# Fishing for aquarium fish



## ZEROPILOT (May 30, 2019)

I went fishing this morning looking for Salvini cichlids that I "discovered" last year for a vacant 55 gallon aquarium.
I caught two.
Both about 3.5"
One on a spinner bait. One on a breadball.
I saw several Jaguar cichlids and butterfly peacocks. And I'm going back tomorrow to try to catch a few of them for my pond.
I caught 33 Mayan cichlids, also.
Sadly, I only saw one native fish in this spot. A small large mouth bass.


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## ZEROPILOT (May 30, 2019)

@Tom 
I remember that you keep Salvini.
How large do they get?
These are larger than the 4 I caught last year.


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## Tom (May 30, 2019)

The biggest salvini I've ever seen were around 5". Maybe 6" counting the tail and all.


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## Yvonne G (May 30, 2019)

I can't imagine spending good money at the pet store for fish for the aquarium, then ( for whatever reason) dumping them in the swamp when you no longer can keep them. Don't pet stores take them in Florida?


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## ZEROPILOT (May 30, 2019)

Yvonne G said:


> I can't imagine spending good money at the pet store for fish for the aquarium, then ( for whatever reason) dumping them in the swamp when you no longer can keep them. Don't pet stores take them in Florida?


I know one place that unofficially will take Salvini and small Oscars.
But not anything else.
If you catch them. You're supposed to kill them.
I think it's illegal to place them back in the water.
Like tortoises.....A lot of aquarium hobbyists got overwhelmed or tired of their small exotic fishes that got too large or too expensive to feed.
Even back decades ago, finding a good home for a fully grown exotic fish was very, very difficult.
The peacock bass were actually released here on purpose.....For sport fishing.
They die off when the weather gets cold. But the weather hasn't gotten cold. So they are now in north Broward county where I am.
It's for this reason that the majority of these exotics can't migrate up the state. None can live in water in the 50s.


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## NorCal tortoise guy (May 30, 2019)

It must be so cool to catch such exotic fish. Though its not cool at all that they there!!


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## ZEROPILOT (May 30, 2019)

NorCal tortoise guy said:


> It must be so cool to catch such exotic fish. Though its not cool at all that they there!!


It is cool.
It's also a disaster.


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## Tom (May 30, 2019)

Yvonne G said:


> I can't imagine spending good money at the pet store for fish for the aquarium, then ( for whatever reason) dumping them in the swamp when you no longer can keep them. Don't pet stores take them in Florida?


People do it here too, but our colder winters usually kill off the tropical exotics. Its terrible. This is why the RES is now a world wide pest.


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## ZEROPILOT (May 31, 2019)

Today I used live bait and caught very few fish.
Four of the largest Mayan cichlids I've ever seen. (Might have been worth cooking) And an over a foot long Jaguar Cichlid.
The Jag is an absolute monster!
He's now in my south pond.


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## Tom (Jun 1, 2019)

The idea of an outdoor pond with these tropical cichlids has always been a fantasy of mine. Literally, since childhood. I think its awesome what you are doing there.

To add to how great it is, you are removing introduced invaders from the natural environment. That is admirable and commendable whether you eat them to put them in your pond. Win-win any way you look at it. And damn fun finding and catching them in the first place as the icing on a fantastic cake!

I hope to see more. And I want to see pond pics too, if you are willing to share.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 1, 2019)

Tom said:


> The idea of an outdoor pond with these tropical cichlids has always been a fantasy of mine. Literally, since childhood. I think its awesome what you are doing there.
> 
> To add to how great it is, you are removing introduced invaders from the natural environment. That is admirable and commendable whether you eat them to put them in your pond. Win-win any way you look at it. And damn fun finding and catching them in the first place as the icing on a fantastic cake!
> 
> I hope to see more. And I want to see pond pics too, if you are willing to share.


