Bringing the fish inside

[academiannut]

Boyfriend is very sad at the idea that fish may be endangered outside... So we are going to set up the stock tank in the basement - ordered a 300 gallon one and have the supplies to run it -

I think the fish would probably be fine outdoors, but this way we’ll get to enjoy them swimming around downstairs... and the water temp doesn’t stay stable enough in my 12 inch pond, so suppose its all good. Have to figure out a hood to keep the fish in and the cats out, and it’ll be good to have a place to store them while we reconfigure the pond, supposing we ever get around to making it deeper (if only it weren’t concrete!)

 

[Tula]

You can use wood clamps to secure a net over the stock tank ...should work to keep fish in and kitties out!

 

[j.w]

Cats may try to jump up on the net so watch them at first. Chicken wire or some kind of metal screening might work also.

 

[academiannut]

Helpful! I’ll check out chicken wire and wood clamps - we’ll see what we can cobble together -

 

[j.w]

Make sure the cats can't reach down far enough into the tank to grab a fish through whatever you use. Cats are tricky balancer's and have long reaching/stretching paws and will jump up on anything that will hold them even wire.

 

[Phaewryn]

I'd use 1/2" spaced rabbit wire / hardware cloth and brace it every 10 inches with sturdy wood stakes (think 1" wood stakes or 2x2 banister posts). The cats won't be able to reach through that, although you might be surprised how little cats actually seem to care if there are fish inside. When I had a fish I needed to cull, I thought I could put it in a shallow dish and feed it to my cats but they wanted nothing at all to do with "live dinner"! "Dinner", they said, "should come from a can!" They appeared to be appalled that I would propose such indecency! Eating live fish!? The audacity!