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Junior Member
 
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Last Login: 9/22/2011 3:31:21 PM
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| I have this crazy longing for a pond even though I live in the city and have a tiny apartment balcony. I saw the most gorgeous little "container pond" in a magazine, and I think there were guppies in there. Two huge problems I have are that I hardly get sunlight and have trouble even growing thriving terrestrial plants out there, and my second problem is that there's no plug outside for a pump or anything. So, has anyone heard of a solar-powered tiny pond pump? And fake plants or something that could be used as cover on hot days? Also, it gets a bit cold at night (not freezing). Would common guppies need a heater or to be taken inside? Is it even worth it? I'm by no means ready to begin this project anytime soon, but when I'm dreaming about it, I want to know if it'd be possible one day. Of course, when I go back and read this post, I realize I'm insane and it'd probably never work!
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Fish Moderator
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We all have dreams. anything is possible if you truly want it. 
Mr. Miracle Grow” for aquarium plants Help those in our hobby to exceed beyond their expectations.  Logistical Aquatic Engineer
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Fish Moderator
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Guppies would probably not be the best idea, unless you live somewhere in the South where it's pretty warm year-round, since you don't have a plug for a heater.
If you can get a container large enough, say 20-30g or so at least, you could try a smaller school of coldwater minnows. You might even go the native route there. You could talk to a bait shop and they should stock or at least be able to point you in the right direction of minnows suitable for your climate.
There are also many native plants that don't require a huge amount of sunlight. Things like hornwort can thrive in just about anywhere in the US, even in shade, from what I've seen, so that might do you some good. That plant would also have the benefit of acting as a filter, being a fast-growing plant that soaks up nutrients. Things like duckweed would work as well, floating on the top, they'd get more sunlight, and could provide a snack for the inhabitants, depending on the fish you get.
Some ideas to start with, at least.
55 gallon
Baby - lionhead/ryukin cross
Westie - lionhead/ryukin cross
Speedy Rodriguez - oranda
Currently searching for a good new tankmate!
planted 29 gallon
3 red eye tetras
4 cherry barbs
2 cardinal tetras
4 albino cories
2 Bolivian rams
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Junior Member
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| Hey!! Is there any chance you could string out a heavy duty all-weather extension cord to supply power for a heater and/or filter? I have a 60 gallon molded pond in my yard, nothing fancy believe me, kind of like a kiddy wading pool sunk in the ground. Anyway, there's no outlet nearby so I have the filter pump sitting on a little platform with a large plastic storage box (the kind you get at Target) placed upside down over the pump to keep the rain out. The extension cord goes from the garage to the pond. It's a total do-it-yourself job but it works. I think goldfish are your best choice, not tropicals, unless you're in south Florida or Central/South America. The nice thing is I rarely have to feed my goldfish ... they just feed on all the insects and worms which find their way into the pond, and boy are they fat!! My pond gets very little sun too, but I like it that way - it keeps the algae down. One piece of equipment you might think about is a submersible sump pump (Home Depot has them). You use it to pump the water quickly out of the pond when necessary. Otherwise you'll be stuck with the bucket after bucket after bucket method. Don't give up, it's totally possible. I've had fish in tanks since I was a kid, but this year I finally did the pond thing, albeit on a small scale. Good luck!! Steve
__ ///// "My Dempsey can / @ ) ) ) ) ) beat up your Dempsey"> ... ) ) ) ) ) ) //// \ ___ ) ) ) ) ) \\\\ \\\\
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Fish Moderator
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goldfish would work, but you'll need a good size pond to keep more than one goldfish, and I'd check into how strong your balcony is. Some are built better than others, and I definitely wouldn't trust more than maybe 30 gallons of water on the kind of balcony my last apartment had.
55 gallon
Baby - lionhead/ryukin cross
Westie - lionhead/ryukin cross
Speedy Rodriguez - oranda
Currently searching for a good new tankmate!
planted 29 gallon
3 red eye tetras
4 cherry barbs
2 cardinal tetras
4 albino cories
2 Bolivian rams
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Junior Member
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| I'm thinking suuuuper small, like less than 20 gallons because I don't want to freak out the landlord, so no goldfish. Plus, since I live in southern California, I need something that can withstand high temperatures in the summer. Anything less than 20 gallons is going to fluxuate too much, temperature-wise, so I don't think it's a good idea to do it right now.
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Junior Member
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Hmmm if you're thinking super small, under 20 gallons, why not just set up a regular tank outside? It would be a good breeding tank for livebearers, and the algae growth and outdoor insects would provide shelter and food. I don't mind seeing waves of flowing algae, though ... I realize some people HATE even one little speck of algae ... you'll still have the electric outlet issue, of course.
__ ///// "My Dempsey can / @ ) ) ) ) ) beat up your Dempsey"> ... ) ) ) ) ) ) //// \ ___ ) ) ) ) ) \\\\ \\\\
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Junior Member
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| Wouldn't it be too cold at night for livebearers? I could do a fishless thing and try to grow some low-light pond plants in a container first...
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Junior Member
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| Yeah, it would be too cold for tropical livebearers. You might get some Gambusina affinis, which are a coldwater species. I don't know where you live, but you could even go on a collecting expedition to a local pond or creek and catch little minnows which are cool. I've done it, it's fun! Take your biggest fish net and attach it to a broom handle with duct tape. County vector control agencies often stock small bodies of water with G. affinis to control mosquito larvae. They breed like guppies, which they basically are. Of course if you can supply electricity for a filter, then you would have a power supply for a heater too. Actually, I think the summer heat could be more problematic than winter cold ... again, I guess it depends where you live.
__ ///// "My Dempsey can / @ ) ) ) ) ) beat up your Dempsey"> ... ) ) ) ) ) ) //// \ ___ ) ) ) ) ) \\\\ \\\\
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Average Member
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i live in michigan and i have kept danios in a pond outside. i don't know if that will work for you but it's an idea. by the way, i think i remember seeing a solar powered pond filter somewhere but i'm sure. look into it if you're interested.
4 gallon Finnex pico aquarium- Iwagumi tank with orange eye black tiger shrimp.10 gallon- Planted Asian biotope with CPD's, sparkling gouramis, and a breeding pair of Betta albimarginata. <link to pics of my tanks- http://board.fishchannel.com/Topic225475-16-1.aspx>
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