# African cichlids in outdoor pond



## Dego510

Crazy idea . . . can african cichlids such as Demasoni do fine in an outdoor pond? I live in Chicago so this would only be a summer only pond (May through September) of 150 gallons. I read on another forum that a member had great success with breeding this way, the fish grew faster, and the colors were great.

Has anyone tried this? Would you suggest it?

Any thoughts or advice is appreciated.


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## Kanorin

I know someone who does this - it works well. However, catching the fish may require some strategy, time, and/or snorkel gear.


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## Potus

Someone on this forum has a koi and frontosa pond I believe and is in the Chicago land area but I can't remember what thread I learned that in. It could even be in the library for all I know.

I might have read it in the DIY section but I just can't remember...


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## Potus

I found the article, it is in the Frontosa section in the Library
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/frontosa_pond.php

I knew I read about something similar. The author is from the Chicago land area


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## Dego510

Wow, that's insane. My addiction level hasn't reach that stage yet.


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## Sheribobbins

I am thinking of putting a 15000 gallon pool size pond in my backyard! It would be run like a pool and have a heating system so I can have it year around here in Arizona. It is on my wish list and would be a big community pond!! I am just in the thought process right now but man I guess it would kick me up a notch or two in the hobby haah!


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## Potus

Dego, i don't blame you. But the concept I thought would help you in your thinking. I would think it would be possible to take what he did in his Frontosa pond and create something similar on a smaller scale. But I do not know how you would make it so that it would be only temporary.


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## DJRansome

I imagine you would want to heat the pond even in the summer to prevent large day/night temp fluctuations. The temp is pretty constant in the lake and in our indoor tanks. :thumb:


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## football mom

There's several fishkeepers I know of in the San Antonio area that keep cichlids outdoors in summer. It's reported that they grow really fast in a set up like that. One guy has an actual in-ground pond, others set up the "kiddie pool" and stock it over the summer.
I'm considering buying a RubberMaid 150 gal livestock trough and setting it up as an outdoor
tank.


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## Malawi Mac

I would be concerned about predatory birds thinning out my collection. I would think that the brightly-colored cichlids like male haps/peacocks and many mbuna would stand out more viewed from the sky.

It's one thing to occasuinally lose a 3-4" goldfish; it's quite another to lose 3-4" Malawi cichlids.

I'm only speculating here. I've dreamed of having a backyard pond, but my wife and I have two Labrador retrievers. I can only imagine the havoc they would raise in a backyard pond.


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## DJRansome

Yes the wildlife would clean out a pond in NJ, heron, fox, bear, racoon, snake, etc.


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## football mom

I guess if you live in an area with a lot of wild life, that would be a problem. If I do get around to my "stock tank" pond, it will be next to the house on my patio, with lilies and plants. 
Hopefully the house hold cat and 4 dogs will keep the fishing birds and possums away.


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## DJRansome

The dogs maybe, if they are out all day. I live within an hour of NYC. The herons like the sunnier areas I hear, my shady stream doesn't have heron problems. But people who have landscaped ponds have to net them and have scarecrow owls, etc.


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## BigJagLover

I live in central Va and i have done this with several diffrent fish. Centrals were the first to go in the pond but they hid all the time. So the next summer I put out my africans which included som peacocks and mbuna. All were 3"+ the biggest were a pair of ice blue grekshi. they were 6" and 5" , male female.

My pond is deep about 30" so the wildlife didn't mess with them at all. I provided plenty of cover for them and made sure the night time temp was around 75 degress F. that way the pond temp would be as steady as possible. I also covered one side of the pond with styrofoam to keep it from getting too hot in the day time.

I personally like the colors of the. fish when they come back inside after eating all the natural foods from the pond. you know bugs and algae. They just look beautiful when they go back into the tank. also most of the females will have spawned by then and there's a lot of fry to collect. Which is the hardest part of the job.


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## eoconnor

Came across this thread. Was actually just sealing up a pond in my backyard this weekend. I live in San Diego, and was toying with the idea of a year round pond....today is 78 degrees Feb 7th, and there are a lot of days in winter in the high 60's into 70's, nights drop into the fifties regularly though, but I wonder how much work a heater would really have to do if you covered the pond at night? It would hardly be on in summer at all.

What are the temp requirements for SA cichlids? Are Oscars more tolerant of swings than Old World cichlids? I'd love to do fronts or something, but it may be ambitious to start with...


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## tirzo13

Ill be bringing back some cichlids from South America in April that can handle water temps in the 40's.
Keep them outdoors yearround in some states, or in your house with no heater needed!
Most of these have never been to the USA and some have never been photographed, i will have pix in April.


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## exasperatus2002

I've kept borleyi in my large preform pond & pulled them out in fall. Had nice colors. Mbuna would do real well with the algae growing on the sides of the pond. Have to fish them out at night with the flashlight to stand a chance. Just have to watch the temps & oxygen levels in the summer depending on where your pond is located. If its full sun increase your water flow & supplemental oxygen. I used to loose goldfish in the summer till I planted a large butterfly bush beside it for shade & added a 2nd pump. You can also use a piece of plywood to cover 1/3-1/2 of the pond to help if your in direct sun.


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## phorty

I'm in Chicago as well and would love to see some of these ponds in person!!


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