# Outdoor piranha tank - in the uk!?



## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

When i move house, i want to get a huge tank.... but then i thought "well what about a huge outdoor tank"

in the uk most days its cold, and if not cold then raining, but quite mild compared to your usa climates, it rarely goes below freezing except maybe in january.

do you think its possible to heat this motha outdoors, with say 10 300w heaters?

most of the time they wont even come on, but when it gets real cold they may be all on i imagine...

whats brazils climate scope?


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

corbypete said:


> When i move house, i want to get a huge tank.... but then i thought "well what about a huge outdoor tank"
> 
> in the uk most days its cold, and if not cold then raining, but quite mild compared to your usa climates, it rarely goes below freezing except maybe in january.
> 
> ...


not a chance in hell!

Depending on the size you would probably need to heat it for atleast 11months of the year, and thats IF we get a good 4 weeks of sun like we've had this last week!

The cost of running enough heaters (or one large one) to keep that thing stable would be huge!


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## LOON (Jan 30, 2004)

I agree with Craig and our weather is nothing like South America.


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

what about in the garage?


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## jan (Apr 24, 2004)

Outside simply isn't possible due to the cilate in the UK. In your garage is possible but you have to heat the water and probably your garage to the right temperature


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

I dont see the point of having it anywhere else other than a nice warm room....I mean your not going to want to sit outside or in a cold garage and watch them are you!!


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

you'd be surprised 

anything to get out of the house sometimes, to go watch a 3 foot rhom galloping around a pool


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

corbypete said:


> you'd be surprised
> 
> anything to get out of the house sometimes, to go watch a 3 foot rhom galloping around a pool
> [snapback]1109413[/snapback]​


yeah, well a 3ft rhom would do that.....if you could ever find one


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

I'd aquascape it, and make it like the wild... hell i'd get a tree with small baby birds in, and even some cattle... some pacus and some silver dollars...
be just like home

maybe not....


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## lophius (Mar 24, 2003)

I used to keep mozambique mouthbrooders in the garden pond in Birmingham - you'd be surprised how warm the water gets here in the UK.

However - the pond is 3ft deep and sunk well into the ground, this means that water is well insulated once it warms up.

Many koi keepers keep their koi ponds at temperatures approaching 15 to 16 degrees throughout the year - a 2 or 3 kw heater would do this for you in a reasonable size pond.

the trouble with an outdoor aquarium is that there is nothing for insulation, air temperature changes occure much more rapidly than those seen in the ground ... this would be your biggest problem

I'd like to see it done !!!

Garage is a good idea for a huge tank - heah I did that and the fish house grew around it - carpeted floor and all !!!!

carl


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

The garage doesn't seem like a problem to me, and I think it would be awesome to have a huge tank like that... How many gallons are you thinking?

The only problem I can see is: What if you get that huge tank all built in your garage, and then you have to move again? Wouldn't you be SOL if it was pernament? Maybe I am picturing something else than you are....
~Taylor~


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

maybe, i've not got that far yet, just putting the idea out really. i could make one out of brick, both easy to make and destroy, or get one made out of something that could be moved, made out of an old sauna our something lol.

water changes would be easy too.... if thats something you'd need to do or let it be like a pond?

i think id need one side to have something i could see through, piranha dont look quite as cool from above only...

as for size, im thinking probably in the region of 300 gallons or more i guess.

i'm gonna have a think, find some sites that have made brick 'out of water' ponds, and go from there

would be quality though, more suited to outdoors than in my small lounge lol


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

corbypete said:


> maybe, i've not got that far yet, just putting the idea out really. i could make one out of brick, both easy to make and destroy, or get one made out of something that could be moved, made out of an old sauna our something lol.
> 
> water changes would be easy too.... if thats something you'd need to do or let it be like a pond?
> 
> ...


I was thinking you wanted something a lot bigger. If it is only going to be 300 gallons, why not just keep it in the house? It would be a lot less of a hassle IMO, plus you would be able to enjoy and observe them a lot more inside. I'm not sure how YOUR lifestyle is, but with MY lifestyle, I would be able yo enjoy them a lot more if they were inside.
~Taylor~


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

maybe bigger..... but look, this place does above ground ponds made of wood

http://www.gardenitems.co.uk/pebble_pools_...ockingponds.php

i could get a large one of those.

again, im not sure, i guess it could be 500 gallons but im not getting a 3000 gallon one until i move to my non-rented home, then it will be huge, and have windows et.c

houses are genrally small in the uk, so no-where for a huge tank to go...


