Proper tub for indoor watergarden/fish pond?

[NecrochildK]

I'm wanting to start up an indoor water garden with some fish, but I can't seem to find a good sized decorative tub anywhere that would be suitable. Anyone have any links? Looking for something relatively straight sided, round or square, preferably, and somewhat nice looking on the outside, roughly 50 inches across, more or less, and about 25 inches tall, give or take. Plan on planting horsetail rush, maybe a shade loving iris or waterlily and keeping a few comet goldfish.

 

[coupedefleur]

I would get a tuff tub, and do my own decorative surrounding.

http://www.tufftubs.com/htdocs/plinoval.htm

Tractor Supply has them, at least to the 110 gallon size.

 

[NecrochildK]

I would get a tuff tub, and do my own decorative surrounding.

http://www.tufftubs.com/htdocs/plinoval.htm

Tractor Supply has them, at least to the 110 gallon size.

Thanks. My mom used a metal one for her own on her patio, but I really don't know what I could do to decorate something like this one.

 

[frloplady]

Don't know of anything but a stock tank that would be safe to use inside. It's a lot of water to have on your floor if something should decide to break!

I do know of people that have built inside ponds with wood 2x4's and epdm rubber liner. Still not the easiest to integrate into a home decor...

Even on the stock tank idea you could make a frame around it of wood and use siding or cedar wood strips or??? to pretty it up.

Consider getting a Python to clean the bottom of the tank with. www.bigalsonline.com has them with longer hoses to connect to your faucet. Good way for water changes as well as cleaning gunk off the bottom. Best thing I ever got for maintaining my 75 gallon goldie tank.

 

[coupedefleur]

You could surround it with wood, or stack those retaining wall blocks around it, or paving bricks. Or a cut-off shower curtain. Or a bunch of cork bark. Or surround it with silk ferns. Whatever you pick should be able to take the occasional splash of water without getting ruined.

You might consider sitting it on a couple inches of rigid foam. I'm setting mine back up indoors for the winter, and this time I'm going to set it up on a layer of concrete blocks to put it 8" off the floor. That will make it easier to get into, and easier to siphon water out of.
I'd avoid a metal tub for fish- galvanized metal is bad for them.

 

[Desertponder]

What you use and how you use it kind of depends on how permanent you want it and where it will be placed in your home. Building a frame box with nice wood on the outside and lined with EDPM can be done which is rather permanent. You can use a small preform unit and build a box around it, stack bricks around it or you can also take landscape timbers, cut pieces the height of the unit and attach them together. This is what my DH did for one of my preform ponds outside. These can easily be moved if you decide you want it in a different place or want to take it out.

Here is a pic of the border my DH made. Don't pay any attention to the fact that they are leaning over. They needed to be adjusted back up straight. :thud:

Some other things that you must consider is the weight of the indoor pond you do and also humidity. If you use a fountain in it or spitter, splash WILL travel and can damage surrounding walls, woodwork, etc. so be careful what you do. Plants won't do well unless the unit is sitting in front of sunny south windows or you use some grow lights.

 

[NecrochildK]

That's absolutely beautiful, Desertponder! As for my purposes, it's in an apartment, so definitely want it temporary enough to scoop the fish and plants out, pump out the water without spilling it and taking it away to a more permanent home if we can ever find one. Just looking for a light, but sturdy, pot of a certain size and flat bottomed that looks nice. ANd I found one the other day that was perfect in shape and decor, only it was big, heavy glazed ceramic of some sort.