1/2 Barrel - gravel and plants question

Thanks for all the replies.

I found some aquatic soil made by schultz and it is a clay granite, not
muddy stuff like I thought so I am going to use that, and then a layer
aquarium gravel over it. I am trying to keep the tank clean as
possible here, my liner is 20 gallon.


I found some 4" square black nursery pots, can I use these for now,
plants don't always need to be in a gallon pot, right? Since it would
take up a lot of space in a 26" round barrel, the 4" pot and some 6"
round pint pots I found should be ok.

Aquatic soil says shade cloth can be used to line the pots, which is a
plastic material and I have some so that is what I am going to do.

About the goldfish do I have to feed them? I am planning a 10 day
vacation next month. To create a better eco system (if we could call
it that) should I add a piece of river rock or aqurium rock for algae
and beneficial bacteria to grow?

wrote in message
ups.com...

About the goldfish do I have to feed them? I am planning a 10 day
vacation next month. To create a better eco system (if we could call
it that) should I add a piece of river rock or aqurium rock for algae
and beneficial bacteria to grow?
=========================
The beneficial algae will grow on everything under the water so adding a
rock wont matter that much. If you only have 2 small goldfish they may find
enough to eat for 10 days. I know mine wouldn't. We leave our fish for
long weekends but any longer than that and I have someone come over and feed
them at least every other day.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o
http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk/killf..._troll_faq.htm

"Reel Mckoi" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
ups.com...

About the goldfish do I have to feed them? I am planning a 10 day
vacation next month. To create a better eco system (if we could call
it that) should I add a piece of river rock or aqurium rock for algae
and beneficial bacteria to grow?
=========================
The beneficial algae will grow on everything under the water so adding a
rock wont matter that much. If you only have 2 small goldfish they may
find enough to eat for 10 days. I know mine wouldn't. We leave our fish
for long weekends but any longer than that and I have someone come over
and feed them at least every other day.
--
I dunno....I had a goldfish in a barrel for five years and never fed him a
thing. Thought he might be a little lonely but otherwise he did fine.

--
J.D. Stone
http://www2.itexas.net/jdstone

Really, and just what scientific method did you use to come up with
the 10 days or is this just your opinion?

On Mon, 22 Aug 2005 21:45:12 -0500, "Reel Mckoi"
wrote:

===
wrote in message
glegroups.com...
===
=== About the goldfish do I have to feed them? I am planning a 10 day
=== vacation next month. To create a better eco system (if we could call
=== it that) should I add a piece of river rock or aqurium rock for algae
=== and beneficial bacteria to grow?
============================
===The beneficial algae will grow on everything under the water so adding a
===rock wont matter that much. If you only have 2 small goldfish they may find
===enough to eat for 10 days. I know mine wouldn't. We leave our fish for
===long weekends but any longer than that and I have someone come over and feed
===them at least every other day.