Thank you.
I'll keep posting as I catch more and more exotics.
Next week I'm going solely for Peacocks and Jags.
The ponds I'm using (At least for now)are the swimming pool/ponds in my other thread.
But since Kelly has been so calm, another "in the ground" pond won't be out of the question.
The photos are of the new pond project.
There are two. North and South.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 1, 2019)

The Salvini are coming around.
They are inside in a fish tank and seem to be getting over the stressed out period.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 3, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> The Salvini are coming around.
> They are inside in a fish tank and seem to be getting over the stressed out period.


Today I caught a NICE Peacock bass that promptly jumped out of the cooler and back into the canal......
I also caught several largemouth bass.
I let them go.
Tomorrow I'm going to the EVERGLADES.
I want PEACOCKS or SNAKEHEADS tomorrow!


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## Tom (Jun 3, 2019)

You keep talking about all of my favorites! I raised many a peacock bass, and a couple of snake heads too! Love them. Unbelievable the appetite and voraciousness of anything Channa. I don't know which grows faster, Asian snake heads or South American red tail cats. You can practically watch them growing in front of your eyes.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 3, 2019)

I know a spot in Margate where you can catch tons of Mayans, snakeheads, Plecostomus, peacocks, clown knives, and probably even Jaguar cichlids but I haven't been there in a few years. Let me know if your wanna know where it's at. It's the C-14 canal.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 3, 2019)

Tom said:


> You keep talking about all of my favorites! I raised many a peacock bass, and a couple of snake heads too! Love them. Unbelievable the appetite and voraciousness of anything Channa. I don't know which grows faster, Asian snake heads or South American red tail cats. You can practically watch them growing in front of your eyes.


I remember you saying that when I had a Red tail cat in my 100 gallon aquarium. He outgrew that tank FAST.
He's now in a giant fish pond in Miami.
Snake heads are said to be delicious.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 3, 2019)

The Salvinis are eating Hikari cichlid pellet food.
Amazing.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 4, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> The Salvinis are eating Hikari cichlid pellet food.
> Amazing.


Today was a mess.
I replaced the motor mounts in my Harley and took it to EVERGLADES HOLIDAY PARK. I bought along a short "ice fishing" rod and reel in my saddlebags
However, the park was out of shiners...
Just as well. It was mid 90s today and the place was FULL of tourists.
I settled on a bottle of water and a Turkey sandwich and stayed for about an hour.
Better luck and better planning tomorrow.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 4, 2019)

Do they still have the gator show there? It was always ironic to me that they took folks on the airboat tour and did the alligator show, the whole time preaching about alligator conservation and how they need to be protected, yet when you went in the shop they sold stuffed alligator heads, paws, and served fried alligator nuggets. Lol


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 4, 2019)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> Do they still have the gator show there? It was always ironic to me that they took folks on the airboat tour and did the alligator show, the whole time preaching about alligator conservation and how they need to be protected, yet when you went in the shop they sold stuffed alligator heads, paws, and served fried alligator nuggets. Lol


Conservation doesn't pay the bills.
Jimmy Riffle....The original heavy set Gator Boy used to work with me at the school board.
The show paid $50k a year. So he did both for a while. Then he became a partner in OLD FLORIDA BAR B Q. It went broke.
Now he is doing his own shows on the road.
Haven't seen him in years.
In the meantime the state took over Holiday Park and made it a much more lucrative tourist spot. Partially on the Gator Boys name.
It's not the quaint getaway spot it once was. With mostly locals and bikers off of U.S.27.
I had the only bike today.
Most of the traffic were tour busses.
But it's still a great spot to catch some very large, very funky fish.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 4, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Conservation doesn't pay the bills.
> Jimmy Riffle....The original heavy set Gator Boy used to work with me at the school board.
> The show paid $50k a year. So he did both for a while. Then he became a partner in OLD FLORIDA BAR B Q. It went broke.
> Now he is doing his own shows on the road.
> ...


