Funkness Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Has anyone ever done it from around here? if so what was the setup like? extreamly detailed would be great! i know its going to be hard but i would really like to try something like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 This would be awesome to see! Tagging along for sure! My parents had a salt water pool in san antonio I always wanted to try putting fish in it to swim with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mFrame Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I've had that dream as well (both of the pond and the pool). I keep telling my brother-in-law in Houston that if I ever have a tank crash I'm bringing the corals to his saltwater pool. Imagine how many tangs you could have.... One question about the pond though. Most saltwater critters are best viewed from the side. Are you talking about an above ground pool with a viewing window, or just having the pond for growth and propagation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkness Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 well growth and propagation would be a plus but i want to make a pond for a center peice in the backyard and just dont like the idea of freshwater atm so wanted to see how hard a saltwater would be i know i keeping the temp right and the ph and salainty wouldn't be fun but i would think as long as i had enough flow and enough live rock and live sand in it it wouldnt be to bad. but i may be wrong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Have you seen the 20,000 gallon build in china? Guy makes his own ocean section/tide pool its a dream! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I wouldn't see why not. You should touch base with subsea as he has several outdoor seaweed growout tanks and if I'm correct he has saltwater mollies living in them as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Temperature control is the real issue. I have well over 1000 gallons in different Rubbermade tanks, some buried in the ground and some tanks sitting on the ground under a greenhouse with 60% shade cloth. While my electric bill in summer would normally be close to $400, it has been over $750 twice this summer. Anything is possible, I grow ediable seaweed in the Texas Hill Country. Come visit if you want to know more? Patrick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Just do this 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funkness Posted October 1, 2012 Author Share Posted October 1, 2012 subsea is actually one of the reasons i was thinking about it i loved his setups Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 You need to stop thinking like a Berlin Style reefkeeper, if you are going to do an outdoor pond. While you can use live rock, I would not use standard live rock from tropical reefs. Unless you spend big dollars, the temperature will fluctuate to the detriment of the diversity on rock. An exception to this would be rock collected from the Gulf of Mexico. In its environment, temperature is not stable. I have numerous mollies in my systems for many years. I would suggest that you use about 1" of aroggonite with mollies and GOM live rock. I have display quality macro that you can attach to dense limestone collected in your backyard. I would not put reef fish in this outdoor setting unless you commit to higher bills with heating and cooling water. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 I like that set up. I will be doing something similar in my greenhouse with a 55 drum as a Carson Surge device. Timfish is responsible for me going over the edge. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juiceman Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1946061 I remember seeing this a while back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I hav put some thought into it and think it would be a great way to keep some of the smaller shark species. The big issue I see is getting rid of the freshwater when we get a 6" rain in a few hours (or less). What I see would be essential is setting up a really big RO sized to remove the rainwater from the pond. It would need a backup in case of power failure and sensors that would be triggered by a drop in salinity. Instead of using the pure RO filtrate the conentrated saltwater would be added back to the pond. A tide pool setup would be really cool. a lot of stuff looks lice from the front but top down views look pretty neat sometimes also. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I hav put some thought into it and think it would be a great way to keep some of the smaller shark species. The big issue I see is getting rid of the freshwater when we get a 6" rain in a few hours (or less). What I see would be essential is setting up a really big RO sized to remove the rainwater from the pond. It would need a backup in case of power failure and sensors that would be triggered by a drop in salinity. Instead of using the pure RO filtrate the conentrated saltwater would be added back to the pond. A tide pool setup would be really cool. a lot of stuff looks lice from the front but top down views look pretty neat sometimes also. Poppy **** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Tim, You have infected us with your shark wading pool. The next thing to happen is an attack from LAND SHARK with loud soundtrack from Jaws. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 In all of my outside tanks. There is much fluctuation in salinity because of the large amount of evaporative cooling required. My make up water comes straight out of the Aquifier with no pretreatment. On the hottest of days, I would evaporate 50 gallons in one day with a 1000 gallon system. For this reason, I would highly recommend lagoon type livestock similar to what would be in a mangrove swamp setting. Temperature and salinity fluctuations are common in these inshore habitats. Patrick 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesL Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Stingrays! (Think the stingray pool at Sea World that we got to see). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 In viewing tanks from the top, under natural sunlight, the blues, reds, yellow and orange stand out vividly. The clownfish and the Blue Yellow Tail Damsel are gorgeous from above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timfish Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 @ Juiceman, Thanks for the link! That was a fascinating build to see. Seems like something like that could be built into a hillside so it could be seen from thr side and from above. . . . Poppy **** I always appreciate your honesty Pat! Certainly an inch or two would not affect the specific gravity much but considering locally maximum recorded rainfall in a 24 hour period is something like 20" unless only brackish species were kept some way to deal with the potential influx of freshwater would be needed an an RO seems like the best way to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsea Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Actuately, Tim, I was being obnoxiously silly, but I would recommend brackish and not sensitive marines. The few damsels and clowns that I have in my outside grow out manage to thrive in it. In one case, I subjected 7 Hippo Tangs to fresh water for 6 hours. I lost every macro and invert in all my sandbeds, but the Tangs thrived. If someone had the money to spend, then a two ton heat pump with titanium tube and shell heat exchanger with the RO unit that you mentioned could easily run a 500G raised pond. If you treated it like an above ground pool, then a deck at the surface on one side would provide seated viewing. Add to that a waterfall to assist with evaporative cooling. Even in the winter time, you may find it necessary to cool water. It would be durable here in the Hill Country. If you choose a lagoon theme, I can help with macros. Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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