# dustbin outdoor aquarium/pond idea



## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

OK so I have this idea to turn a 100 litre dustbin into an outdoor aquarium/pond 
Just thinking about how cold it is so I will have a mini water fountain in it to prevent freezing but will regular pond goldfish be OK in there at low temps????


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## LiamRatSnake (Jul 3, 2007)

It's waaaaayyyy too small. Goldfish will reach 30cm+. In the summer it will be green and lethal temps within minutes and in winter it will freeze solid. If you put a feature in there then there would be no room left.


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

When I say goldfish I mean things like or and smaller stuff
The fountain thing is tiny and floats on the surface but still moves a lot of water. This will be in the shade and painted white on the outside to stop it getting too hot inside


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## Shellsfeathers&fur (Jan 18, 2009)

Can you not buy a preformed pond? We got one off eBay for about £20, half sunk it in the lawn and it makes a turtle pond for the summer.

We have a black dustbin which acts as a filter box and the water certainly gets warm on a hot day.


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

I use one to hold fish whilst cleaning.. I would nto dream of housing them permanenetly. Far too small and like has been said temperatures will fluctuate far too much. If you're stuck for space look into a Koi Vat. These can be got off ebay fairly cheap.


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

If it was sunken into the ground a bit it could be nice, kind of like a wishing well.


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

Spellcheck changed what I said above
I'm thinking of orandas or ryukin or another small species like that


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

Assuming its an ordinary bin then it is completely the wrong shape for a fish that large, your looking for something no longer than the diameter of the bin divided by 6. Fancy goldfish like the ones you mentioned should be kept inside and even then most keepers give them a heater to keep the temperature just above 20*C.


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

It isn't recommended to keep fancies outdoors, they prefer more subtropical temps 

You could sink it in the ground, fill with pebbles, submerge fountain, nice water feature but no fish pleaseeee


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

Is there another container that doesn't take up much space that I can use and put fish in?


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

Like I said before, Koi vats are great and come in many sizes


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

Gudgeons and breams are other options 
Would they be OK in a 100 litre long container?


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

Bream definitely not, they can and do reach 2 feet in length.

Gudgeon, maybe. But they thrive in fast flowing water really.

100 L isnt very big, youre still going to struggle with temeprature fluctuations.#

Try this Quarantine Tank Koi Growing On Vat (pond Sturgeon fish) | eBay


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

Thanks 
The Problem I have is that I have plenty of room in one direction but a maximum of 1-2 foot in the other


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

How about an aquarium inside? 

You could do a UK native set up with native species like gudgeon...

here check this out.. How to build a Great British aquascape | Features | Practical Fishkeeping


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

No more room inside - too many aquariums :lol2:


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

LOL. Been there done that. It's now vivariums and terrariums now though !


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

I have a couple of give but not very big coz I have no room ..... With mourning geckos in one and hissing roaches in the other ....... Want to get more reptiles but I really need a bigger place ....


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

I meant terrariums not give -:lol2: spell check is so :censor: ing annoying


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

Haha. I knew what you meant  so what fish do you have then ?


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

A small tropical tank with tetras etc, bristlenose catfish breeding tank, aquatic frog tank, betta in a fluval chi, discus and angel fish and a shrimp tank 
What about yourself?


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

I've had alsorts. Several tropical communitys, various cichlids, goldfish, betas, 

Kind of moved on from fish now though, I've got a 40G filled to the brim with bl00dy convict cichlids. And a 50G with a couple of goldfish in for the winter. 
Bedroom is home to several frogs and lizards and things !


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

I really want more reptiles so will need to sell some tanks


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## mranimal (Apr 13, 2012)

Just been looking at the affinity pillar what fish can I put in that?


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

Probably a handful of small goldfish. But again you're going to have the same problems over winter unless you have some way of over wintering them


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

There must be a native fish that stays small and is tolerant of temperature swings. Goldfish don't fit this idea at all well.


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

Even natives are going to struggle in this kind of setup. Think about it, lakes and rivers hardly ever fluctuate due to their mass depth and volume. A dustbin just won't provide this...


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## Ony (Oct 19, 2012)

I thought the idea was for an affinity pillar. 300 liters isn't such a small volume and there must be some sort of insulation in it since it wont have any from the ground.


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## J4MES (Aug 5, 2007)

It's better but still quite small in pond terms. They're not insulated unfortunately, just a pond liner in fancy clothes. You need Atleast 3 foot depth for successful overwintering.


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