I have a barrel set up here in cold seattle. its been up more than a month with hornwort and a few goldies and the cycle is complete. goldies are thriving and I am looking forward to "aquascaping" it a bit with some hyacinth perhaps, and some bamboo stalks. I am going to purchase a lil bamboo spout to provide some movement this week. I was doing daily water changes but have cut down to twice weekly. I am also interested in some of the tubs I have seen at home depot.....let us know how it turns out, I love outdoor projects. Whats the weather like where you are at? How many gallons and what type of cichlid are you thinking of? Going to go for a filteration/heating system?
Sounds like fun!!!!