Outdoor Aquarium ?!?!

I have been thinking for the last few months …

Our site is quite high up and gets very little protection from the prevalent West and South winds. We have a nice view, however we lost, over the 1st couple of years, a galvanised garage and a green house to the wind ; no need to tell you the caravan has been solidly tied down in the winter months ever since !!!

In the garden which is mostly lawn at the moment, I would like to add a living space/patio protected from the winds. I was thinking about a hedge for the North and the East sides and, so as not to enclose the patio completely for visual comfort, a raised outdoor aquarium for the South West corner. This aquarium would be in an L-shape, sitting on a block/concrete base and made of thick Perspex sheets with concrete posts in-between. Its size will really be determined by cost as I don’t want to spend all my SSIA on this ! J ; however, it will be as big as possible.
This tank would hold plants and cold-water fish. It would have a filtration system and I would also look into automating water changes/monitoring water levels. It would also be covered in order to limit evaporation, deny access to wild animals (incl. cats) and stop rain water.
Note : Electricity/Water supply is not an issue.

The cost of such a project would probably be very elevated (esp. with thick Perspex! :-O) and I want to think this through thoroughly before I pursue my creative (!) planning process. Also, any ideas/advice/comments/criticisms are more than welcome.

My first concern would be the dreaded algae. I would like this tank to be nearly as clear as an indoor tank as its purpose is to be able to see through with minimum maintenance ! (maybe it is a dream!)
I have spotted this thread on the internet which seems most interesting and relevant : www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/aqu...t-photo-session.html
This particular tank is heavily planted in substrate, has a CO2 supply, is fertilised every day and doesn’t get much rainwater as it’s based in Spain. But it’s so perfectly clear – it’s amazing!
Would such a balance be found in these climates ? Is this outcome really possible ?

My other concern would be the temperature. Our climate is quite temperate as the sea stops it from reaching extremes (most of the time ). However, as this tank would have all its sides exposed, would the temperature vary too fast for cold water fish/plants ?

To help with water clarity, I suppose that a good strong filtration would help. If the tank were covered, there would not be any more debris than for an indoor tank. However, this would probably mean that the flow would be quite important in the tank. Could Koi cope with strong currents or would it lead to their premature aging ?

The tank would be getting a lot of daylight. What kind of subdued lighting could be used at night in order to see the fish but not promote unwanted vegetal growth?

All sorts of questions. I am sure your replies will generate more ! … but don’t hesitate to tell me that this can only be a dream !!

Thank you for your help.

Valerie

hi valerie

sounds like a nice idea. the wind could be a problem. it would have to be strong. not sure if i can help you much but I am interested to see your progress

nessa

Hi Val,
Hope these \"wet\" your appetite
www.watergardenermagazine.com/node/626
www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_design_other/articl...3566_3364157,00.html
www.freepatentsonline.com/5154136.html

That sounds like one amazing project. I don't have any practical advise to offer but can tell you three things, it will be alot of work, it will cost a fortune and it will look fantasic!

If I was planning something similar I don't even know where I would start, maybe by figuring out how to get a seal between acrylic and concrete ??? The one problem I think you will be faced with is Algae, especially in the Summer, so where you position it and how you can increase shade will be important. Because, unlike a pond it will be out of the ground temp may be an issue too, hot in the Summer and exposed and freezing in the Winter.

Plenty to think about for this project, I look forward to seeing how you get on.

Sounds like an above ground pond with a viewing window would be ideal.
These are very popular in the UK - if you buy any of the koi magazines loads of the setups will be like this.

You could also put some of it below ground to get depth as koi need 4 foot if you would like to keep them.

Could be an excellent project alright.

Sounds like a really interesting project.

One option to make it easier to deal with algae could be to have the back wall and maybe some of the sides of the tank made of concrete/brick, but it probably wouldnt be as aesthetically pleasing.

Probably worth checking if the area where you are thinking of siting it is a frost pocket or very exposed to the sun?

Dealing with the algae could be tough, especially as the acrylic would be more vulnerable to scratching than glass. Maybe your aquatic plants will be able to outcompete and limit the algae?

hey val i read the above and i taught thus might give you more ideas ??????
hope this helps best of luck

Did you ever follow this up Valerie or are you still in the planning or thinking about stage?

Heres a couple of links I found of koi ponds with viewing windows

www.koionline.co.za/pond_building.htm


www.nishikigoicentre.com/viewingwindows.html

Hi Zig,

Thanks - I will be checking these sites out !

The plans are still very much at infancy stage ... The tank has a space in the garden, the rest will have to be designed and budgeted for before we go ahead with this, if we do ! This planning has been postponed to a winter project for now!

I'll probably come back with more questions before the spring starts again !

Thanks - Valerie

if your still thinking of doing this heres a link that might help
www.wizardscave.com/aquarium.html

Valerie…
I once saw a garden in UK that had something similar to what you described,,,they have an L shaped construction running along 2 sides of a patio area,,the first wall was initially built as a wind break…then they built a second lower lying wall about 4 feet out from the second,,it was originally intended to fill this in and use as a raised border,,but then the eldest son got idea of using a huge length of VERY thick glass and make a pond viewable from the side,,,very like john kellys pic only bigger.
What was to be a raised flower bed then became a stream.
They ended up with a stream running along the course of the raised bed,,,falling into a “viewable pond ”,,and the pump was contained in this pond which brought the water back to the head of the stream.
They used wide flagstones to sit on top of the second wall,,which cud be used as a seating area,,and also helped partially shade the glass to stop excess algae.
The rest of it was filled in with stone,,gravel bed on stream..and filled in with fallen logs ,ferns hostas etc to give it a natural look.
Its absolutely fabulous.
No pics to show u tho,,but im sure u get the idea.

Love John Kellys pic,,I mite give that a go next spring!

Have a look here for real outdoor aquarium www.wizardscave.com/aquarium.html

LB

same link as i put in donal, great minds and all that

sheag35 wrote:

same link as i put in donal, great minds and all that

And fools like us seldom differ Seamus

no commnt !!

duzzy1 wrote:

no commnt !!

and keep it that way

Thank you for the info Sheag35, LimerickBankdit and Vincent!

Too many other things happening led to no evolution in the garden over the summer, we only kept the grass trimmed !
Mind you, with the summers we are having at the moment, we might have to think about building a heated garden room rather than a patio !

Thanks!

Valerie