Could you keep fish in a container like this?

[Bmeasure]

I'm like Tricksterpup, and use up to four 35 gal Rubbermaid (circular) tubs in my back yard. Mine are solid blue colored, and don't allow light in the sides. I had Flagfish and Bettas in them. The Flagfish bred! I live in Georgia and get quite a bit of heat and rain during the summer. I left my fish outdoors till the temps started dropping below the 60's. Probably should have done it sooner, but they were fine. The temps get over 100 degrees in the shade here in the summer, too! I used submerged and floating plants in my setups. It could be interesting to try breeding Neons this way! The water naturally drops pH with rainfall and if high light causes much algae, then GREAT, now it's dark enough for them to breed! I believe this helped keep some of my FFF fry alive! Plants I used outdoors for about 4-5 months include Ludwigia, Ambulia, Crypts (various), Quadrafolia, Rotalla Indica, and of coarse Java Fern and Moss!

For indoor use (which isn't a problem, except generally higher evaporation) I'd stick with Bettas (or smallish anabantoids) or top dwelling fish. Mainly this is just to see your fish occasionally! I'd also use a airstone and a small submersible heater. I'd just set it in a well lit area in the house and not worry about adding individual light (which would tend to make it visually unpleasing). You will also have to feed sparingly in this type tank.

These can be easily used for utility perposes (breeding, grow-out, plant-propigation, etc.) and if you take your time can be visually pleasing also!

 

[1865]

I would never put any fish in a tank/cantainer less than 5g.

You've got 68 fish in a 30 gallon tank and you're going to talk about what size tank to put fish in?

 

[jonathan03]

I would suggest a container with clear sides. Most fish don't have very interesting backs. You really want to see the sides of them for the best view. If you made a pond with a glass window on the side, that would be awesome. Its always more interesting to see the body of the fish.

Lots of people have reported keep white clouds outside in the summer. You might consider them. It depends on where you live if you need to bring them in for the winter. But its more than likely that you have to bring the min if you don't live in florida or one of the most southern states.

 

[Analog Saint]

I was thinking about making a rubbermaid tub into a ghost shrimp tank... hoping to keep and maybe breed the little guys for the morbid eventuality of shrimp dinners for my severum...

Couldn't put any in my yard, as I have a bull terrier who would undoubtedly find his way into them.

 

[tricksterpup]

I would suggest a container with clear sides. Most fish don't have very interesting backs. You really want to see the sides of them for the best view. If you made a pond with a glass window on the side, that would be awesome. Its always more interesting to see the body of the fish.

Lots of people have reported keep white clouds outside in the summer. You might consider them. It depends on where you live if you need to bring them in for the winter. But its more than likely that you have to bring the min if you don't live in florida or one of the most southern states.

Jonathan,
One of the reasons why fish keepers do keep these guys outside is just to breed. Outside containers are not really meant for viewing them on their sides. Placing a "Glass" side on a pond would cause a huge out break of alage. Most seasoned outdoor fish keeps prefer using dark containers for this purpose.
One favorite amoung keepers are horse troughs. They tend to be huge, about 100 gallons, and very easy to care for.

My personal favorite are Half Whiskey barrels.

A grreat website is Murphey's Fish in a Barrel site. Check it out.
http://www.well.com/user/gjmurphy/pondindex.htm

 

[Kabong]

You've got 68 fish in a 30 gallon tank and you're going to talk about what size tank to put fish in?

Maybe my math is bad but I counted 69 overcrowded critters in that 30g.

 

[jonathan03]

Jonathan,
One of the reasons why fish keepers do keep these guys outside is just to breed. Outside containers are not really meant for viewing them on their sides. Placing a "Glass" side on a pond would cause a huge out break of alage. Most seasoned outdoor fish keeps prefer using dark containers for this purpose.

Oh I can see where algae would come into play, but I was thinking of something completely different. On Tv they showed a pond that had a side cutout and the cutout side was kind of undergroun to block the light. There were stairs that went down into the ground so you can look in the tank, instead of just looking from above. It was one of the most creative things I have seen in a while.

I wouldn't be too hard to do if you have the right slope and are good are pouring concrete.

It looks like everyone else was defiantely thinking of something different than me.

BTW, if you plan to use that plastic container in the orginal post, you need to put it in the ground or at least have something under the odd shaped edges. I would think its very important for the whole bottom to be well supported. Water is a lot heavier than most people realize.

 

[1865]

Maybe my math is bad but I counted 69 overcrowded critters in that 30g.

You are correct, my count missed one of the poor fishies.

 

[tricksterpup]

Oh I can see where algae would come into play, but I was thinking of something completely different. On Tv they showed a pond that had a side cutout and the cutout side was kind of undergroun to block the light. There were stairs that went down into the ground so you can look in the tank, instead of just looking from above. It was one of the most creative things I have seen in a while.



BTW, if you plan to use that plastic container in the orginal post, you need to put it in the ground or at least have something under the odd shaped edges. I would think its very important for the whole bottom to be well supported. Water is a lot heavier than most people realize.

I have seen setups like this at the Zoo, but it would be to costly for the average home owner, due to allocated space and cost. But its always nice to dream about something like this. It would be nice to see a nice deep tank, with the large tropical lilies floating on the top and seeing the fish and wildlife swimming underwater. If I had about a 100,000 to blow, i would attempt to do something like this. But I would add other creatures to this, such as Turtles and maybe larger fish. This would be a setup perfect for alligator gars and bass. I could just see charging people for admission.

Part 2. This plastic container can be setup for patios but using bricks for support. It looks very nice when it is done. The petstore I go to used a larger plastic pond like this and used a wooden base for the setup and bulit a water fall for it. They keep turtles and koi in there. Above the pond they have a Metal Halide light running.