Considering a Tropical Pond

[Duncan6618]

Pretty sweet...I would start pulling some of the "duller" koi and replacing them with some nice stuff...or other coldwater tolerant fish. You should get some nice sized pacu in there, I cant wait to see how big mine get spending the summer outside in their pond.

Eventually I'll do that but I'm a long way from being overstocked. I have 6 chagoi arriving this week. Not the most colorful koi but the friendliest of koi. My wife really wanted me to get chagoi after seeing this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbwEFT8Xa3A

 

[Duncan6618]

just for your information incase anybody says you can't keep a sturgeon in a pond. http://www.sturgeon-web.co.uk/sterlet.php, trust me, your pond is large enough, you'll probably just need to cull your current stock a little bit every year to keep the pond from overcrowding as it grows.

A sturgeon is on my list but I'm waiting to see what temps I get during the summer. It may be too warm for them.

 

[burninator]

The plan is that it will stay clean enough to swim in. So it will still be a swimming pool except we'll get to swim with the fishes.

Has this worked out for you? Are you guys swimming in it?

 

[Duncan6618]

I've only gone swimming once. It was 78F and still still a little uncomfortable but other than the temp it was fine. Although the surface is really slippery with the algae.

 

[Calihawk]

Texas huh? Humid and Hot...I see a BIG giant Mosquito breeding pond

 

[Robbwilder]

your wife is cool. I told my wife when the pool kept going green, Pond or Pool Service. Needless to say it was Pool Service.

 

[College fishman]

SO COOL!

 

[FLESHY]

I've only gone swimming once. It was 78F and still still a little uncomfortable but other than the temp it was fine. Although the surface is really slippery with the algae.

This somewhat made me chuckle, being from wisconsin and having gone spearfishing as a kid in water that was low 60's...been spearing in lake michigan when it was 38F, and didnt have any gloves...for two hours. I would love to go swimming in your bathtub pond!

your wife is cool. I told my wife when the pool kept going green, Pond or Pool Service. Needless to say it was Pool Service.

 

[Duncan6618]

This somewhat made me chuckle, being from wisconsin and having gone spearfishing as a kid in water that was low 60's...been spearing in lake michigan when it was 38F, and didnt have any gloves...for two hours. I would love to go swimming in your bathtub pond!

There's a reason I don't live up north . I'll take 100F over 60F anyday.

 

[Matt724]

The only thing about sturgeons is that they are not detritivores. They feed on inverts. They also have inferior mouths, and are bottom swimmers so you are going to have to get in and target feed this thing in a system like this.

That is if you can get in and get close enough to it without it freaking out.

Good point, i'm 99% positive that they make foods specifically for sturgeons, i think they're called sturgeon sticks but i'd have to verify that. And since sturgeons are night time feeders, you could just toss in the food when it starts getting dark and that's when it will be most active and the koi won't bother as long as you fed them already earlier in the day. just a thought