Ya I bet it's a lot different. It's been at least 10 years since I took my boat out there fishing. I bet there's all kinds of non native critters now though. My uncle just recently caught a huge clown knive fishing the border canal for lake Okeechobee.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 5, 2019)

I've given some thought about making traps for catching Knife fish.
They love hanging out in tubes......
There has been a spike in Knife fish sightings in Broward.
Is it a food fish? It's very similar to Swai. A lot of stores pass off Swai as Talapia.
It's all farm raised in Viet Nam.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 5, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I've given some thought about making traps for catching Knife fish.
> They love hanging out in tubes......
> There has been a spike in Knife fish sightings in Broward.
> Is it a food fish? It's very similar to Swai. A lot of stores pass off Swai as Talapia.
> It's all farm raised in Viet Nam.


My uncle said they do eat them in Thailand, but they eat a lot of things over there I wouldn't lol.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 5, 2019)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> My uncle said they do eat them in Thailand, but they eat a lot of things over there I wouldn't lol.


That's for sure.
Us Westerners are pansies.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 5, 2019)

I didn't get any fishing in this morning.
I had a few things to do and my wife wanted her iron brake discs painted.( Because she didn't like the rusted areas)
Maybe tomorrow I'll try some top water lures.
Today, the Midas started eating pellet food also.


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 5, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I didn't get any fishing in this morning.
> I had a few things to do and my wife wanted her iron brake discs painted.( Because she didn't like the rusted areas)
> Maybe tomorrow I'll try some top water lures.


If they still sell Missouri Minnows at the bait shop that's what I used to have the best luck with when I was trying to catch smaller fish for my aquarium.


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## Tom (Jun 5, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I had a few things to do and my wife wanted her iron brake discs painted.( Because she didn't like the rusted areas)


I read that and had a moment of panic... You painted the _calipers, _not the discs... The picture saved me from a heart attack.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 5, 2019)

Tom said:


> I read that and had a moment of panic... You painted the _calipers, _not the discs... The picture saved me from a heart attack.


Thankfully she's ok with the shiny surfaces.
She was obsessing over the rusty rotor centers visible behind the wheels. Some over spray on the rotors burned off in a few miles.
I painted her calipers too because I knew what she wanted.
Now she's color coordinated.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 5, 2019)

Toddrickfl1 said:


> If they still sell Missouri Minnows at the bait shop that's what I used to have the best luck with when I was trying to catch smaller fish for my aquarium.


I've had great luck with tiny bread balls.
I caught my Salvini on them and I've never heard of a Midas ever being caught on live bait. Though they are certainly hunters.
The shiners are great....For about 30 seconds. The moment they slow down, the Peacocks are no longer interested.
So some violent RATTLETRAPS or top water plugs should **** them off.
I know where they are.
I just need to get a few to strike.
Pictures tomorrow. Hopefully.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 26, 2019)

I caught another Jaguar today.
The existing Jaguar is eating pellets out of my hand now, so I have high Hope's that this slightly smaller Jag will watch and learn.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 26, 2019)

It's been nearly 100 degrees with bouts of rain.
I've also been battling some health issues.
I really thought I'd be doing more fishing.


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## Yvonne G (Jun 26, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> It's been nearly 100 degrees with bouts of rain.
> I've also been battling some health issues.
> I really thought I'd be doing more fishing.


Well, get well soon, because I'm lovin this thread! I've never seen a Jaguar in the pet store. What a big mouth, my dear!


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 26, 2019)

Yvonne G said:


> Well, get well soon, because I'm lovin this thread! I've never seen a Jaguar in the pet store. What a big mouth, my dear!


The mouth on a Jaguar projects out and opens up like a bucket.
They get up to 24" long.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 26, 2019)

Although the Cichlids outdoors are all eating pellets and thriving.....BOTH of the Salvini passed away.
They never fully recovered from the initial shock of the whole ordeal.
It's very sad to remove them from what must have been a paradise only to have them die in an aquarium.


