Stocking suggestions

Andrew Burgess wrote in message ...
"Paul" writes:

I have a 75 gallon tub which I will be setting up as a patio pond, I have
build a fluid bed filter with plans someone on the NG recommended, but now I
need to decide what to put in it. I want plants and a few fish.

Please suggest some flora and fauna combinations, I would like a Lilly and
thought either a few shubunkins or even White Cloud Mountain Minnows
(Tanichthys albonubes).

White clouds look very nice in a tank, not sure how much color you
can see from the top...

Rosy Reds are hardy, visible and active.

Mosquito fish, hardy, not as visible as rosys.

A single 2-3" koi and don't feed it so it won't outgrow the tub too fast.

Someone recently posted about a small container that overheated
so beware of that.

HTH

I would not recommend a Koi in a 75 gallon tank, why start with a fish
that you know would be too large in a short time. Goldfish (one or
two only as they will breed) would be more in size for this set up.
Don't over feed them either so as not to overtax your filtration
system. As for the lily go online and look for some of the smaller
growers and they will do well in that size tank. I've had good
success with a water lily, and water iris in a barrel garden as well
as papyrus which can go really wild so keep an eye on it. all of
these are good growers so they help keep the algae down. Also add a
few under water oxygenators, I used anacharis. You do have to keep an
eye on the water temp in a small above ground unit. Mine heated up
pretty quickly but I live in Florida. Besides my pump running 24/7 I
added an air stone to make up for the lack of oxygen in the warmer
water. You can also fill a plastic milk container with water and
freeze it then float it in the pond to help offset some of the mid
summer heat. (I also used this idea with hot water in a few
containers for the winter cold nites, plus I wrapped the barrel in a
quilt on the few nites we had frost here for the last two winters, it
worked fine and all fish were OK). Post some pix when you get it up
and running.

Sue W

You can see my barrel garden on my pond album site "Rippling Waters"
under the construction album.

http://community.webshots.com/user/aspenjd