# My 10 g pond acquarium



## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

My 10 gallon pond aquarium on my balcony.

It has no electric devices at all. Substrate of soil only, no gravel, two Carassius Auratus (added after two days after setting the aquarium up), two clams, sunlight only, no water changes, no chemicals (only a little fertilizer at the beginning). It receives direct sunlight for one hour only a day, late in the afternoon. It has worked for two weeks till now. I am really interested in seeing how it evolves and in observing its animals behavior. I am also looking forward for the ninphea making flowers, pink I hope.

The fishes are very healthy and active. I know it is too small for Carassius Auratus, but they are still young and small, and I have planned to replace them with Rhodeus fishes when I can get them.

I took the picture from inside home, I am sorry for the window reflections.

Thank you very much Dr. Walstad for your book.


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## Franco (Jun 25, 2010)

I've got several NPTs/Bowls on my balcony and after topping the soil with 1/4 inch of sand it helped keep the soil down and kept the water looking much clearer. Also seemed to help with algae and stopped the yellow color.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Thank you for your tip, but I am not going to put sand any more in my aquarium as, whatever care you put in it, sand eventually will scratch the aquarium glasses.

Yes, I know that the water situation in my aquarium is due to the lack of the gravel over the soil, but I wanted to try to keep it as natural as possible. Now I know that a better way to set up a NPT aquarium is to cover with water the soil only and let the plants develop in it for some months, but I already set up my aquarium in the way it is and so now I am very curious to see how it will evolve and the influence of the year seasons on it. I have planned to keep it going that way for one year, and then I will decide what to do with it.


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## Franco (Jun 25, 2010)

I just use the thinnest of sand layers in my outdoor pond tanks. I actually hate using sand in indoor aquaria.
I found that when I use just enough to cover the soil initially, it lets a little dirt get through every now and then and causes a blanket of algae and bacteria to form across the bottom. It then holds the soil down by itself and looks like the bottom of a real pond!
Your goldfish probably arent helping the cloudiness situation. lol


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Thank you very much for your help. But even one grain of sand can scratch the aquarium glass and then it requires a great job to remove it. Although, of course, the less they are the less it is probable it could happen. On the other side my aquarium is quite old so it wouldn’t be such a risk.

But most of all I am interested in experimenting. Just today my aquarium water transparency has greatly improved, now I can see the bottom of the aquarium, while before I wasn’t able to see it, since the aquarium set up. I am not sure if I will be able to post a picture of it, because it is night over here and tomorrow I am leaving for a ten days holiday, at least without the worries I would have with an inside aquarium!

The water color is still yellow, I think because of the turfy soil, but I am very positive on the long run. I also think that that kind of water is very healthy for the goldfishes.

Goldfishes are a real nice surprise for me: they work all day long, eating algae, and guarantee the plants cleaning and the water movement in an aquarium without an electrical pump. I think they help me a lot. By the way, in Italy we call them “red fishes”, “pesci rossi”.


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

Watch out with the goldfish. 2 might be too much for your 10 gallon tank. They create alot of waste... Hopefully they are the type that stays small.


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## Franco (Jun 25, 2010)

I've never even though about sand scratching the glass. Its just on the bottom so its not going to look bad or anything.
A layer of bacteria or algae has probably formed across the bottom.
I have always been a believer in that goldfish grow to fit the size of the tank they are in and then slow down. I know its not exactly true but who is going to get a 120gallon tank for a couple of golfish? I've had two golds in a ten gallon before for 3 years and they grew to 4 inches and stopped. Then I put them in a 55 and they added a couple more inches. Then I threw them in a fishless stormwater retention basin (i.e. residential pond) and they are 16 inches long. Those goldfish are 10 years old now and amazing to see swimming around in the wild like that----huge fat bellies and long fantails.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

I am back from my vacation. Now my aquarium is one month old since I set up it.

Its water is still yellow, but crystal clear: clams have done their job! My ninphea has bloomed and... its flower is pink.

Thank you again Dr. Walstad for your "Ecology of the Planted Aquarium". Thank you again Franco for what you wrote about your goldfishes, it is a great relief for me to read that. My two goldfishes appear extremely healthy. Sand can scratch the aquarium glass when it is got between the couple of magnets used to clean the aquarium glasses from algae, or when you empty the aquarium.


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## cawnov (Jan 7, 2010)

Fluvio,
I like your pond aquarium concept. I thought about doing something similar but more in the line of a peat swamp or mossy backwater aquarium.
Your goldfish look bright and happy. Keep us updated.