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## Yvonne G (Jun 26, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Although the Cichlids outdoors are all eating pellets and thriving.....BOTH of the Salvini passed away.
> They never fully recovered from the initial shock of the whole ordeal.
> It's very sad to remove them from what must have been a paradise only to have them die in an aquarium.


Kind of a double edged sword - you removed a trash fish from our waterways, but they died in your care. Sorry. That's never easy.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 27, 2019)

I hope to have more to report tomorrow.
I GOOGLE EARTHED the spot where I found those Jelly Bean colored Midas down in south Miami and I'm going down there in the morning.
I'm pretty sure it's the original spot I found last year.
Fingers crossed


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 29, 2019)

The 2nd Jaguar died.
I'm not sure if the giant one killed it or not.
I didn't see any damage.

Also, I went to Miami and found the spot. But almost ended up getting mugged by a few "tweakers"that were lurking there. Two got in a position behind me and two off to the side as I fished.
Most uncomfortable. Most unusual. I kind of left because of a feeling of self preservation.
Even though I was armed...I still got very uneasy.
Too bad.
It's a great fishing hole.


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## CarolM (Jun 30, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> The 2nd Jaguar died.
> I'm not sure if the giant one killed it or not.
> I didn't see any damage.
> 
> ...


So sorry that you had to do that. But at least your instincts are working well.


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## CarolM (Jun 30, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> The 2nd Jaguar died.
> I'm not sure if the giant one killed it or not.
> I didn't see any damage.
> 
> ...


And I am really enjoying this thread. Please keep it going.


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## Erinelle (Jun 30, 2019)

It’s awesome that you are taking these cichlids out of the waters they don’t belong! I wondered how jags and peacocks would disrupt the naturally balanced food chain in those areas since they are so predatory. Awesome fish to keep but they get so big, I’m surprised that fish stores are still allowed to sell them. I’d imagine you’d see some flower horn as well, since they aren’t nice to each other, eat everything else in the tank and grow so fast/big?!
When you say you try for snake heads, you aren’t referring to pike cichlids are you? I know snake heads are their own breed entirely but some times people confuse the two. (You seem well versed in your fish species however!)
Pike cichlids are another voracious predator who would quickly change the food chain balance! (Although they don’t breed as often/easily and are temperamental with temperature fluctuations like the Salvini).

I think it’s awesome that you’re pulling these out of where they’ve been dumped! The ponds are also amazing! Something I too, would love to do some day! Marine biology was my jam in college


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 30, 2019)

Erinelle said:


> It’s awesome that you are taking these cichlids out of the waters they don’t belong! I wondered how jags and peacocks would disrupt the naturally balanced food chain in those areas since they are so predatory. Awesome fish to keep but they get so big, I’m surprised that fish stores are still allowed to sell them. I’d imagine you’d see some flower horn as well, since they aren’t nice to each other, eat everything else in the tank and grow so fast/big?!
> When you say you try for snake heads, you aren’t referring to pike cichlids are you? I know snake heads are their own breed entirely but some times people confuse the two. (You seem well versed in your fish species however!)
> Pike cichlids are another voracious predator who would quickly change the food chain balance! (Although they don’t breed as often/easily and are temperamental with temperature fluctuations like the Salvini).
> 
> I think it’s awesome that you’re pulling these out of where they’ve been dumped! The ponds are also amazing! Something I too, would love to do some day! Marine biology was my jam in college


I'm from the same county in Florida and I'm sure he's talking about actual Snakehead fish. They are all over the place down there in the canals.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 30, 2019)

CarolM said:


> So sorry that you had to do that. But at least your instincts are working well.


