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Keeping Ameca splendens outside

Started by Guest_chrissfishes_* , Jun 02 2010 04:22 PM

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17 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_chrissfishes_*

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Posted 02 June 2010 - 04:22 PM

Hi Everyone,
I have a colony of Ameca splendens. My numbers are greatly increasing and I have been thinking about keeping some of my older fry outside to try it out and see how it works. They will only be kept out during the warm weather months. I live in central Illinois. Do you think it would work out ok to keep them outside? What should I keep them in? How do I keep predators (Raccoons,cats, and other) away from them? Would a an in ground plastic Goldfish pond work? Or a plastic tub (Like totes at Target, Menard's, Wal-mart, and so forth). Thank you very much! Take care!
Chris

#2 Guest_NVCichlids_*

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Posted 02 June 2010 - 05:39 PM

to avoid cats and raccoons, you can keep the water about 6-8" below the top of the container, and have some slate/flat rocks cover the edges so that there is limited surface place for the animals to hunt.

this is also based that you would have the "in ground" ponds

Edited by NVCichlids, 02 June 2010 - 05:40 PM.

#3 Guest_Elijah_*

Guests

Posted 02 June 2010 - 11:28 PM

Hi Everyone,
I have a colony of Ameca splendens. My numbers are greatly increasing and I have been thinking about keeping some of my older fry outside to try it out and see how it works. They will only be kept out during the warm weather months. I live in central Illinois. Do you think it would work out ok to keep them outside? What should I keep them in? How do I keep predators (Raccoons,cats, and other) away from them? Would a an in ground plastic Goldfish pond work? Or a plastic tub (Like totes at Target, Menard's, Wal-mart, and so forth). Thank you very much! Take care!
Chris

I keep fish in one of those plastic totes from home depot outside in my driveway. I have a lot of plants in it. Nothing seems to bother the fish.

#4 Guest_nativeplanter_*

Guests

Posted 03 June 2010 - 11:43 AM

Be sure to include some sort of ramp (one or more, depending on the size of the tub) for smaller mammals to be able to get out when they fall in. Or you can be pretty certain that at some point a few will drown. Especially important if the water surface is a few inches below the container sides, but still important even if the water is level with the ground, if the side walls are vertical.

#5 Guest_NVCichlids_*

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Posted 03 June 2010 - 07:35 PM

Be sure to include some sort of ramp (one or more, depending on the size of the tub) for smaller mammals to be able to get out when they fall in. Or you can be pretty certain that at some point a few will drown. Especially important if the water surface is a few inches below the container sides, but still important even if the water is level with the ground, if the side walls are vertical.

My parent's pond has never had anything fall into it or drown that we know of O.o... I the only thing they have seen (this is with the rocks overlaying the edge and the water down 8") were deer drinking... But I do agree, if there is a strong chance of smaller mammals falling in, a ramp might be needed.

#6 Guest_dafrimpster_*

Guests

Posted 04 June 2010 - 07:00 AM

The first week my pond was set up a squirrel and a pigeon drowned. I found a nice driftwood branch and positioned it to allow escape and never found any dead critters after that. One caveat, it also gives raccoons a place to get to your fish.

#7 Guest_NVCichlids_*

Guests

Posted 04 June 2010 - 05:56 PM

The first week my pond was set up a squirrel and a pigeon drowned. I found a nice driftwood branch and positioned it to allow escape and never found any dead critters after that. One caveat, it also gives raccoons a place to get to your fish.

Thats why I use the rocks overhanging and the drop in water.. they cannot fish and nothing has been dumb enough to go for a swim.

#8 Guest_chrissfishes_*

Guests

Posted 05 June 2010 - 08:17 AM

Thank you guys very much for the reply's. Sorry I have been really busy. Sounds good. I will have to give this a try. I was kind of thinking tubs but an in ground pond sounds nice as well.

Thanks again very much for all of your help.