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## Angie (Dec 4, 2005)

Long bodied goldfish need at least 20 gallon each. Maybe take them back and get something else. Like guppies or white clouds.
Looks like a nice idea.
Good luck.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Thanks, but my aquarium has got no heater and it is on my balcony, where during winter at night the temperature can lower to about 32° F. I have a limited choice of fishes.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Thank you cawnov. I don't know how peat swamp or mossy backwater aquarium can look like, but they sound interesting. Let us know what you should fulfil with them.

I tried to keep my aquarium as cheap as possible, in all its aspects: money, work, worries, room, noise, inconvenience, because I can't stand to rember what I had to do to mantain my former hi-tech 60 gallon aquarium in my sitting room, and I think that I have obtained an almost zero impact aquarium.


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## Angie (Dec 4, 2005)

Thats why I suggested white clouds.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Oh thank you, I didn't know them. Anyway I have planned to replace the goldfishes with rhodeus fishes which are more resistant to low temperatures and use clams for their reproduction.


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## Angie (Dec 4, 2005)

Those sound so cool. Be sure to do pictures. Never seen or heard of them would love pictures.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

What's a rhodeus? Sounds interesting. Also, I'm not sure what temp shrimp like in your area, but you may be able to put a few native shrimp in the tank to help with algae if it's a problem. I am amazed how much clearer the tank is from the first set of photos; pretty cool how patience pays off sometimes.

Beautiful lotus bloom by the way!!!


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Rhodeus is a fish, its exact name is Rhodeus Amarus, and you can read about it in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodeus_amarus. An aquaria shop told me they sometimes have them in spring, but, as I read, it can be easily fished in watercourses in the north of Italy, but I live in central Italy.

I thought about shrimps but I am afraid they could harm the clams that I have in my aquarium, which I need for filtering the water and for the Rhodeus reproduction. Moreover shrimps could subtract algae that Rhodeus feed on.

The situation of my aquarium is more or less the same of my latest pictures here available; I have planned to publish here at the beginning monthly and later seasonal updates. Thank you for the ninphea bloom, it lasted two or three days, but it seems to me that now a new flower is on its way.


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## mudboots (Jun 24, 2009)

Cool; thanks for the info. The Rhodeus is a neat little fish. I've heard the name "bitterling" before but had no idea it refered to several different species. I guess that's the problem with using common names too often.

Later,


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

This is my aquarium state when about two months old. I haven't done anything more than feeding the fishes, restoring the water level with tap water and cleaning front and rear glasses from algae; I have never cleaned the side glasses from algae.

The first picture was taken before removing algae from front and rear glasses for three days. The other two pictures are with those two glasses just cleaned.

The last picture was taken when the aquarium was directly hit by sunlight.

The ninphea has bloomed for the second time. In the picture its flower is four days old and it is closing, indeed the ninphea in my aquarium opens its flower at the beginning of the morning and closes it at about 4:00 P.M. daylight time.

Inside the aquarium the plants and everything are covered with green hair algae, except the soil.

Fishes and clams appear to me to be extremely healthy. The clams have completely buried themselves in the soil except for their two valves, since the first days two months ago.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

This is my aquarium situation at the beginning of autumn. All I have done in the meanwhile was to feed the fishes and to restore the water level with tap water. I haven't done any chemical analysis of the water since I set up it.

The nimphea has slowed down a lot, and hasn't bloomed any more. Everything is still covered with green hair algae but the plants have been managing to survive and to grow just the same, and moreover now the plants start to have some leaves free of algae. On the bottom now there is about an inch of mulm over the soil, and I can't see any more the clams, so I even don't know if they are still alive. I have stopped for the moment to prune the plants, because it seemed to me that when I pruned the plants the algae increased. The water seems to me to be less yellow. My goldfishes are in a perfect shape as usual.


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## Angie (Dec 4, 2005)

Nope your goldfish are not perfect they are alive but by now they are stunted.


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

AS I understand it and have observed with goldfish - it is the quality of the water that lets them grow not the size of the tank. However if you think about it, the quality of water would be better with more water. I knew a person that had 3 goldfish in what was probably a 5 gallon tank. They were the prize at a carnival. This person kept the water immaculate and used a small UG filter & a HOB filter. These fish got to be 6-8 inches in that tank. Would I do it? No, I always thought it cruel, but it does demonstrate the old myth of a fish growing according to the size of its container. At least in my mind "-)
HTH
Regards,
Aquaticz



Franco said:


> I've never even though about sand scratching the glass. Its just on the bottom so its not going to look bad or anything.
> A layer of bacteria or algae has probably formed across the bottom.
> I have always been a believer in that goldfish grow to fit the size of the tank they are in and then slow down. I know its not exactly true but who is going to get a 120gallon tank for a couple of golfish? I've had two golds in a ten gallon before for 3 years and they grew to 4 inches and stopped. Then I put them in a 55 and they added a couple more inches. Then I threw them in a fishless stormwater retention basin (i.e. residential pond) and they are 16 inches long. Those goldfish are 10 years old now and amazing to see swimming around in the wild like that----huge fat bellies and long fantails.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

My goldfishes are in a perfect shape: they don't show any kind of suffering, they don't have any physical deformation or abnormal behavior, their fins are perfect, their color bright, and they are very active. They love the mulm and they feed of green hair algae all day long. I am very proud of giving them such a good enviroment for them. These are facts.


