I’m making a pond with a 50 gallon tub. I’m new to this.
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Do you mean "pond"?
Yes, can’t believe I missed that.
I thought so, but wanted to make sure in this "Podcast" "iPod" AirPod" world that I hadn't missed some new pond development!
I'll be super honest with you - calling a 50 gallon container a "pond" is really a stretch. I have a 45 gallon patio "pond" which is really more of a container garden. I grow plants in it all summer and it's pretty and fun, but it's definitely not a pond. I don't filter it, but I do put a small aerator in it to keep the water moving a bit. I do put a couple of fish in it every year but they end up going back in the big pond at the end of the season. And every year I have a couple of frogs that move in and call it home for the summer.
If your plan sounds like what I do, then no, you don't need a filter. Lots of plants work great. I also do take a few gallons of water out every few weeks - I use that to water my hanging pots - and add some fresh water. It's a small amount of water that you're maintaining, so keeping it fish safe is important.
By the way - I'm zone 5B. If I were in a warmer climate, this little "pond" would most likely stay up all year round.
I'll be super honest with you - calling a 50 gallon container a "pond" is really a stretch. I have a 45 gallon patio "pond" which is really more of a container garden. I grow plants in it all summer and it's pretty and fun, but it's definitely not a pond. I don't filter it, but I do put a small aerator in it to keep the water moving a bit. I do put a couple of fish in it every year but they end up going back in the big pond at the end of the season. And every year I have a couple of frogs that move in and call it home for the summer.
If your plan sounds like what I do, then no, you don't need a filter. Lots of plants work great. I also do take a few gallons of water out every few weeks - I use that to water my hanging pots - and add some fresh water. It's a small amount of water that you're maintaining, so keeping it fish safe is important.
By the way - I'm zone 5B. If I were in a warmer climate, this little "pond" would most likely stay up all year round.
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With the 50 gallons, make sure you put very few fish in. Stick with fan tails, minnows etc.
Welcome to our forum!
Welcome to our forum!
The pond is to replace the fish tank in my house. I’m going to move in four fish. Two gold fish, one koi, and one pleco fish. The koi and pleco are near a foot long and the goldfish are 6 and 4 inches. I live in the Nevada so it gets really hot up to 110 F and pretty cold, down to 30 F and sometimes lower. Should I be worried for the fish?
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Yes, A foot long koi should not be put in a 50 gallon pond.
Will it get any direct sun? If so you should try to moderate the temperature. Dig it into the ground if possible. Or shade it with a ring of dry stack landscaping block from Lowes/HD or a combination of burying with brick on the upper half. Leave space between the brick and the pond to fill with dirt.
if you were togo by the 1inch of fish per 10 gallons of water you would need 120 gallon pond at least ,just to keep the koi alive
by him self ,and thats existence not living as he wouldnt have to much room to swing a cat,to add your pleco also you would need an additional 120 g of water your now upto 240g without the goldfish, if you add in the 2 goldfish they would need 60g and 40g each
your now upto atleast 340g of water for your 4 fish ,and you still have to allow for new growth,
see where we are going with this
so 340 g pond is the minimum size for your 4 fish to exist /survive yet alone be comfortable and happy
maybe this will give you room for thought
ps what size was the tank they were in
by him self ,and thats existence not living as he wouldnt have to much room to swing a cat,to add your pleco also you would need an additional 120 g of water your now upto 240g without the goldfish, if you add in the 2 goldfish they would need 60g and 40g each
your now upto atleast 340g of water for your 4 fish ,and you still have to allow for new growth,
see where we are going with this
so 340 g pond is the minimum size for your 4 fish to exist /survive yet alone be comfortable and happy
maybe this will give you room for thought
ps what size was the tank they were in
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No koi or any foot long fish should be kept in 50 gallons of water. Ugh. That's no way for a fish that size to live.
And @doobry - the inch per gallon rule has been pretty much discarded, especially if you're keeping koi. The reason being one 18 inch koi is a much bigger biomass than 18 one inch goldfish. And the bigger the koi gets, that biomass gets exponentially larger. Two 10 inch koi are not the same as one 20 inch koi for example. Most koi keepers will tell you that you need 1000 gallons for your first koi and 200 - 250 gallons for every additional koi. But so much depends on the level of filtration in your pond. A pond with a fantastic filtration system can house a greater fish load than your standard garden variety eco-pond.
And @doobry - the inch per gallon rule has been pretty much discarded, especially if you're keeping koi. The reason being one 18 inch koi is a much bigger biomass than 18 one inch goldfish. And the bigger the koi gets, that biomass gets exponentially larger. Two 10 inch koi are not the same as one 20 inch koi for example. Most koi keepers will tell you that you need 1000 gallons for your first koi and 200 - 250 gallons for every additional koi. But so much depends on the level of filtration in your pond. A pond with a fantastic filtration system can house a greater fish load than your standard garden variety eco-pond.
ive got 8 by 1 " gold fish in a 110 gallon pond and dont intend on introducing any more as i feel im over capacity already
that said they have to grow yet even maybe have babies which i dont want, but nature been nature who knows what will happen
any how thanks for the heads up on 1000 g for the first koi
that said they have to grow yet even maybe have babies which i dont want, but nature been nature who knows what will happen
any how thanks for the heads up on 1000 g for the first koi
And that's probably just another ballpark guess. I always feel it's best to figure out how many fish your pond can safely hold and then get less. And again - goldfish are a different story than koi.