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## PuffPiff (May 23, 2005)

no way you can do that in uk,its freezing over there


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

corbypete said:


> houses are genrally small in the uk, so no-where for a huge tank to go...
> [snapback]1109533[/snapback]​


depends where you live


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

So what could i build it out of?
bearing in mind its got to me semi-permenant ie. i must be able to take it down if i move house, and it must have one side able to make a viewing window

cess pits, kids swimming pool, modified raised pond, cess pit, overturned transit van!!?


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

if you wanted a viewing window from the side your only option really would be to make it out of construction blocks above ground (obviously would need a good concrete base) and have a large viewing window on one side.

Your only other option is a normal pond, either above or below the gound. But they could only be top view only which kinds defeats the purpose of owning P's as you wouldnt see them much!


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

what about a rectangle tank made from timber, one side having a window, and a black liner put in.
this would then sit on the concrete that is my garage floor, a bit like a pdlling pool with wooden sides....


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

corbypete said:


> what about a rectangle tank made from timber, one side having a window, and a black liner put in.
> this would then sit on the concrete that is my garage floor, a bit like a pdlling pool with wooden sides....
> [snapback]1109665[/snapback]​


like that pond you put up? Yeah that would work, but you'd have to make the frame very similar to that pond or it'll just colapse in on itself with the weight of the water.


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

yeah, i'm thinking the frame is the main bit, which once empty would be fairly managable to move around.

hmm, i'll have a think....

that octaganol shape is fine but how you'd get a strong window in i'm not sure.

that or i use railway sleepers but they're blooming heavy


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

corbypete said:


> that octaganol shape is fine but how you'd get a strong window in i'm not sure.
> 
> [snapback]1109670[/snapback]​


hmm...off the top of my head I think the window wouldnt be too hard.

You'd need to make a frame to the wooden stand that to window can sit into (can be placed into it from the inside but cant pass all the way through if you get the idea) then you'd snadwich the pond liner between the wondow and frame and seal it all up (probably the hardest bit, may need to get custom holes in the glass and screw it)


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

hmm, i found one article on the web about a bloke who made a wooden tank, large one, but his description loses me when it comes to the front glass.

I THINK he cuts a hole in the wood box shape he has made, thats slightly smaller than the glass, then im not sure, but i think he may glue it to the front witht he glass being on the inside to take the pressure.

sort of -------¬_ style

i wouldnt mind if mine had strut braces at the corners like: *A*


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## CraigStables (Oct 5, 2003)

corbypete said:


> hmm, i found one article on the web about a bloke who made a wooden tank, large one, but his description loses me when it comes to the front glass.
> 
> I THINK he cuts a hole in the wood box shape he has made, thats slightly smaller than the glass, then im not sure, but i think he may glue it to the front witht he glass being on the inside to take the pressure.
> 
> ...


thats similar to what Im saying to do, but I would suggest making a frame so its ALOT stronger, as that will be the weakest point of the pond. You could just glue it in place, but with having to sandwich the pond liner there are too many chances it could leak. So would go with either screwing the whole frame part together...

WOOD FRAME =========
GLASS =======
LINER -------------
WOOD FRAME =========

edit: well that image didnt work out. I'll put some drawings together when Ive some time later on to explain what I mean!!


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

heres what im thinking, quite simple, using slabs of timber 3"x3" glued and screwed:


















on the bottom pic i would have a sill for the glass to rest on, (grey in the pic).

or perspex with holes in so it could be glued and screwed also, then sealed all round the edges


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## corbypete (Jan 24, 2005)

thoughts?


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## taylorhedrich (Mar 2, 2005)

corbypete said:


> thoughts?
> [snapback]1110301[/snapback]​


With the hexagonal shape of the pond/tank, and the small viewing space, it seems it would be hard to see all of the fish, because they could hide in the corners of the hex where the window wouldn't allow you too see them....
~Taylor~


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## GlassblowRBPown (Apr 4, 2005)

too bad an old hotub would work. i mean, you got mad filters, heaters, lights, and like 30 powerheads. hmm maybe one day


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