Hello there!

[Pamela Mack]

Hi there I'm new to the forum.I have a 55 gallon stock tank with a big goldfish and a calico fantail. They outgrew there home so that is why they are outside fish now. Between the fires around us a little stress and a bout of Ick and now there better I have found that I really enjoy having a pond. I really LOVE my pond and enjoy watching my fish thrive in there new environment . I thought that I could just fill the pond up with water and watch them be happy but that wasn't the case. Its more involved then that I'm learning but I love it and I'm really happy that I have a place to go to for answers when I need one .Thanks for the great advice you all have put in so newbies like me have a place to go for answers!!!!!

 

[Doctor mcboy]

welcome!

 

[GBBUDD]

Welcome to the mental health tranquility.

 

[addy1]

Welcome!

 

[JRS]

Welcome!

 

[j.w]

@Pamela Mack

 

[TheFishGuy]

can't add too much too what has been said,

Welcome!

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

So.....now it’s time to get out the shovel and dig!

 

[Stephen Noble]

Welcome Pamela! Are you living in an area where the water will hard freeze? Glad you are enjoying your pond and again, welcome to the forum!

 

[JamieB]

Welcome. I warn you now, we love to give advice like “ big ponds are better”, and “ add a bog filter”, because we’ve found them to be true. Please, read, ask questions, and start plotting where your dream pond will be, and how to make it happen!

 

[Pamela Mack]

I live in Oregon and it can get cold enough to freeze but I have a heater in my pond and I have a really fancy calico fantail in there and he gets pretty stressed when the water is to cold.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Yeah, stress isn't good. Can you bring your calico indoors for the winter? Is the heater an aquarium heater or a pond 'keep a hole in the ice' type of heater?

 

[Pamela Mack]

Its a aquarium heater with 2 sponge filters . I have had to tarp the top a couple times and the temp has stayed around 65 in the tank so if it starts to get really cold I will switch to a pond heater and if it gets really cold I will bring him in.

 

[Mmathis]

I’m a little confused. What did you have your fish in before they went outside into a 55 gallon stock tank? If you had them in a smaller aquarium, then you were wise to move them to something larger. I do want to point out that moving the fish back and forth (outside to inside, depending on weather) can be very stressful for them. If you have the stock tank in a protected area outside, you might be OK with leaving them outside all winter — your tarp and maybe some insulation surrounding the stock tank are good choices. It’s interesting that we have another new member who was wanting to ”heat” an outdoor pond.

 

[Pamela Mack]

I had them in a 39 long. I'm not joking but when I put her outside she grew almost 2 inch. this last summer. Its not that cold here yet so I'm tarping it when it goes below 30 and it seems to hold the temp steady at 65-68 degrees. And for my fishes health and wellbeing they needed a bigger home so my sweet and adorbs hubby bought me a stock tank.