Since I live in FL, we have wonderful weather year round, with the exception of a couple cold snaps each winter. (funny...as I write this, there is a freeze warning! Go figure!!) Since we haven't been maintaining our pool, the params in the pool are perfect for fish. So got me to thinking, since my tanks are taking forever and a day to cycle, and would probably cycle faster if I wasn't changing so much water every day, should I buy a pond liner and set it up outside for my fish to wait for their indoor tanks to cycle? If I used the water directly from the pool for the liner, how long would a green water environment take to ensue? I realize I still need agitation, but would it need a filtration system too? I wouldn't be using it long term...just long enough to get my indoor tanks cycled.

Stupid idea? After 2 months of cycling, I guess I'm getting desperate. I could try all kinds of products to speed up my cycles, but there are no guarantees and I'd rather not waste the money on something that might not work. Of course I wouldn't do this unless I knew we were going to have some good weather for several weeks. Where the heck did this cold weather come from? It's been in the low 80's lately, now all of a sudden they're expecting freezing temps by Thursday. Crazy!

Can you believe how cold it's going to get? It's crazy!! They'll be talking of the orange prices going up next.

I'm no expert on tanks (obviously!!) but Oliver Black has fish in his pool... So I don't see why there would be a problem...? Let the experts chime in for sure, though.

Hmm... I should peek at our neighbor's pool. They never swim in it. Maybe they have fish in there!!

I hope your tanks cycle soon!!

Debbie

Thanks!

I'm sure the pool itself would be too deep, unless I could drape a net divider across the shallow end to keep them there. Hmmmmm...... That might even be easier. I don't know!! Would I be able to find something safe for the fish to keep them from going beyond a certain point? I'd be worried about tails/fins, etc.... But we do have a very narrow pool, so it wouldn't take much.

I'll have to think about that. Would more water volume be better than less (as in a pond liner), as far as acclimating them and getting them used to being outside? I don't know if anybody here would have that answer. I'll have to go do some research first.

hi Lolafish

do you mean like buying those shaped plastic ponds that they sold at home improvement stores -or- do you mean putting rubber pond liner in the actual pool? i got a little confuse there hehe

hey, i'm a Floridian too ! lol

I mean similar to what you did....My idea is to get a plastic pond liner and put it in my backyard (not near the pool at all as I'd need to have it close to a place my python would reach). But wouldn't a pool conversion be awesome? This is so cool:

http://kilk.com/pond

Maybe someday. We use the pool less and less every year, and it's small enough to convert to a pond easily. The only thing that would be hard, is setting up the pump and filtration on it.

This company makes the net dividers that might work in a pool situation:

http://www.lokinets.com/commercial.htm

Doesn't say how much they are.

i think greenwater might be harder to cultivate in the colder weather. i USED to have a green water pond, but after the colder winter kicked in, the green isnt coming back after i did this water change now it's clear water, this might sound kind of weird but i kinda missed the green lol

ooops, i forgot to add, i couldnt edit my previous post lol

okay, i understand it now lol that pond from the pool so ultra cool! really creative and pretty!

when it was still summer, i first released 4 fish into my 725 gal pond, then a few days after i released an additional 6 fish in. then gradually, the water started to turn green and green all by itself LOL. It took me less than 2 wks for my pond to turn green completely with 10 fish

Hubby nixed the pond liner idea. He's too worried about cats, racoons, etc....

We're gonna try and get the 125 set up asap, and use an accelerator like Bio Spira or Turbostart. In the meantime, we'll keep an eye on the weather, and if it warms up again...will consider using the shallow end of the pool if the other tanks are still resilient to cycling.

Your Hubby is right....your fish are way to expensive to have some casualties, there are plenty of cats and raccoons around that would see your babies as lunch. I thought about doing a pond like a 300 gallon trough or something but i would have to have my Dad build some kind of net cover to keep the preditors away. The heat here would concern me and I would also freak out during a Hurricane.
By the way the temp here has already dipped to 67. It was like 80 this afternoon. This always happens for a week or two around xmas or new years.

I never knew somthing could be too deep for fish??

Yes,... would you explain your "too deep" concern.... While one might not construct a "deep" pond, if the depth already exists, say via converion of a concrete pool, just what harm can ensue from that pool depth?

Oliver

No i was just wondering how somthing can be too deep for fish, i mean how do they survive in lakes and stuff? Cuz their are lakes easily 50ft deep and more

Fancies shouldn't be in anything deeper than 4'. The bigger, single-tailed fish would be fine though in deeper water.

Is it the pressure? I'm curious too.

Yep! There are posts in the forms somewhere that go into detail about which fancies do better in long tanks, in deep tanks, etc.....

if the pressure is a problem in the deep end, wouldn't the fish preferentially stay at the shallow end?

Oh right, were did fancy arieties originate from then? Were did they live in the wild? Or were they cross bred or somthing?

All goldfish originated from carps. Then there were color mutations that occur when the carps were farmed, and the farmers started to breed the mutated fish. The common goldfish was born!! while they were breeding the common goldies, some of them came out funny. They started to selectively breed those together to get fancies. so basically, fancies are mutated commons. there are no "wild" goldfish.

Tell that to my Sumo.

LOL!!