Looking to set up my 150 gallon pond in the backyard and looking for some stocking ideas. Pond will be outdoors all year round in the sometimes harsh North East winters. I know Koi are pretty hardy to extreme cold climates but I believe they'll outgrow the 150 quick. Any other ideas?
outdoor 150 gallon rubbermaid pond stocking ideas
- Thread starter THE FAMILY GUY
- Start date
You are right about the koi. That would really only last for the summer.
What kind of plans do you have for heating in the winter? 150 isn’t too big, is a green house an option?
It would need a good cover and some major heat to keep it from freezing over. Bubblers can also help keep water open.
What kind of plans do you have for heating in the winter? 150 isn’t too big, is a green house an option?
It would need a good cover and some major heat to keep it from freezing over. Bubblers can also help keep water open.
I don't know how cold you get in NY, ....but in Wisconsin, I had a 300 gal Ribbermaid freeze solid to its floor in winter.
The pic below was taken in early fall, with fish already brought inside.
I always had to bring cold water fish inside to a kiddy pool, late Nov thru late Mar.
and I agree with the above, my 300 gal became too small for 2 koi, and I ended up having to dig a much larger pond to properly keep them.
The pic below was taken in early fall, with fish already brought inside.
I always had to bring cold water fish inside to a kiddy pool, late Nov thru late Mar.
and I agree with the above, my 300 gal became too small for 2 koi, and I ended up having to dig a much larger pond to properly keep them.
I don't know how cold you get in NY, ....but in Wisconsin, I had a 300 gal Ribbermaid freeze solid to its floor in winter.
The pic below was taken in early fall, with fish already brought inside.
I always had to bring cold water fish inside to a kiddy pool, late Nov thru late Mar.
and I agree with the above, my 300 gal became too small for 2 koi, and I ended up having to dig a much larger pond to properly keep them.
Actually have 2 rubbermaids so I can set the second one up in the garage until early Spring. North East winters can be brutal.
I will bite my tongue rather than commenting on my initial reaction when a New Yorker calls his winter "brutal"...
Try several days in a row of temps around -35 to -40 (C or F...all the same at that point!).
150-gallons would make a nice filter for a koi pond, but not the pond itself. If you want something hardy, inexpensive, small and colourful...as silly as it sounds....try a small school of Rosy Reds, usually sold as feeders. They stay small, maybe 3 inches; eat anything; are very visible from above; and they breed very easily. The males actually create and defend nests, much like cichlids. They're not rare or exotic, but they basically tick off all the boxes for a small-pond cold-tolerant fish species. As long as the water doesn't freeze solid all the way down, they will survive under the ice quite handily. If a solid freeze is a possibility, you can use a small heater or aerator to keep some water liquid.
Try several days in a row of temps around -35 to -40 (C or F...all the same at that point!).150-gallons would make a nice filter for a koi pond, but not the pond itself. If you want something hardy, inexpensive, small and colourful...as silly as it sounds....try a small school of Rosy Reds, usually sold as feeders. They stay small, maybe 3 inches; eat anything; are very visible from above; and they breed very easily. The males actually create and defend nests, much like cichlids. They're not rare or exotic, but they basically tick off all the boxes for a small-pond cold-tolerant fish species. As long as the water doesn't freeze solid all the way down, they will survive under the ice quite handily. If a solid freeze is a possibility, you can use a small heater or aerator to keep some water liquid.
