What can/should I do with this indoor pond?

[Ralf]

I'm not sure what you will find when you test the water with 'fish-less' cycle.. did you put ammonia in the water to start the cycle?

Where are you located? South Africa? What's the coldest temperature there? I'm asking because a lot of tropical doesn't really need a heater in a milder climate. I had guppies live and breeding like crazy at the 23 C tank for a few years. I even had them outside through summer and put them back in the beginning of winter when it's 13 C out.

If you want goldfish you might be able to have only a few without it being too much on your system. They are very dirty so you might have to clean your pond way more often then if you have 15 guppies or other smaller fish.

I want to see your water fall.

Wait a few weeks before introducing the fish. But if you have to, put in 1 goldfish first (or a few guppies or other smaller fish), then add another after a few weeks. That will help start up the bacterial cycle for you.

Thanks!

Re test, yes, I've put in Nutrafin Cycle which apparently helps to setup the biological cycle (don't want to advertise it, don't know if it all works, yet). Of course, the guys from the fish shop were eager to sell me all kind of 'necessary' stuff.

The climate around Cape Town is sub-tropical; it can be quite cold in winter below 10C, but it's an inside pond, so the temperature variance should be fairly low. Guppys need 23-27 C? I would also prefer these fishes to goldfish...

 

[Nepen]

The trick is to acclimate the fish properly. If you buy a tropical fish from a store that keeps water at 25 C or higher, you will need to put the fish with the water it comes in in a container, leave it for the water to be your normal room temperature, then float the container in the pond to make it to your water temperature, keep adding pond water a little by little over a long period of time until you think you have more pond water than the original water the fish came in then slowly put the fish in the pond. I did that for when I put the fish from warmer water to colder water. If the temperature between the water the fish comes in and your pond water isn't very different then it's good but if it's more than 6 C then take it even slower to introduce it to colder water.

I kept them in 70 F before. When i kept them and goldfish together the water ranged from 70-75 F. that in my indoor tank. In my pond the water gradually change so they lived in there until the air temp dropped below 60 F, then i moved them back to my indoor tank.

What I'm saying is you can try a few. and see how they do. If they are slow and not happy (you can kinda be able to tell when they fish doesn't look lively) then dont buy more and find alternative.

 

[Ralf]

The trick is to acclimate the fish properly. If you buy a tropical fish from a store that keeps water at 25 C or higher, you will need to put the fish with the water it comes in in a container, leave it for the water to be your normal room temperature, then float the container in the pond to make it to your water temperature, keep adding pond water a little by little over a long period of time until you think you have more pond water than the original water the fish came in then slowly put the fish in the pond. I did that for when I put the fish from warmer water to colder water. If the temperature between the water the fish comes in and your pond water isn't very different then it's good but if it's more than 6 C then take it even slower to introduce it to colder water.

I kept them in 70 F before. When i kept them and goldfish together the water ranged from 70-75 F. that in my indoor tank. In my pond the water gradually change so they lived in there until the air temp dropped below 60 F, then i moved them back to my indoor tank.

What I'm saying is you can try a few. and see how they do. If they are slow and not happy (you can kinda be able to tell when they fish doesn't look lively) then dont buy more and find alternative.

Great! Thanks!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

A new pond will not cycle without fish unless you manually add Ammonia.

 

[Ralf]

A new pond will not cycle without fish unless you manually add Ammonia.

Thanks! I did add ammonia yesterday and today. Ive tested the water and it all looks good already, just PH is off, but I'll wait for a few days.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Thanks! I did add ammonia yesterday and today. Ive tested the water and it all looks good already, just PH is off, but I'll wait for a few days.

How much Ammonia did you add?

 

[Smaug]

Yeah your not cycled yet.

 

[Ralf]

How much Ammonia did you add?

As prescribed on the bottle... ;-) Added some today, too. Test result looks slightly better than yesterday, but will wait till Sunday. Also added a few more plants. Looking forward to my fishes (patience is a virtue, I know)

 

[MitchM]

As prescribed on the bottle... ;-) Added some today, too. Test result looks slightly better than yesterday, but will wait till Sunday. Also added a few more plants. Looking forward to my fishes (patience is a virtue, I know)

What bottle prescribes adding ammonia?
It will probably take a few weeks for your pond water to cycle and establish a healthy bacterial population in the biofilm without forcing it.

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