BonniesPlants.com

Hope this is in the right place, it didn't really seem to fit anywhere...

OK, I typed this all once and accidentally closed the window before I submitted it, let's try this again, maybe a little shortened LOL.

300gal rubbermaid stocktank needs to be put in the garage to overwinter the fish and plants untill the ponds can be redone in the spring.

Any tips on moving it without too much disturbance to the fish and bio media?

Any tips on giving the plants the best shot at making it? Expecially worried about giving the Lotus a good chance.

And lastly, what type of light would be best to go over this thing in the garage? I have an aquarium light I was planning on using, but I'm not sure it's worth it, I might just sell it and get something more appropriate. Here's a description of the light I have:

This 72" fixture includes: 3x150 watt 10,000K MH lamps, 4x96 watt PC lamps, 4x1 watt Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow LED lamps. Also includes three external HQI medal halide ballasts with on/off switches, 12 ft lamp cords and 6 ft power cords, 2 on/off switches and 2x12 ft power cords (for the PC and Lunar lamps). Sleek, black aluminum housing, highly polished reflectors and built-in cooling fan.

Would it be worth it to try to use this, or am I better off just getting something more suitable?

Is your garage heated? you may have a problem with the tank freezing. because you are cold there. here is a picture of my indoor pond in my basement we built it out of 2x4 and plywood and deck mate screws and a liner.... it was easy then I took water from my pond out side with my filter and just placed it in the basement. then water changes because my fish are kinda warm down there. there is a picture here on this site it wouldn't let me post one I will find it and tell you were it is.

In SE Michigan, your garage is likely to get too cold or even get ice in the winter unless it is heated.

And if the water is not above 60*, the plants are going to go dormant and die back no matter how much light you have.

Bonnie

The garage is my dad's workshop, it's not heated via a furnace, but since my dad spends most of his time there, there are multiple space heaters that he uses to keep it fairly warm. I was also thinking about adding a couple heaters to the stocktank if need be. Basement is out of the question, my parents live down there.

I can equate to what you are doing now.

When we had our store in MI we kept stock tanks of fish in an unheated greenhouse. It would heat up during the day because of the sun but cool down at night. Many, many mornings there was ice on the tank. MI nights in the winter can be bitter cold, dropping way below 0!

In retrospect it is not ideal because fish need a constant temperature, either warm or cold. It is stressful to them when it varies by many degrees in a 24 hour period.

What size tank? You may be looking at a huge electrical bill to use heaters....

Bonnie

It's a 300gal rubbermaid. This is our only option for housing these fish overwinter and I was hoping I could also use it to keep some of the plants alive in the mean time. There really isn't a IF we put the stock tank in the garage, it's just what's the best way to do it. Our only other option would be to leave the tank where it sits out in the cold, but there's no way it won't freeze solid. I can deal with loosing the plants, but the fish still need to not freeze into an ice cube...

If your pond is a least 3' deep, why not just leave them outside and run a pump and air-stone to keep an open spot in the ice for gases to escape? There is up front costs with a decent air pump and air stone. The savings is in the electrical costs as they are cheap to run.

We left my fish outside for the winter when we lived in MI and then moved 9 of them to NC in 2000.

I know your pond has different depths and the fish will move to the deepest part where the water is a bit warmer on the bottom. If I still lived in the north one thing I would have done different is to make a good sized hole for the fish to winter that goes about 5' deep, below the frost line, where the ground temperature is about 55*

Without a doubt a stock tank sitting outside would freeze solid in the cold there.

Bonnie

Pond hasn't been run this year, it's in complete disarray and in the middle of being torn down so we can redo it in the spring. The other pond is a 50gal preform... no real options there. Hence the reason we bought the stock tank in the first place.

OK, I've given up on the plants, most of them are dead already anyway. Dad says he keeps the garage pretty steady around 50*F so the fish should be fine, is there any tips for moving it without harming the fish or bio media?

Well, we woke up one morning to find that shockingly the entire top of the stocktank was frozen solid, dad broke a chunk of ice out where the spraybar had weekend it and then the next week it was in the 70's, gotta love Michigan! LOL but we finally got it moved in the garage and they're much happier and much more active with the more steady temps. It wasn't as hard as I thought and my husband did most of it on his own. I'm just glad it's done and I don't have to worry about them anymore!

Can you post a photo for me and others to see?

LOL one of the many reasons I left MI and have never looked back.



Bonnie

when keeping your fish in the garage make sure you have a thermometer to check the temp so you won't be tempted to feed them if they look like their asking Begging for food. if the temp is below 50 they can't eat. Bonnie knows the rest of the temps and stuff it is posted on the forum ( when to or not feed and how much) it is fun watching them when there in the house.

A pic of what? Just the stocktank in the garage?

Yeah, I told dad to keep the feedings light and not daily, he keeps the garage about an even 55*F because of all his paints and chemicals and such he keeps in there.

Well here's what it looked like early this summer in mid green phase...