# 300 gallon indoor pond



## nimboman (Jan 11, 2008)

Hey guys, I will soon be setting up a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank as an indoor pond but I dont like that it is black and I dont think they come in any other color. I was thinking of changing the color to blue so that the fish are more easily viewed. Is there some kind of epoxy out there that is blue and can stick to the tank also fish safe? Thanks for the help. I will be using my 55 as a filter and maybe a pressurized canister filter with a UV sterilizer I saw one at a home improvement store for about $170 and it says it can filter a 600 gallon pond. Just a thought--- all the money I have spent on wet/drys and HOB filters these pond filters and pumps at these improvement stores seem pretty cheap but are they just as good :-? Anyways when I get a new computer that I can hook my camera up to I will show some pics.


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## kingpoiuy (Jun 9, 2008)

How about some sort of plastic liner? Just an idea off the top of my head.


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## nimboman (Jan 11, 2008)

I thought of that but that would look a little tacky to me.


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## kingpoiuy (Jun 9, 2008)

ya, it might be hard to make it not show. The paint they use for the DIY rock formations using Great Stuff might work. I think it's just spray paint from wal-mart. You'd have to look here in the forum for it. I can't remember.


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## nimboman (Jan 11, 2008)

Well I am looking for something that will last for a long time and I will look into that thanks .


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## TailorO (Apr 7, 2008)

what about the blue paint they use for swimming pools?


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

i'm considering to paint the inside of a 300 gal. rubbermaid, with Krylon Fusion, as per this copy/paste from their site:
"For old plastic, use an ammonia-based cleaner and wipe down to clean surface. If the plastic is new, wipe down with paint thinner for best results. Lightly sand glossy surface if previously painted and remove dust with a tack cloth. When dry, apply KrylonÂ® Fusion for Plastic according to the directions on the can." HTH.


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

krylon fusion spray paint.

I would use it, but I would prime it first, then paint it once. Let dry for 48 hrs. Paint again. Then again. Then again. Then again. 5-6 coats, (spaced out by 48 hrs) will do wonders.

You could also consider the textured paints. They are a little hardier.


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## ictoae (May 17, 2008)

priming with krylon fusion seems wrong. The paint is designed to bond to the plastic and priming will block that. You might as well use any old spray paint if you are going to prime first.

I do agree with the fusion though. I've got my PVC in my tank done in black and it holds up pretty well unless I scrape it pretty hard with a rock.


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## nimboman (Jan 11, 2008)

So it would be safe for the fish?


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## R-DUB (Jun 3, 2007)

how about DRY-LOK? Dont know if it sticks to plastic though. It says safe for fish ponds. Just a thought


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## under_control (Jan 9, 2008)

krylon fusion is perfectly safe once cured. I and many, many other members of this forum have used it in their tanks.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

I have a 300 gal Rubbermaid used as an indoor pond... I just dug up the link to a thread I made abotu it a while ago... http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... ndoor+pond

If you use sand the bottom is tan regardless of what color the plastic or the paint is... it's very rare that you get a view where the side walls are the background view...

I found less than 1800 gph of current allows waste to build up in many places and dead spots to form... 1800+ gph is sufficient... 2,400 gph is nice...

I use a pressurized pond filter (BioForce 200) and am very happy with it. I wouldn't use anything else on this sort of tank.

I am a huge fan of UV lights and have half a dozen of them in use, but I would highly suggest against using a pond canister with a built in UV light. Pressurized pond filters are designed to be used at a high flow rate and the built in UV lights are usually low wattage. They use them in these filters to cure green water in outdoor ponds, not to kill bacteria or make aquarium water crystal clear. Lower flow rates and higher wattages are requred for the higher grade effects.

If your interested in UV lights I suggest a base formula of 10 gph per 1W of UV... and 1W of UV per 10 US gal of tank volume. You won't be topping off your Rubbermaid and I estimate the max volume I ever use mine with is 265 gallons. So a 25+ W UV light would work well... I run a (Danner) 40W @ approx 250 gph on mine...

Itâ€™s a lot easier to keep it clean without substrate, but your right, it does make it a lot harder to see the fishâ€¦


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## aaxxeell (Jul 28, 2007)

looks good Toby-h, just be wary of jumping oscars, my mother in-law had a 6inch red oscar jump outta her 4ft (55gal) tank through the lids at night!  
got up in the mornin and it was dry on the floor...

keep us posted on progress and pics nimboman, looks like a interesting project :thumb:


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## nimboman (Jan 11, 2008)

Thanks for all the help and suggestions guys this will be a fun project and I cant wait to get started :thumb:. *under_control* thanks for the hint about the Krylon Fusion now that I know it is safe I may give it a shot.*Toby_H* I love your setup and I agree about the substate it will make it harder to keep clean but I have to give my rostratus some sand to sift . *aaxxeell* that sucks about the oscar. I plan on keeping all my haps from my signature in this tank.


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