#9 Guest_Bob_*

Guests

Posted 07 June 2010 - 09:27 AM

I've heard anecdotally, but have never confirmed, that warm temperatures will cause goodeids to be sterile. If your pond reaches a temperature above 80 degrees, it could be problematic. I use a 50 gallon rubbermaid stock tub and fill it with broken flowerpots for fish to hide under. Lots of floating plants will also help the fish to hide from raccoons and whatnot.

Per the other items in this thread, I've also found drowned squirrels and birds in tubs that weren't filled to the top.

Thank you guys very much for the reply's. Sorry I have been really busy. Sounds good. I will have to give this a try. I was kind of thinking tubs but an in ground pond sounds nice as well.

Thanks again very much for all of your help.

#10 Guest_bulrush_*

Guests

Posted 15 June 2010 - 07:21 AM

Hello,
I live in Michigan. I also have Ameca splendens and a below-ground outdoor pond with preformed liner. I put a cinder block in my pond (about 100g) so the fish can hide in there and be safe from predators. The predators (cats, raccoons, and possum mostly) cannot move the block and it has 2 large holes for the fish to hide in. Mosquito larva (and red midge larva) also live in the pond and provide a continuous source of food.

The pond is below ground which helps keep the temperature stable, even in the hot Michigan summers, and the cinder block provides shade and a cooler area.

The mosquito larva are quickly dwindling in numbers so I assume the A. splendens are still in there, though I haven't seen them in 3 weeks. The water is very cloudy with algae.

I should check the temperature of the water after work, about 5pm to see what it is.

Edited by bulrush, 15 June 2010 - 07:23 AM.

#11 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 15 June 2010 - 04:26 PM

the hot Michigan summers

No such thing... someone should move this to the mythology sub-forum

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

#12 Guest_schambers_*

Guests

Posted 16 June 2010 - 05:35 PM

Oh, it gets hot in Michigan! Especially lower Michigan. Not chewy hot like you southerners get, but it gets darned uncomfortable at times. :cool2:

#13 Guest_chrissfishes_*

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Posted 21 June 2010 - 10:05 AM

Thank you guys very much for all the help. I have heard of goodeids going sterile from the warm temperatures. It might be a while and I might not get around to it this summer but maybe next summer I will try putting them outside. Yeah I would imagine Michigan can still get warm. Thanks again!

#14 Guest_Aphanius_*

Guests

Posted 30 July 2010 - 08:01 AM

Amecas can handle anything in betwin 10 and 30C. They are one of the goodeids along with Ilyodon, Xenotaenia, Ateniobius and some forms of X variata that actual likes it warmer than the rest of the familymembers. They do, however, work well with a few months during the winter with reduced temps but for Amecas that could be around 18C.
A cooling in winter is important for most goodeids in order to stay fertile. Some more than others. A constant warm temp year round is often reducing the fertility.

Martin

#15 Guest_chrissfishes_*

Guests

Posted 30 July 2010 - 09:59 AM

Amecas can handle anything in betwin 10 and 30C. They are one of the goodeids along with Ilyodon, Xenotaenia, Ateniobius and some forms of X variata that actual likes it warmer than the rest of the familymembers. They do, however, work well with a few months during the winter with reduced temps but for Amecas that could be around 18C.
A cooling in winter is important for most goodeids in order to stay fertile. Some more than others. A constant warm temp year round is often reducing the fertility.

Martin

Thank you very much! I have never heard of cooling in the winter was important and that a constant temp can lower fertility! That's very good to know! Thank you very much! I will for sure do that for all of my tanks. How low of a temperature should I keep it at during the winter? Can you put the temperature in F? I am from the USA and not sure how C works. Thank you very much!

#16 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 31 July 2010 - 09:07 AM

The Fahrenheit number is 1.8 times the Celsius number plus 32.

#17 Guest_Aphanius_*

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Posted 01 August 2010 - 01:53 PM

That would be a minimum of 50F to max 86F. But try to avoid both ends for too long. Around 64F in winter is good enough. Had it been goodeids like Girardinichthys or Allotocas I use to keep these at much lower winter temps. All down to a minimum of 44F.

Martin