Floating Fish Dome what are your thoughts?

[Gemma]

Last night I watched a video on a koi Dome, and I've totally fallen in love with the idea! I want to try one of these so bad, but I have a hard time believing what I see on TV, so first I'd like to hear some reviews/thoughts from you guys

Of course I wouldn't leave it permanently in the pond, I'd only use it when I can actually sit there and enjoy it.
Does any of you have/had one?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Can you imagine how often this large unwieldy thing would require cleaning of the glass to remove algae buildup?
How do you circulate the water within this structure to keep it oxygenated?
What is the point of having one of these if your pond water is clear? If it isn't then this device won't help much.

 

[Gemma]

Can you imagine how often this large unwieldy thing would require cleaning of the glass to remove algae buildup?
How do you circulate the water within this structure to keep it oxygenated?
What is the point of having one of these if your pond water is clear? If it isn't then this device won't help much.

It's definitely not something I would leave in the pond, so algae shouldn't be a problem, and I'm guessing a low Dome (not those high towers) the fish swimming in and out would move and exchange the water(?)
The point would be to be able to view the fish up close, and in all different perspectives

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Which brings up the next question. Knowing fish behavior, how are you going to get them into this dome? And I can think of several other areas of a pond where $160.00 would be better spent.

 

[Faebinder]

yeah I was going to do something similar but I did not want to clean algae off glass.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

yeah I was going to do something similar but I did not want to clean algae off glass.

Yep, it only takes a couple of hours for the growth to begin in an established pond.

 

[Gemma]

Which brings up the next question. Knowing fish behavior, how are you going to get them into this dome? And I can think of several other areas of a pond where $160.00 would be better spent.

I would try to get them in there with food, like I've seen it done by people on youtube

 

[Gemma]

yeah I was going to do something similar but I did not want to clean algae off glass.

Were you going to keep it as a permanent feature, like that on this video? Cause that's not what I'd be interested in

 

[moby]

I think that while the domes look aesthetically more pleasing than the tank shaped ones, the problem with them in my opinion is that I don't like the distortion they cause. You get far better/normal views if your fish with flat cubes or oblong shaped 'tanks'.
That said, I too prefer my water to be clear enough to see my fish in the usual way despite only seeing them from above, or a brief side view as they swim away.
It's amazing how deep bodied fish are, I tend to think of them as thin and shallow bodied. My gold and blue orfe, which I always assumed were sleek bodied fish, being thin in both dimensions are really surprisingly deep bodied, but thin in their body width. The Koi have proved to be an even bigger revelation, as their bulging bellies have revealed their true wild carp like cousins form.
Maybe an above pond 'viewer' could be beneficial if you need to view a fish for a health check up without stresssing it by netting it out..... but getting the patient into the tank/dome would be another issue!
Don't think I'll bother personally.

 

[MoonShadows]

What about that raised water getting heated?

 

[Mmathis]

Wouldn't the water in the dome be subject to higher temps?

 

[Lisak1]

I think it's a novelty that looks cool, but is not really practical for a garden pond. The increased water temperature would be one concern - although I'm not sure if that's a reality or just a perception - as well as keeping it clean so it would look appealing. Taking it in and out seems rather cumbersome - not sure it's something you'd want to do on a regular basis.I've also considered that pond fish are really bred to be viewed from the top. Aquarium fish are selected and bred for beauty from the side. Seeing your koi from the side may not be as pleasing as it might initially seem to be.

 

[Gemma]

What about that raised water getting heated?

Thank you for bringing that up! I can see now that you mentioned it, that even a short period of time could be harmful to the fish, that's all I need to know to give up the idea of getting a Dome

Thank you all for your input!

 

[Usman]

i had small aquarium like this for viewing above water , just tryed it for a week , fishes do get in specially goldfishes chiclids but then i felt its looking abnormal in a natural pond style and a bit unstable . it has alot suction so i was scared for any accident and the algae needs to b cleaned everyday
i dont know the dome one is it thick plastic or acrylic? how heavy it is so u can place it conveniently , it sure is some thing pleasurable to see them sideways totaly new dimension , i agree some one said its more fun in square glass , dome will distort the vision

 

[Magzire]

I'm so getting this, probably get bored of it after a few days