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!
"The original frugal ponder"
~~~~ }((((o ~~~~~~ }{{{{o ~~~~~~~ }(((((o

OK, my sword plant is ported in a 4" herb pot for now, Acrorus is in a
6" pot near the top.

Now my question about the filter. I asked about adding an aquarium
filter, but my fountain pump already has a big sponge cylinder over the
intake. 600 GPH per hour, this is already providing pretty good
filtration, right? I can just take it out and wash the sponge
regularly?

Would the goldfish die from the heat? I checked temperature it gets
to over 80 around 5pm. 1pm-5pm would probably be the worse times.
The fountain is on a bubbler nozzle I don't think there will be a lack
of oxygen.

I was under the impression the goldfish will eat anything when they are
hungry enough, like the Anacharis and other plants to support
themselves.

On 23 Aug 2005 10:02:28 -0700, wrote:

OK, my sword plant is ported in a 4" herb pot for now, Acrorus is in a
6" pot near the top.

Now my question about the filter. I asked about adding an aquarium
filter, but my fountain pump already has a big sponge cylinder over the
intake. 600 GPH per hour, this is already providing pretty good
filtration, right? I can just take it out and wash the sponge
regularly?

Would the goldfish die from the heat? I checked temperature it gets
to over 80 around 5pm. 1pm-5pm would probably be the worse times.
The fountain is on a bubbler nozzle I don't think there will be a lack
of oxygen.

I was under the impression the goldfish will eat anything when they are
hungry enough, like the Anacharis and other plants to support
themselves.


The temperature swing might be bad for the goldfish, 80F by itself
would not be too bad, but the variation day to night might be. Is
there some way you can shade the container so the sud doesn't hit the
sides?

I left my goldfish for over two years without feeding them, they lived
on what they found in the pond. They did alright.

wrote in message
oups.com...
OK, my sword plant is ported in a 4" herb pot for now, Acrorus is in a
6" pot near the top.

Now my question about the filter. I asked about adding an aquarium
filter, but my fountain pump already has a big sponge cylinder over the
intake. 600 GPH per hour, this is already providing pretty good
filtration, right? I can just take it out and wash the sponge
regularly?

$$ 600 GPH is quite a strong pump for a 30 gal barrel. Doesn't it make a
lot of current or water turbulence? This current can be exhausting to fish.

Would the goldfish die from the heat? I checked temperature it gets
to over 80 around 5pm. 1pm-5pm would probably be the worse times.
The fountain is on a bubbler nozzle I don't think there will be a lack
of oxygen.

$$ My ponds reached 94F and all koi and GF lived through it. They remained
at the bottom of the ponds under the lilies until sundown. I didn't check
the temp of the barrels but the fish in them are fine.

I was under the impression the goldfish will eat anything when they are
hungry enough, like the Anacharis and other plants to support
themselves.

$$ If the pond is big enough that is true. What can they find in barrels
besides some algae and a few bugs? Hardly a complete and balanced diet.
Surely you can manage to feed them some fish food at least a few times a
week.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

"Charles" wrote in message
...
On 23 Aug 2005 10:02:28 -0700, wrote:

OK, my sword plant is ported in a 4" herb pot for now, Acrorus is in a
6" pot near the top.

Now my question about the filter. I asked about adding an aquarium
filter, but my fountain pump already has a big sponge cylinder over the
intake. 600 GPH per hour, this is already providing pretty good
filtration, right? I can just take it out and wash the sponge
regularly?

Would the goldfish die from the heat? I checked temperature it gets
to over 80 around 5pm. 1pm-5pm would probably be the worse times.
The fountain is on a bubbler nozzle I don't think there will be a lack
of oxygen.

I was under the impression the goldfish will eat anything when they are
hungry enough, like the Anacharis and other plants to support
themselves.


The temperature swing might be bad for the goldfish, 80F by itself
would not be too bad, but the variation day to night might be. Is
there some way you can shade the container so the sud doesn't hit the
sides?

I left my goldfish for over two years without feeding them, they lived
on what they found in the pond. They did alright.
====================
How large was the pond? A few fish in a good size pond wouldn't need to be
fed - but a lot of fish in a smaller pond would not fare too well.

McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

The barrel fountain kit (20 gal) came with the 600 GPH fountain pump,
it has a valve and I didn't set it to max, doesn't seem to suck in the
plants so I think it is fine. Nozzle is 2 ft high so there is some
head loss.

On Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:51:31 -0500, "Reel Mckoi"
wrote:


"Charles" wrote in message
.. .
On 23 Aug 2005 10:02:28 -0700, wrote:

OK, my sword plant is ported in a 4" herb pot for now, Acrorus is in a
6" pot near the top.

Now my question about the filter. I asked about adding an aquarium
filter, but my fountain pump already has a big sponge cylinder over the
intake. 600 GPH per hour, this is already providing pretty good
filtration, right? I can just take it out and wash the sponge
regularly?

Would the goldfish die from the heat? I checked temperature it gets
to over 80 around 5pm. 1pm-5pm would probably be the worse times.
The fountain is on a bubbler nozzle I don't think there will be a lack
of oxygen.

I was under the impression the goldfish will eat anything when they are
hungry enough, like the Anacharis and other plants to support
themselves.


The temperature swing might be bad for the goldfish, 80F by itself
would not be too bad, but the variation day to night might be. Is
there some way you can shade the container so the sud doesn't hit the
sides?

I left my goldfish for over two years without feeding them, they lived
on what they found in the pond. They did alright.
====================
How large was the pond? A few fish in a good size pond wouldn't need to be
fed - but a lot of fish in a smaller pond would not fare too well.

McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o


Small, 350 gallons.