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- Sep 27, 2022
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Hi, I just joined the forum. I am what you call a newbie. This was my first summer with a small stock tank above ground fishpond. 4 by 3.5 ft by 20 in deep. I have 3 fat and sassy goldfish. Winter is coming and I would appreciate any advice or feedback on what I plan to do next. I had originally thought I could leave the fish in the pond for the winter. I now realize that's not feasible. I could lose the fish and after nursing them through heat waves, torrential rains, algae blooms etc. you get kinda attached to the little guys. I got a 30 gal aquarium. I would prefer that they hibernate, but I don't have a basement or garage to put it in. The best I can do is a corner of the living room away from any heat vents.
My question concerns when to start up the aquarium. 6 weeks ago I put some polished and acrylic rocks into the pond to start collecting bacteria. 2 weeks ago i bought an aquarium filter and put the sponge and bio rocks from that in as well as a small sponge filter hooked up to an air pump. The water temperature in the pond has dropped to 47 - 50 degrees F.
At those temperatures will that media in the pond even be growing more bacteria?
If not, I am thinking of starting up the aquarium now. I will fill it with pond water, move all the aforementioned stuff into it, fill the top with plants and start the filter. I also have some bottled bacteria and could throw in some food pellets.
I read an old post where someone did something similar, but they didn't mention the water temperature. They didn't have to cycle at all.
I have a master test kit and took a baseline reading of the pond today so I will be able to know what the aquarium is doing.
I probably don't have to move the fish for another month. They are in semi hibernation mode now. When I do I will fill the aquarium with fresh pond water so there isn't any temperature shock.
My question concerns when to start up the aquarium. 6 weeks ago I put some polished and acrylic rocks into the pond to start collecting bacteria. 2 weeks ago i bought an aquarium filter and put the sponge and bio rocks from that in as well as a small sponge filter hooked up to an air pump. The water temperature in the pond has dropped to 47 - 50 degrees F.
At those temperatures will that media in the pond even be growing more bacteria?
If not, I am thinking of starting up the aquarium now. I will fill it with pond water, move all the aforementioned stuff into it, fill the top with plants and start the filter. I also have some bottled bacteria and could throw in some food pellets.
I read an old post where someone did something similar, but they didn't mention the water temperature. They didn't have to cycle at all.
I have a master test kit and took a baseline reading of the pond today so I will be able to know what the aquarium is doing.
I probably don't have to move the fish for another month. They are in semi hibernation mode now. When I do I will fill the aquarium with fresh pond water so there isn't any temperature shock.