Suggestions?

[LB79]

I'm going to try a pond this summer. The trough I will use is somewhere between 160-180 gallons. There will be the local cattails, irises, pond-grass, water lettuce, water hyacinth, and any plants I can find at pond stores and such. I might also put some of my Vallisneria spiralis in there in a pot. It will catch morning sun and be shaded in the afternoon. No filtration. Now, for questions.

Should I change water, and how often?
How long should I wait to put fish/shrimp in?
What fish/shrimp are suitable?

I was thinking ghost shrimp, 4-6 bettas (want to breed these and make something off them), and possibly guppies or mosquitofish. I would of course put daphnia, copepods, and pond snails in earlier on to jumpstart the ecosystem (there are several local ponds, and the 'organisms' will come from there).

Would this work? The highs around here are 98-102˚F and the lows no lower than 65. As many of you can probably tell, I know NOTHING of ponds. I respect the challenge, and am looking forward to getting lots of help!
Thanks in advance.

[Gooberfish]

Ponds are awesome!

A pond without filtration is a bad idea. There is a really cool way to filter your pond with low maintenance. It's called a bog filter. Pretty much, you pump pond water into a gravel bed where you can put your irises and grasses in. The roots of the plants will take in the nutrients from the water and grow. You'll still need a sponge filter after the water goes through the bog bed, but you won't need to clean that out very frequently. Here's a link on bog filter beds:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=2153

You'll still need to top off the water that's lost due to evaporation

Wait 1-2 weeks before adding fish.

I've never heard of shrimp in a pond. Maybe someone else can reiterate on that. My all time favorite livestock in a pond are goldfish. Simple comets look marvelous. Shubunkin are also a huge favorite of mine. A community of those is magnificent and cheaper than koi. Mosquito and feeder guppies work too.

Definitely look into the bog filtration. My dad & I just started one two months ago and so far the plants we put in it are responding well

[LB79]

Bog filter=perfectly spectacular logic. Thanks! This pond is basically for breeding and raising Betta Splendens. I won't want comets or shubunkin in there! Good to know about guppies/endlers/mosquitofish, too.

[TWA]

You could do the algae scrubber method, where you pump water onto a screen that overhangs the water, creating a waterfall type deal. the algae grows up there since it's more exposed to light/less water to penetrate. Keeps the water clear of most algae and the pond is cleaned through the algae.

[Gooberfish]

Document your setup! Sharing is caring lol.

[sockfish]

Not a pond guru by any means, but:

It may be that putting more than a single Betta in there will lead to some lost Bettas.

And I find that all of my Bettas eat all of the shrimp that are put in with them....

sox

[TWA]

Originally Posted by sockfish

Not a pond guru by any means, but:

It may be that putting more than a single Betta in there will lead to some lost Bettas.

And I find that all of my Bettas eat all of the shrimp that are put in with them....

sox

Are we talking basic bettas, or bettas like Betta splendens? Completely different temperaments and compatibility. With a huge trough either way you'd be okay I'd imagine with the shrimp, some will be eaten, some will not.

[CatB]

Originally Posted by TWA

Are we talking basic bettas, or bettas like Betta splendens? Completely different temperaments and compatibility. With a huge trough either way you'd be okay I'd imagine with the shrimp, some will be eaten, some will not.

betta splendens are basic bettas...? if you mean by "basic betta," the kind you find in cups in pet stores. temperament varies by the fish, but no matter what, if you have two male betta splendens in the same place and they see each other, they will fight and probably kill each other. i've heard of breeding bettas like betta macrostoma, imbellis, etc. by housing them in large enclosures in groups, but never splendens... unless you'll be separating the trough i wouldn't do it with that species.

[TWA]

My bad, got them mixed up with another Betta species, carry on.

[LB79]

Yes, I mean either betta splendens or paradise fish, but definitely not both. Bettas (1 male to 4-5 females) kill each other in 160 gallons of open space (relatively; there will be many plants)? And of course I'll be documenting the progress of the thing. I want people to be able to see the wrong things I'm doing and correct them before I find out it's too late!

[CatB]

Originally Posted by LB79

Yes, I mean either betta splendens or paradise fish, but definitely not both. Bettas (1 male to 4-5 females) kill each other in 160 gallons of open space (relatively; there will be many plants)? And of course I'll be documenting the progress of the thing. I want people to be able to see the wrong things I'm doing and correct them before I find out it's too late!

okay, if you won't be keeping multiple males then there's a lot less of a chance.
the times when males kill females is when A: a female doesn't respond to their displays, and they get fed up or B: when they're squeezing her during the "mating ritual" whatever and they squeeze her so hard she dies. occasionally there is aggression between males and females, similar to male-male aggression. i've heard of both successes and failures with this sort of a setup, but it's worth a try.

[LB79]

Obviously I've a lot to learn with this species! Could everyone with experience educate me please? I don't want any mistakes.