Matters not even if yu live in the north country, I am sure water
there gets to the range of it being safe for tropicals.....If nothing
more thana small wally world special prform pond kit which around this
region is like $79 for a 90 gal kit......and yur tropicals will love
you for it. I started doing this yars back, and one thing lead to
another and soon I was rearing and breeding a few species of tropicals
outside.........Yea I admit we have 9-10 months of suitabloe tropical
fish weather in this area, but its still not a big deal tp put em
ouyside on "holiday" in say a double half barrel setup on the back
porch or patio, and then bring em in when it starts to cool off......

I have kept 4 and 5 male bettas as well as 8 to 10 female bettas all
in a single 225 gal preform heavily planted and actually had lots of
fry that survived just fine.......plants are the ticket if your going
to leave em in tre preform. So far we raised up and sold all we had
of gourami....dwarf, blue, opaline types, blue paradise fish (yet
another labryinth fish), guppies, platys, sword tails, and even
though it was not planned this way we had a few spawns of cory catfish
as well. Its unreal how big a dojo (weather) loach can get in a few
months outside..I put in a vienna sausage and pulled out a ball park
frank....jumbo in size.......

Guppies need to be in a pond or preform with a fish that likes to eat
then or yur gonna get over run pretty quick ...same for the other live
bearers. This year we hoping to try some cichlids......and more
gouramis. No more plaaaty or mollys or swort tails or
guppies.....Bettas are ok, but as for sales, the bottom is just about
out of the fad around this area so they are not worth the messing
around they need.....once they start to grow.......

Now if I can find say perhaps a half dozen or so nice angels I may
give them a try. I got a lot of nice valisa something or other which
they should like to be in, as well as cabomba etc, so I hope to plant
one preform so the entire bottom is in submerged plants of some
sort...

I'll worry about housing the fish come cooler weather but that should
not be a problem.....

So keeping a small water feature with fish init in the summer is easy
and it does not tie you down like a aquarium inside the house does if
you decide to go away for a few days.............It also saves the
hassle of fooliing with goldies and koi that most always get too large
for most preforms anyhow in due time........ and also keeps you from
having to really winterize that pond and worryabout the fish
too.....as come cold time they are all snug in their heated tanks in
the house again....fat and happy from a few nice months outside....

Oh yea, Carol, feel free to go of on this post if it makes you feel
better!


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I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!