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Stock Tank Set-Up

Started by Michael Wolfe , Mar 17 2007 10:35 PM

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9 replies to this topic

#1 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 17 March 2007 - 10:35 PM

I know that a few folks said that it was still rather early to set up outdoor tanks... but we had some great weather recently and I thought that I should at least get started. I was reading Luke McClurg's "Hot Tub Killies" and am considering trying some of the things he recommends. So I got a couple of 100 gallon stock tanks, and set them up today...

DSCF1221.JPG 473.31KB 8 downloads
Also cleaned out the two 35 gallon trash cans that I have used to raise outdoor plants and fish before.

There is still going to be some cold weather next week, so I am going to wait at least a week before adding any fish... you guys have any other suggestion?

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

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#2 Guest_Skipjack_*

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Posted 17 March 2007 - 10:47 PM

Shade? Above ground tanks are very subject to high temps unless they have some shade, particularly dark tubs. Maybe you have trees in the vicinity that will leaf out and provide some?

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#3 Guest_teleost_*

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Posted 17 March 2007 - 11:15 PM

As Skipjack mentioned the above ground tanks will get very hot in the summer. Can you bury or half bury them? Can you mound lots of soil around them? Shade cloth might go a long way in controlling temps in the mid day sun if you don't have large tree to put them under.

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#4 Guest_Gambusia_*

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 06:11 PM

I keep above ground tanks/containers on our deck.

I've never had them get so hot/warm that it affected the fish much.

Does cause a lot algae which can lead to real bad water conditions though.

Just my experience.

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#5 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 19 March 2007 - 07:38 PM

I would think it would depend on the species of fish you plan to keep in them, many killifish and livebearers should do just fine along with others tolerant of very warm temps but I too think putting them in ground (even partially) would allow you to use them for a much wider range of species.

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#6 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 20 March 2007 - 10:47 AM

Good answer, I forgot to mention that my goal was to breed some killies. Specifically, some of those black colored F. cingulatus that I showed a few weeks back. So yes, I realize it will get hot and that I will get some algae, but according to the Luke McClurg document, I want to do that to generate some food for the pending fry.

I probably will leave them above ground this year and see how it works out, but I certainly could bury them a little (I just hesitated to do so, because these tanks had a nice drain and the bottom and I would loose access to them if I buried the tanks any... don't know why I want access to the drain, but just didn't want to loose the flexibility).

I would think it would depend on the species of fish you plan to keep in them, many killifish and livebearers should do just fine along with others tolerant of very warm temps but I too think putting them in ground (even partially) would allow you to use them for a much wider range of species.

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

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#7 Guest_fisgokie_*

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Posted 20 March 2007 - 12:29 PM

Good answer, I forgot to mention that my goal was to breed some killies. Specifically, some of those black colored F. cingulatus that I showed a few weeks back. So yes, I realize it will get hot and that I will get some algae, but according to the Luke McClurg document, I want to do that to generate some food for the pending fry.

I probably will leave them above ground this year and see how it works out, but I certainly could bury them a little (I just hesitated to do so, because these tanks had a nice drain and the bottom and I would loose access to them if I buried the tanks any... don't know why I want access to the drain, but just didn't want to loose the flexibility).

couldnt you put a tube or hose through the drains and cap off the tube/hose where you have some access to it and be able to drain that way?

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#8 Guest_ipchay61_*

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Posted 20 March 2007 - 01:23 PM

Michael,
I have 100 gal & 300 gal stock tanks that are very similar to yours. I have both partly buried below ground level but since they are located on a sloped part of my yard, I still have access to the drains. I'll try to take a pic or two this evening.

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#9 Guest_smbass_*

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Posted 20 March 2007 - 01:59 PM

I have several rubber lined ponds outdoors as well and I put them on a hill and use a very large (2") peice of clear plastic line that I use as a siphon to drain the ponds since they are on a hillside. It would be even easier if they had a drain and you could just pull the plug and have the line come out of the ground downhill where you could put a net to catch any fish that go down the drain. I don't think that putting them inground would effect your algae growth or drop the temp so much that it would negatively effect breeding killies, I just meant those could tollerate the warmer temps.

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#10 Guest_sandtiger_*

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Posted 21 March 2007 - 08:45 PM

I did the whole "hot tub killi" thing last summer. Sadly, I did not have any fish I wanted for it till it was too late (NY one has one native killi and I could not find it) so I had to use convict cichlids and fatheads. This year I intend on doing more, especially since I have some blackstriped killifish this year for it. I dug a hole for my tub, worked pretty well. The water on the bottom was always quite cool. I'm gonna do both above and below groubs tubs this year.