Getting an indoor pond....

[Devon]

Within the next two weeks, I am getting this pond...it was setup for a few years but sadly, it's owner passed away and it needed to be taken down. They're giving me the pond and liner as well as some pumps, tubing, etc...I also have a pump for ponds up to 2400 gallons, but I don't know how many gallons this pond is. I plan on putting it in my basement (I CAN get it down there! ) and don't want koi, or something. I was thinking I would put my Cigar shark into it, as he'll get atleast 2 feet long...as well as my parrot cichlids who already live with him, a pleco, my synodontis, pictus catfish, eclipse catfish, and silver dollars. Would this be possible? Would I have to put some sort of netting over top of it? Would it be possible tomake a net divider to seperate off a small part of the pond?

Thanks a lot in advance!

I was told that the two long sides are 8 feet long, the two short ends are two feet long....otherwise, I am unsure of the measurements. Though I'm sure if tried I could figure it out.....

By the way, I think there's also some sort of brick bordering for it....

[Toirtis]

Based on those dimensions, and assuming 12" deep, it would be about 220-225 gallons.

You may need to mesh-over the top, as those sharks tend to jump.

[Trooper]

I would use that brick border for sure. Doesn't look as though there is enough strenght on those two long sides. How high are the sides? even at 16 " you should brace the sides or strap it across the top. You could fix it up for $7, glue, and a few screws.

[Devon]

I would use that brick border for sure. Doesn't look as though there is enough strenght on those two long sides. How high are the sides? even at 16 " you should brace the sides or strap it across the top. You could fix it up for $7, glue, and a few screws.

Actually, I spoke to the brother of the old owner, there isn't a brick border. The two long sides go up against the wall....the entire pond is covered in this cement-like material used to cover decks and pick up truck boxes...apparantly it was set up for years like that with no problems.

Forgive me if this is a really stupid question.....but would it be possible to keep a small species of stingray in this pond?

[jvision]

Looks like a good footprint for a ray or two, IMO. How deep is it? You might not want to put anything that gets too big with them. If you have 1" sand in there, there's not a lot of vertical space left.

[Ichthyosporidium]

I would use that brick border for sure. Doesn't look as though there is enough strenght on those two long sides. How high are the sides? even at 16 " you should brace the sides or strap it across the top. You could fix it up for $7, glue, and a few screws.

Actually, I spoke to the brother of the old owner, there isn't a brick border. The two long sides go up against the wall....the entire pond is covered in this cement-like material used to cover decks and pick up truck boxes...apparantly it was set up for years like that with no problems.

Forgive me if this is a really stupid question.....but would it be possible to keep a small species of stingray in this pond?

As for the dimensions of the enclosure, it is suitable, although it is a bit shallow as you will need at lest 4 to 6" of sandy substrate.

The other concerns are temperature fluctuations and water quality. With such a wide surface area and shallow conditions, you migh have trouble maintaining the temperature and if you are able to maintain a temp at around 25 deg c, then you will have mass evapouration and that could make stable water quality a problem as you would be adding water almost daily to compensate. The humidity would be detrimental on your house also.

[Devon]

Ive been reading and have found conflicting information regaurding the substrate. Some people say they keep them on bare bottoms, is this not reccomended?

I think Im probably just going to stick to the fish I have and build on it a bit from there with similar fish. I'll save the rays for when I have more time, I would hate to kill one.

[skinless]

tank setups i've seen online are about 50/50 for substrate with rays.

need some large gf for cycling? i seriously need to unload a couple old, larger goldfish

[spcy]

Phat at Aquagiant is has very nice rays in glass bottom doing very well you could talk to him.

looks like a fun project doing back yard next summer I can't wait.

Ada

[Ichthyosporidium]

Just wanted to remind you that irregardless of if you have substrate or not, that humidity will be a major factor. You will need to deal with humidity. Just think if you kept an indoor hot-tub in a room not designed for a hot tub and had no cover on it???

Not trying to be a party pooper but... ... The effects of mould and mildew are potentially disaterous so just think about how you are going to maintain the humidity so that your house does not become a mushroom farm. The resale value of a mould infested house should be of major concern to you alone. :eh:

[Devon]

yeah I don't think Im going to go with anything that needs to be heated, for that reason....it wont fit in my fish room, which is made to handle the humidity. Would it be okay unheated?

[Ichthyosporidium]

having that much surface area will still evaporate, but it will definitely reduce the evaporation rate if you use plants to cover the surface. Approximately 70% surface coverage with foliage will not only keep the evaporation rate down, it will help keep algae from growing wild in the pond. If you don't want all live plants, then use an ornament(s) such as a statue or even fake plants such as fake lily pads. Given the surface area of this pond a 1" substrate would benifit the pond, especially if you run coldwater fish such as koi or gold fish.

They produce alot of ammonia compared to most tropical fish and when a goldfish grows from 1" to 3", it won't just triple it's output, it will produce the equivalent of 10, 1" goldfish and more if the temp is higher than 20 deg. C. With no substrate, your water might not fully clear.

Try and put the pond in an area that has no heat vent blowing on the surface, minimal direct sun, or any drafts that might speed up evaporation.

Regardless if you are building a coping around the sides and edge (rocks, wood, plants, tile, brick, etc.). I strongly suggest a liner for underneath the pond liner with some kind of underlay on top of that. Even indoor ponds need to be able to breathe from under your main liner. For a backup liner, you could use a tarp with the edges built up about 2" to 4" from the floor. This can be done by either using a row of standard red brick, pressure treated 4 x 4 post. Or use whatever material you are using to face the tank with. You can adhere the liner to the facing with clear silicone. You will apreciate the extra effort of installing a backup liner if and/or when you wind up dumping a few gallons from a number of possible reasons.

A few possibilities are; leak from the filter system, larger fish splashing, the good old missing the pond when dumping water back in just to name a few possibilities.