# 300 gallon Rubbermaid growout outdoors.



## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

After reading the thread below, I decided to set one up for myself. A buddy of mine had the rubbermaid and wasn't using it this summer.

I also needed to provide some shade. Where I am placing the tub, it will be on direct sunlight for most of the day. That kind of intensity is certain to get the water too hot.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/c ... utside.php


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)




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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)




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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)




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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)




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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

looks good. what will you do during winter? lol


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## Frazee86 (Aug 1, 2010)

Would guess move them into the house or sell em off


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

Frazee86 said:


> Would guess move them into the house or sell em off


Yeah, in the fish room or sell off. More than likely will sell off.

This whole idea is more of a growth rate experiment than anything else. I am trying to confirm if gross water volume is the most important factor relative to growth rate. I believe it is with food source being the next.


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## b3w4r3 (Dec 14, 2012)

Are you going to use any filtration or just do water changes as needed? There is an article in the library section where a guy did this same thing.


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

b3w4r3 said:


> Are you going to use any filtration or just do water changes as needed? There is an article in the library section where a guy did this same thing.


Got the idea from that article...

I am thinking that I won't need filtration. Weekly water changes, or a continuous drip are a possibility. It may not even require that.

Could be 300-400 fry in the vat to start so don't really know... I was going to add them all at once & monitor ammonia as time goes on.

I am betting that the tank can actually cycle without ever seeing any spikes in ammonia. It would happen so gradually that it would never even register in high enough PPM to be a concern. Adding floating plants is also an option.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

i know my mbuna's grow faster than snot but i feed mine 3 times a day. they are juvies though.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Did you think about making it into a pond...in the ground?


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

13razorbackfan said:


> Did you think about making it into a pond...in the ground?


Not really. Water table is at 1 ft. I have wetlands behind me. Not much ground to work with honestly.


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

Looks good so far. Looks like you have a good helper as well.


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

Thanks! I do.

It was fun trying to explain why I was doing this to him. Literally a question a minute throughout the whole deal. LOL


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## JoeU (Dec 27, 2012)

Great learning experience for him!

Are you going to put any mesh on the top? I would worry about problems with wild/feral predators...cats, birds, raccoons?


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## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

cantrell00 said:


> Thanks! I do.
> 
> It was fun trying to explain why I was doing this to him. Literally a question a minute throughout the whole deal. LOL


Hah! Brings back memories.

When is the tentative stocking date?


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

DanniGirl said:


> cantrell00 said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks! I do.
> ...


Dependent on the weather but based on everything I have read, late April. Need consistent 24 hr average temps of ~70 degrees..

Here is a list of all that has been recently stripped that is going in there: Rounded of course. All are anywhere from 1/2-1" long.

Cyno Hara - 30-40
Labs - 20
Cyno Axelrodi - 40
Trewavasae, Mpanga Red - 30
P.Nyererei, Mwanza - 60
Cyno Cobue - 30 
Ps Acei, Luwala - 40
Cyno, Jalo Reef - 20

There may be more that are stripped prior to the end of April. More Hara & Ps Elongatus Usisysa maybe. I also have 9 Syno Multipunctatus that are growing but fearful of adding them. Don't want to lose anything really, but really don't want to lose them.

No idea what I will do with everything in the fall. Will cross that bridge when I get there. I am pretty stoked about it though.


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

JoeU said:


> Great learning experience for him!
> 
> Are you going to put any mesh on the top? I would worry about problems with wild/feral predators...cats, birds, raccoons?


Very true. He has been there every step of the way.. Has helped me with every build thread that I have posted. My 180, the fish room, acrylic 150 I built. Really cool stuff that will mean so much more 10 years from now when I reflect back on how we invested our time with each other. He is a only child so, it is easier to do. He doesn't have to share.. :lol:


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## nwr2339 (Feb 12, 2007)

Looks great. Your fish will grow out quick in those. A friend of mine here in Michigan uses a similar setup with about 1200-1400 gallons worth each summer. In the past all he used was airlines to keep the water moving a bit and give it some O2. This year he tiered sets of tanks so the water flows from each box to the next with them ending up in a 100g tub with porous stones and a few sponges on one side for them to flow through and a 1/4hp sump pump that kicks on about every 25 min ( I believe thats what it was set at anyways).


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## beachtan (Sep 25, 2008)

I would LOVE to see an updated photo and hear how its going!!


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## cheech713 (Jul 27, 2013)

any updates?


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## Onewb (Aug 5, 2013)

Just my 2 cents but you obviously have some construction skills and you already have a back wall and a roof.couple more walls and a door you can have a winter grow out also. I would insulate the fence perhaps stack bales of straw or hay around the tubs for insulation. Insalate the thing throw an electric heater on a shelf(well above the hay), good quality stick heater in the tub I would bet once the water got up to temp the electric would seldom come on. Few sheets 3/4,few 2by4,roll or 2 insulation, 2 stick heaters, can't imagine cost much more than 2 3 hundred if that. Sit the tub on plywood or boards get um off the cold concrete might help. If don't work u just built our self a cheap shed.


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## cantrell (May 13, 2014)

This became an epic failure actually. Pump died along with the fish.


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Sorry to hear that but don't give up on ponds. We are doing our 2nd round of pond stuff ... we went from a small 35G tub pond last year to an in ground pond this year (no cichlids in it though as the temps here would probably be problamatic...we get 30+ degree temp swings from night to day sometimes...couple nights back it was like 55 degrees and yesterday it almost hit 90).

Taking your hobby in another direction sometimes can be fun and sometimes frustrating. Ponds are one of those things that I think are worth the frustration.

2013 pond









the 2014 pond


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## hose91 (Mar 5, 2014)

Pond is looking good! Pretty inspiring stuff on taking the hobby in a new direction. Are you ready for the kickoff of the Great Pond Race 2014!! What are you putting in your pond this year?


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

Not sure if I'm doing the race as I put some stock in already but I'll still have fun with the pond and seeing it mature through the summer.


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