The greenhouse use shading of some kind and will often have an evaporative cooler (swamp cooler?) at one end to lower temperatures (but increase humidity).

[LizStreithorst]

An evaporative cooler?  I don't even know what that is and I don't think I want to know because I'm not raising fish on that scale.  Breeding fish is a hobby for me.  Trying something new is a fun challenge. I would never try this with important fish.   If I try and fail  with average quality fish it's no big deal.  After all, they're just fish.

[Mugwump]

An evaporative cooler?  I don't even know what that is and I don't think I want to know because I'm not raising fish on that scale.  Breeding fish is a hobby for me.  Trying something new is a fun challenge. I would never try this with important fish.   If I try and fail  with average quality fish it's no big deal.  After all, they're just fish.

they're never "just fish".....

[LizStreithorst]

Oh yes they are.  I got into breeding fish because breeding goats broke my heart.  I considered breeding dogs but dog showing is too dirty a business for me. The good thing about fish is that they don't love you back and they can't break you heart so much that you have to up and quit after 19 years.  Mammals are the ones that can break your heart, but I can see it happening with birds, too. 

[BillT]

An evaporative cooler?

Its a big fan blowing through a bunch of fibrous material (like matting) with water running over it. Water evaporates, air gets cooler.
Does large amounts of cool cheap.