Would This Be Possible?

[SeaWitch]

I am against wintering my fancies outside over winter. I do know that well-bred fancies from places like Japan, China, etc, would prolly be fine outside in GA in the winter, but the rescues I have would not make it, I am afraid. GA winters are so unpredictable, and the sudden drops and increases in temps would be brutal to their systems.
However, we don't use our garage for anything, other than storing junk. Do you think it is possible for "less-than-Grade-A" fancies to do okay in there over winter? My problem is that I want another stock tank and more fish, BUT I don't have room in my house for more than the one stock tank I have. If need be, I could always bring in a space heater to run in the garage to keep it warmer and at least the fish would be protected from the elements and harsh winds. What are your opinions?

[bigbettadan]

All my ranchus are in my garage in the winter. I do use heaters though. I try not to let the water temp get below 50.........

Dan

[SeaWitch]

Thanks, Dan. May I ask what brand of heater and wattage you would recommend for a 150g Rubbermaid stock tank?

[bigbettadan]

I use Ebo Jagger, 300 watt.
D

[SeaWitch]

Thanks so much!!!!

[WakinAZ]

Here's a chart showing approximate wattage depending on the size of the tank and temperature difference of the water in the tank and the room itself.

.......T ° GAL 010 020 030 040 055 075 090 120 150 180 200 250
10 F WATTS 053 080 093 107 127 147 160 180 200 213 220 233
15 F WATTS 080 120 140 160 190 220 240 270 300 320 330 350
20 F WATTS 106 160 187 213 253 293 320 360 400 425 440 467
25 F WATTS 200 200 233 265 316 367 400 450 500 533 550 583

A user on cichlid-forum.com posted this a while back. I have re-posted it on that forum several times since. It would make a great sticky somewhere...

[marlin08]

Thanks for the chart, that's good information !
Do they make heaters over 300 watts?

[SeaWitch]

Thanks for the chart, that's good information !
Do they make heaters over 300 watts?

Probably, but they are hard to find. I looked a while back on several websites and all I could find were de-icers.:youtellme:

[Cincy Ranchu]

Probably, but they are hard to find. I looked a while back on several websites and all I could find were de-icers.:youtellme:
Doc Fosters and Smith is a good source for 300 watt units. I like the Visitherm the best. I would think in Ga. you won't need a heater just a weekly partial water change and a cattle trough in the 100 gallon range. Feed them a few times a week and use a sponge filter

[SeaWitch]

Doc Fosters and Smith is a good source for 300 watt units. I like the Visitherm the best. I would think in Ga. you won't need a heater just a weekly partial water change and a cattle trough in the 100 gallon range. Feed them a few times a week and use a sponge filter

I have a 150g Rubbermaid stock tank; would this be okay? As for our weather in GA, it is so unpredictable! One minute, it is mild and the next, it is snowing! I would probably get a heater just to keep on hand in case the water temp dropped below 50. Also, I really want a heater that has a guard for it, to keep the fish from getting burned. Lastly, is a sponge filter necessary, or can I just use my regular pond filter that I use now? Thanks so much! I know I have a lot of questions, but this is my first "pond" and I have never wintered GF outside my home before. Also, keep in mind that my fancies are not well-bred ones, excpet for one and he came from Hawaii! LOL!

[SeaWitch]

One more question, how will the beneficial bacteria fair in cold weather? Will it kill them off?

[WakinAZ]

Re: the wattage question - over 300W, you would split the wattage across two heaters. In more sensitive situations (delicate tropicals), you split the required wattage across two heaters regardless just for safety and redundancy in case of a heater failure.

Re: the bacteria question - there is little to no good science on these matters, it is mostly anecdotal best guesses. So here is mine: the bacteria colony is never larger than the food (waste) supply can support. The lower temps will mean less feeding and less need for biological filtration. With the water temp at 50 F or so, there should be enough of whatever strain of good bacteria lives at that temp to supply the needed ammonia and nitrite conversion. Your test kit will tell you if all is well or not. Stock and feed sparingly until you know you've got the right combination of filtration and fish.

Eric

[BruceP]

Nickie....... we use submercible heaters up to 800w from AES. I know a couple of people that use waterbed heaters under their tank but Im not sure of their efficiency in a rubbermaid type stock tank because they dont sit flat on the floor. Also, don't heat the garage, heat the tank and wrapping the tank with insulation and insulating under it helps alot to keep the heat in.

[opera]

What kind of good controller to use for 500W or 800W heater?

[Virginia ranchu]

Hi Nickie,

I would think your winters in Georgia would be quite mild. It is healthy for goldfish to go through an annual hibernation, so I wouldn't worry about the fish too much. I keep my ranchu and ryukins in an above ground pond with a pond-deicer, and they have never had any problems. They actually live longer this way. You should at least let the temperature drop to below 50 degrees Farenheit and stop feeding. The bacteria will slow down too, so your filtering capacity will not be as good at these temps.

Cheers,

Rob

[SeaWitch]

Thanks, Rob. I still don't know what I am going to do. I am guessing that the filter should still be ran, even in winter, right? I was not too clear on the statement you made about the filtering compacity not being too good in cold temps?:youtellme:

[Virginia ranchu]

Hi Nickie,

I do shut down my outdoor filter in the winter. Be careful that the water is clean before you winterize (no leaves or dead plants on bottom). Once the temp drops below 50 degrees, and you stop feeding the fish, the water will remain clear. The beneficial bacteria and the algae will become active again in the spring, and you should restart filtration at that time. Feeding can also resume, but go slow at first.

Rob

[SeaWitch]

Thank you, Rob! I appreciate all the info. If I had nice, healthy fish from a good breeder (only have one that came from a good breeder), then I would not hesitate to leave them out for the winter. However, most of my fish are rescues and drop-offs from ppl. who didn't want them and many of them have permanent problems, such as SBD. I just don't know if they could survive the cold temps.