Novellino (newbie) in Italy

[Paul Sabucchi]

Hi, I introduced myself where appropriate. Would appreciate help withsetting up my 1st pond (s).
I live on a hilltop (1200') within sight of the mediterranean coast, equivalent to zone 9 with summer temp up to 100+ but can snow/freeze hard in winter.
Tap water is soft (TDS 90 p.p.m., KH 3, pH 7.5). Location is south-facing but in summer shaded part of the day by oak and vines.
Plan is to have 3 tubs: 1500, 350 and 275 liters (around here they use them for winemaking, arguably a better purpose). The big tub would overflow in the 350 (only one kept about 2/3 full) from where a pump would send it uphill (about 4' head) to the 275 liter from where it would overflow to a stream that runs back to the 1500.
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I was thinking of keeping just small resilient fish, looking at Turkish killies (Aphanius mento - a little worried if they would be ok in my soft tapwater) or japanese ricefish that are ok in hot mediterranean summers but survive winter freezing (breaking up the surface ice) so very small bioload, hoping some water hyacinth and waterlillies could take care of the waste.
The time it is going to take me to dig holes for the tubs will probaly allow me to read some pond setup guides

But again advice most welcome.
Ciao

 

[MitchM]

I had difficulties viewing your pictures, Photobucket is not necessary. If you have your pictures in a jpg format on your computer desktop, you can simply drag them into the same text box that you type your replies on this forum.
Can you give us an idea of what range your water or air temperatures are during a typical year?
Zone 9 doesn't freeze "hard", so we may need to adjust what agricultural zone we're talking about.
Are planning on having the tubs set into the ground at all? If so, you can probably keep the system running all year.
Also, what size water pump were you planning on using?

 

[sissy]

You say tubs are for wine making so they must be wood and would need sealed and if exposed during winter and summer they will get very cold or very hot .If tubs are buried like you say if they are wood they will rot fast .If they were used for wine making already it may not be good either

 

[Paul Sabucchi]

You say tubs are for wine making so they must be wood and would need sealed and if exposed during winter and summer they will get very cold or very hot .If tubs are buried like you say if they are wood they will rot fast .If they were used for wine making already it may not be good either

Hi, the tubs are the plastic ones where the pressed grapes are left to ferment so no sealing required. The big tubs shoud go where the green parasol is. You can just anout see where the top tub is already in place. Ciao

 

[Paul Sabucchi]

I had difficulties viewing your pictures, Photobucket is not necessary. If you have your pictures in a jpg format on your computer desktop, you can simply drag them into the same text box that you type your replies on this forum.
Can you give us an idea of what range your water or air temperatures are during a typical year?
Zone 9 doesn't freeze "hard", so we may need to adjust what agricultural zone we're talking about.
Are planning on having the tubs set into the ground at all? If so, you can probably keep the system running all year.
Also, what size water pump were you planning on using?

Hi, thanks for the info. The daytime temperature from june to september is 80-90 with peaks over 100. In winter average temperature is 40-50 with occasional frost or snow (last winter was worse, had a 5 foot snowfall, took a month to melt. All the tubs will be buried to the rim (may need to change my name to Doug Pond). Pump will be what is required -please advise- to provvide enough oxygen (considering the "stream" section should help). Again just looking at small size fish that can stay out all year (will put a cover if required)

 

[sissy]

Then your weather is not bad .I thought you meant the barrels they age wine in which are wood .The only thing is the hosing and what you will be using .Not sure what type that will be there is it going to be exposed or buried

 

[Paul Sabucchi]

I was thinking of using the black semi-rigid plastic all-weather pipe used for irrigation, it will be mostly buried and can insulate the bits that are not. As with ponds I am at the bottom of the learning curve I would like to keep it simple, so do a low-tech undemanding setup. I decided to go for the biggest tub readily available around here because in my 12 years of fishkeeping I have realized that bigger is better (less chance of sudden swings). If I get the hang of this outdoor fishkeeping I have plenty of room for maybe a decent koi pond (so at least 12x9x4ft - probably even better if double the surface). Ciao

 

[sissy]

Do you know what size the pipe is and calculated how big a pump you will need .Remember the higher the hose has to pump the bigger the head on the pump has to be .

 

[Paul Sabucchi]

Will measure once the tubs are all dug in and then I will ask for help with the maths

 

[Paul Sabucchi]

Slight rethink, for this year I will probably just stick with the 1500 liter tub overflowing in the 275 by it's side, from where the pump will send the water back up to it. Yesterday I dug the hole for the big tub and today the one for the smaller one and started removing the excavated dirt, hoping to be finished tomorrow so I can put in place and fill the tubbs. I ordered some plants (Water hyacinth, ranunculus and egeria) and a plant basket, was thinking of putting some filter media in the bottom of it, to be seeded with media from one of my established cannister filters, would it help or at least do no harm? Preordered some fish, 5 each Shubunkin (possibly with some blue), red/white Sarasa and Canary yellows. If this first setup works out ok at a later stage I'll get another 250 gal tub to put higher on the slope, probably put some Aphanio killies in, and build the return "stream" to the bottom.

 

[Paul Sabucchi]

Forgot to say Ciao from Italy

 

[MitchM]

... was thinking of putting some filter media in the bottom of it, to be seeded with media from one of my established cannister filters, would it help or at least do no harm? ....

Will certainly help.

 

[sissy]

shade cover nice for digging

 

[Paul Sabucchi]

Been running a week...so far so good. Will run NH3/NO2/NO3 tests tomorrow. Plants are water hyacinth, water sprite, eleodea and frogbit (european not amazon). Fish are 5 each of 2 1/2" Shubunkin, Sarasa and Canary. Will see how I get on with this tub-pond then next year I may add another tub (ideally a white one) for some Aphanius mento

 

[Paul Sabucchi]

Hi, water parameters are good (NH3 and NO2 = 0, NO3 barely there all done with Sera liquid tests) but with this sunny hot summer gettig plenty of green unicellular algae. Thinking of steppibg up filtration with a 3000 l/h pump http://www.wiltec.de/sunsun-ctp-280...0-l-h-10-w-submersible-pumps-filter-fish.html , box filter http://www.wiltec.de/bio-filter-cbf-200a-filter-system.html and UVlight http://www.wiltec.de/pond-and-aquar...r-steriliser-filter-uv-light-cuv-218-18w.html
Before pulling the trigger would really appreciate your opinion about the choice of hardware and should I put the uv clarifier after the box filter (it is rated up to 2500 l/h but the pump unrestricted is rated 3000 l/h, I am thinking with a bit of head and the box filter in between it should bring the flowrate well within the uv clarifier's capacity). Grazie e Ciao