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## Angie (Dec 4, 2005)

Sorry but they are not perfect. They are alive. That is all. Fish don't sit in a corner and cry when they are in pain or show any signs like that. Even illnesses don't show up for a long time.


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## vicky (Feb 18, 2010)

Fulvio,

Your tank looks great. I love the idea of very low maintenance. Your goldies look fine - for now. I'm sure they will appreciate more room when you replace them with Rhodeus in the spring. I can't have outdoor fish here unless I put in a pond at least four feet deep or screen the top. Otherwise the raccoons get them. If your plants stay healthy your fish will probably stay healthy too. I wonder how the plants will do in the cold of winter? Then again, if they slow down due to the cold I suppose the fish metabolism will slow as well. Thanks for the update - I look forward to more.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Thank you for your very useful observations that let me notice aspects that I didn't think of.

Vicky, you don't have to deny yourself an outside aquarium because of the racoons, you could put a metallic net on the aquarium to protect your fishes from them. I like the idea of a place where there are raccoons.

I have planned next update at the beginning of winter.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Ops, I forgot about one more maintenance I do: I clean the front and rear glasses from algae every couple of days. But it isn't necessary for the surviving of the aquarium; you can avoid to do that as long as you don't feel like doing it, nothing too bad happens for that.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Winter update.

I have gone on in the same way with my aquarium, only topping water level with tap water and feeding the fishes.

My goldfishes are just beautiful. The water color is a clear green yellow that I like much and that I think is very comfortable for my goldfishes. The amount of mulm is increasing, I will start to prune the plants as soon as they start growing again, to limit the amount of mulm.

With the cold weather most of the plants have loosen many of their leaves, and the others have slowed down a lot, while algae grow even better than with warm weather.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

What I thought was mulm and that can be seen in my picture below, on the soil, revealed to be some kind of musk, or roots, when I tried to remove part of it. So I didn't remove it any more and I am not going to prune the plants any more, because it appears that the substances in the aquarium are used for the growing of one kind of vegetation or another.


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## LVKSPlantlady (Oct 4, 2009)

This is neat I plan to grow plants outside this spring and summer, but then will have to be taken apart, Kansas winters are too cold. 

I don't know a lot about gold fish but they look good to me... by musk did you mean moss? It looks like a type of moss in the pic. 

I have a few questions: DId you ever have any insect larva problems? like mosquitos or any other living things that was just there one day? Im also wondering what the birds think of your outside fish bowl?


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Thank you.

I am having problems with my aquarium plants for the cold weather, although here the temperature, usually, almost never drops under 32°F; I would need in my aquarium some aquatic plants that grow in cold weather, but I don't know any, and I'd like to avoid difficult quests to find a specific plant species. I should search for local aquatic plants, that appear to be flourishing in this year period, in streams in the surroundings; maybe one day I will do that.

Yes, with musk I intend moss, and the one in my aquarium looks quite like moss, but it is likely roots, because when I tried to lift it, it was like branches attached to long lines. Maybe one day I will inquire about it.

I haven't had insects problems, rather they would be welcome as food for my goldfishes, and I think they probably had some to eating. I haven't had problems with birds either, as the plants cover the surface heavily during summer, but also enough now.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Today my water lily has bloomed for the first time this year, so it is an occasion for an update; its flower color this time is more white than pink, I find its color is more beautiful now.

A couple of months ago one of our goldfishes suddenly disappeared, I looked for it long, inside the tank and outside, but I couldn't find it; I think it was caught by a bird, I noticed some gulls flying around my building that day. While seeking for it I extracted the clams from the soil and they were alive and appeared to me to be grown, and I also removed lots of algae from my aquarium. So, then we bought a new goldfish, to not leave the left one alone; my daughter choosed a yellow fantail (you can discover it in the first picture, and also to make out the other goldfish), and they have been sharing my aquarium since then.

For the rest, all is more or less the same as before.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

One year old update.

