Suggestions for Spring Outdoor tanks

[verbal]

I have some tanks I am going to set-up in my detached garage. What are some suggestions for fish that do well at sub-tropical temps? The tanks will be 40 breeders, so I don't want anything that is too big or too mean.

I will probably get some Gymnogeophagus, but was looking for some other suitable fish.

 

[Rasta Fish]

You can do a cold water setup with some of these fishes
White Cloud Mountain Minnow, Odessa Barbs, Gold Barbs, Golden Dojo Loaches, Bloodfin Tetra, Buenos Aires Tetra, Hillstream Loaches, Pearl and Zebra Danio, guppys,

 

[dogofwar]

Uruguayan fish can do well: not just Gymnogeos but chanchitos, pikes and catfish as well.

Some goodeids would be great as well...Xenoteca eiseni is a pretty one (orange and blue) that can survive in temps down to the 50s.

Just be careful in moving fish that have been kept in tropical temperatures into the cool... They will get ick...

Matt

 

[jonclark96]

Chanchitos can also handle the lower temps. Ceibals and oblongum are pretty easy to obtain. Some of the other species are harder to come by.

EDIT - Matt beat me to the punch.

 

[verbal]

Just be careful in moving fish that have been kept in tropical temperatures into the cool... They will get ick...

Matt

How do you acclimate fish to cooler temperatures? How long does it take?

 

[Julie]

A tank of some nice native fish would do great! At the catfish convention I know that madtoms and rosy shiners were easily gotten. Just ask Bob Bock about them!!

The nice thing is that you could release them back into the wild before winter if you did not want to bring them in for the winter.

 

[Avatar]

The nice thing is that you could release them back into the wild before winter if you did not want to bring them in for the winter.

Isn't that generally regarded as taboo? Issues about disease and/or screwing with natural distribution/genetic make-up of populations? Suppose if you take something out of a lake or creek in your backyard and return them to the same place it's one thing, as would be re-establishing stocks in de-populated habitats, but definitely wouldn't want to put anything where it didn't belong if it was going to displace something else.

Joined the native fish association a couple months back ( http://www.nanfa.org/ )and haven't spent much time on the site but they seem to be pretty much absolutely against putting natives back into the wild once they've been in captivity except under special circumstances. Guessing they have cause....

 

[Jumbie]

If you plan on moving them now it would need to be spread the temp drop over a few days dropping the temp 3-4 every other day.

To be honest it would be easier if you start this project in the spring or summer time when garage room temp would be warm. Once you choose the cool water species you want to keep, you drop them in the tank during the spring/summer time months and let mother nature take care of the rest.

The change between summer and fall is slow and is a process that takes a few months. This gives time for the fish to get adjusted to the temp change like they would in their natural habitat.

 

[Julie]

Isn't that generally regarded as taboo? Issues about disease and/or screwing with natural distribution/genetic make-up of populations? Suppose if you take something out of a lake or creek in your backyard and return them to the same place it's one thing, as would be re-establishing stocks in de-populated habitats, but definitely wouldn't want to put anything where it didn't belong if it was going to displace something else.

Joined the native fish association a couple months back ( http://www.nanfa.org/ )and haven't spent much time on the site but they seem to be pretty much absolutely against putting natives back into the wild once they've been in captivity except under special circumstances. Guessing they have cause....

good point, I posted without thinking...

 

[Avatar]

good point, I posted without thinking...

I too am occasionally thus afflicted. You should know that along with the redoubtable Mlle. Fifi Brindacier that you are responsible for the Enantiopus threatening to spawn in my kitchen. Twas those I met in your basement summer last that inspired me to procure same. Grazie mille.

 

[msjinkzd]

I usually spawn longfinned white clouds, shrimp, apple snails, goodeids (amecas and the eiseni) outside during the summer. You can propogate a lot of plants as well. Just make sure you check closely for damselfly and dragonfly larvae.

 

[Avatar]

Really good advice.

Dragonfly nymphs are the bomb. They look (and behave) like the prototype for the Aliens in the movies of the same name. Each successive instar (molt) produces a slightly larger and more aggressive carnivorous larvae that will bite the cr*p out of a finger and savage similarly sized fish/invertebrates.

It's worth setting up a tank outdoors just for the show + there's mosquito larvae that are about one of the best and most universal fish foods in the world. Ain't life grand.

 

[Buckcich]

I have kept juvie Malawi's in a pond outside. How do I aclimated them, simple, turn off the tank heater ( within a week or two of plannig to move them outside). Let them get used to the LOWER temperature ( House Temperature around 70 to 68 degrees). Once OUTSIDE pond temperatures reaches that mark you good to go. Don't worry to shock your fish by turning off their heater, they just will go into a semi dormant stage ( don't feed them or feed them way LESS tham you used to). Once you set them outside they will awaken as the temperatures go up. To me the trick is WHEN to bring them in. To be perfectly honest I have brought them in when overnight temperatures reach 60 degrees ( I STRONGLY DON'T RECOMMEND THIS ACTIONS) with daytime temperatures in the middle 70'. Bring them in to a unheated fish tank, let the house temperature come up and them turn on the heater. Hope this helps. Paul

 

[MonteSS]

I dont think any of the fish mentioned could survive the below freezing winter temps in an unheated detached garage in VA. Except native cold water fish.

 

[verbal]

I dont think any of the fish mentioned could survive the below freezing winter temps in an unheated detached garage in VA. Except native cold water fish.

I was planning on this only being a spring to fall project not a year round thing. It is probably a couple of weeks before I will get anything out there.

 

[BIG_Z]

The fish seem to love the huge algae blooms and random insects that outdoor open tanks provide.

 

[Avatar]

The fish seem to love the huge algae blooms and random insects that outdoor open tanks provide.

Back to Nature...

 

[verbal]

So it looks like I will have 4 tanks. Here is the stocking I am thinking of

tank 1: marmokreb crays
tank 2: gymneo/chancitos
tank 3: BN juves plecos/Nics(4 juves)
tank 4: guppies/cories/red cherry shrimp

If I get offspring in time from my adult marmokreb, I will use those as my test subjects. I don't have the occupants for tank 2, but they will probably be the next to go out. Then I will put the cories out.

After confirming the cories are comfortable, I think it should be ok to put everything else out.

 

[msjinkzd]

I kept brochis outside. I just waited until the daytimes were in the 80s and the overnigths were high 50s. What volume tanks are these? That determines the stability of the temp as well.

I have done marmokrebs (be sure to keep the water level down a bit so no escapees), shrimp, cories and bn outside (bn didn't breed, perhaps it was too cool for them).