Going on like usual, just watering my aquarium and feeding the animals. I have started fertilizing the aquarium; when I fertilize my plants on my balcony, I use the same fertilized water to water my aquarium, so its plants are more beautiful and I don't worry about algae, as I have seen that they don't harm my plants excessively, moreover goldfishes eat them, so algae are good for my goldfishes.

My water lily hasn't bloomed any more since the last time, although it is growing well. In compensation my Water Stargrass (Heteranthera dubia, also called Zosterella dubia) plants have been blooming; you can see them and a flower of theirs in the pictures.


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## sink (Jul 13, 2011)

This tank is great and inspiring. Nice job. That water lily flower is gorgeous.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Two years old update.

A new picture to show the present explosion of my Echinodorus in my aquarium.

I have never changed water, and my goldfishes are very healty as always.


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## mariannep (Mar 18, 2012)

Very interesting to read of your tank!  Lovely lily, too!


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

My yellow fantail goldfish died some days ago; it remained motionless on the bottom of my aquarium or just under the water surface for three days, then it died. I left it in the aquarium and it has disappeared covered by the sediments on the bottom. I don't know if the clams are still alive. Instead the other goldfish, the one that I have since my aquarium setup, is fine, but it is becoming too big for my aquarium, so I have to plan to move it somewhere else.

My aquarium is covered with blue-green bacteria; I know them very well from when I had high tech aquariums and I passed a lot of time fighting them at that time. Now I don't mind at all that they are in my aquarium. I know that their presence means that in my aquarium there is a lack of nitrate, so I am planning to increase the fish population in my aquarium. Maybe I will post a picture of my aquarium situation in the next days.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Your description of your aquarium as it matures is most interesting! Please keep it updated.

I suggest that you beware of adding fertilizer. You should have enough nutrients from the fish food and the natural processes of the aquarium.

BGA has a number of causes. I believe that its cause is excessive nutrients, not lack of nitrates. I suggest that you try to remove it manually, or use an antibiotic like erythromycin. 

Bill


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Thanks! Here are two videos of my aquarium situation; consider that I have just cleaned the aquarium glasses for better visibility, while usually they are covered with algae.











Fulvio


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## kerrigan007 (Apr 1, 2013)

I liked your first video (including the music! )
It's interesting to read about your tank's evolution. How it is doing actually?
I wish I could do the same here, but in Quebec, it's too cold, except in July-August and maybe September.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

kerrigan007 said:


> I liked your first video (including the music! )
> It's interesting to read about your tank's evolution. How it is doing actually?
> I wish I could do the same here, but in Quebec, it's too cold, except in July-August and maybe September.


Thank you kerrigan007 for your comment; I am sorry I was not able to answer to you sooner, but here is a video of my aquarium and fish present situation






Plants in my aquarium suffer a lot winter weather, while algae not.


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

I have a new El Natural setup, my new turtles basin









My new turtles basin. I never change its water, I just water it when I water my plants, and I feed our turtles when I remember to do that, usually when I feed myself









There are two floating plants: a water hyacinth and a Pistia. You can see how high the layer of soil is on the basin bottom









Our oldest turtle; we have had it for about three years. It stays on our balcony all year round, and when it is too cold it holes up. On her left, in the water, you can see the head of our youngest turtle, which I bought a few days ago









Again our two turtles









Our old turtle basin. I never changed the water while our turtle had been in there, for three years, and our turtle had no problems at all, always totally healty









Our old and new turtles basins









Close up of our old turtle basin









Our youngest turtle









Both our turtles


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## Fulvio Galiani (Jun 8, 2005)

Yesterday I found our goldfish dead, so it lived in my aquarium for seven years, without ever changing the water. I had many high tech aquariums before this one and I have never seen such a healty fish and plants like in this aquarium. I never saw a white spot on the skin of our goldfish or a damaged fin on our goldish while that was normality in my high tech aquariums,


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Sorry I didn't get to your thread sooner. (Too busy setting up my own backyard tubs.) It looks like you are have a nice turtle setup. Plants and turtles look like they're doing very well.

I had forgotten how much fun outdoor tubs were. Long ago, I had one (a 25 gal whiskey barrel half) to raise guppies over the summer. 

So I've now set up three tubs on the deck outside. They get filtered sunlight from oak trees overhead, but not full sunlight so the temperature stays between 75F and 85F. I cover them at night with a sheet of meshed metal lathe. This keeps animals out, especially some pesky raccoons.

The clear tub in the pictures was a find for any one interested in trying backyard tubs. I found it at a hardware store for storing clothes. Holds 18 gals and cost $9. There were some larger ones, but I'm not sure the plastic lining would be strong enough to hold more than 18 gals. 

I think the fish are happier when kept outside. Plants do very well also. It's fun.


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