It's a bizarre feeling.
I was being sized up.
I'm a very large man. This was kind of an embarrassment of sorts.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 30, 2019)

Erinelle said:


> It’s awesome that you are taking these cichlids out of the waters they don’t belong! I wondered how jags and peacocks would disrupt the naturally balanced food chain in those areas since they are so predatory. Awesome fish to keep but they get so big, I’m surprised that fish stores are still allowed to sell them. I’d imagine you’d see some flower horn as well, since they aren’t nice to each other, eat everything else in the tank and grow so fast/big?!
> When you say you try for snake heads, you aren’t referring to pike cichlids are you? I know snake heads are their own breed entirely but some times people confuse the two. (You seem well versed in your fish species however!)
> Pike cichlids are another voracious predator who would quickly change the food chain balance! (Although they don’t breed as often/easily and are temperamental with temperature fluctuations like the Salvini).
> 
> I think it’s awesome that you’re pulling these out of where they’ve been dumped! The ponds are also amazing! Something I too, would love to do some day! Marine biology was my jam in college


No.
Actual Asian Snakeheads.
They're supposed to be good to eat, also.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 30, 2019)

Erinelle said:


> It’s awesome that you are taking these cichlids out of the waters they don’t belong! I wondered how jags and peacocks would disrupt the naturally balanced food chain in those areas since they are so predatory. Awesome fish to keep but they get so big, I’m surprised that fish stores are still allowed to sell them. I’d imagine you’d see some flower horn as well, since they aren’t nice to each other, eat everything else in the tank and grow so fast/big?!
> When you say you try for snake heads, you aren’t referring to pike cichlids are you? I know snake heads are their own breed entirely but some times people confuse the two. (You seem well versed in your fish species however!)
> Pike cichlids are another voracious predator who would quickly change the food chain balance! (Although they don’t breed as often/easily and are temperamental with temperature fluctuations like the Salvini).
> 
> I think it’s awesome that you’re pulling these out of where they’ve been dumped! The ponds are also amazing! Something I too, would love to do some day! Marine biology was my jam in college


In most areas of Broward county, you'd be hard pressed to catch a single indigenous fish except largemouth bass.
The most common fishes are Mayan Cichlids in Broward.
A little bit south in Miami Dade county things are even worse for the indigenous fish situation.
But if you drive up just a few hours north. LIke to the Orlando area. That small difference in temperature makes a world of difference.
There are far fewer exotics.
In fact, Northern Florida has almost none.
It's because southern most Florida never gets cold enough to kill these exotic tropicals.
There are larger concentrations the further south you go.
And Florida City is about as far south as you can go to fish in fresh water. It is south Dade county.
After that, its brackish and it gets too salty.
They Keys begin after Florida City.


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## Ben02 (Jun 30, 2019)

How do you replicate the water conditions of their habitat? Is the salinity high or low?


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## CarolM (Jun 30, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> It's a bizarre feeling.
> I was being sized up.
> I'm a very large man. This was kind of an embarrassment of sorts.


Why accept trouble if you can avoid it.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 30, 2019)

CarolM said:


> Why accept trouble if you can avoid it.


Words to live by, actually.


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## ZEROPILOT (Jun 30, 2019)

Ben02 said:


> How do you replicate the water conditions of their habitat? Is the salinity high or low?


No salt.
Slightly alkaline. Alkaline because of the coral bedrock.
There are zillions of Plecostamus in the same waters. They have a ZERO tolerance for salt.
So when you stop seeing them...Its becoming brackish.
The key is that the water can't get below 55 degrees.
I have not yet figured out how to heat twin 1,400 gallons ponds.
I have until December or January to figure that out.
The giant Cichlids are very hardy.
The water quality doesn't need to be particularly wonderful.
They are prone to getting "hole in the head" disease if the water gets very poor. But other than that, they are tough fishes.


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## Ben02 (Jun 30, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> No salt.
> Slightly alkaline. Alkaline because of the coral bedrock.
> There are zillions of Plecostamus in the same waters. They have a ZERO tolerance for salt.
> So when you stop seeing them...Its becoming brackish.
> ...


Ah yes, water temps also play a big part.
For brackish fish, a refractometer ir hydrometer can come in handy.


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## Pastel Tortie (Jul 3, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> The key is that the water can't get below 55 degrees.
> I have not yet figured out how to heat twin 1,400 gallons ponds.
> I have until December or January to figure that out.


I wonder if there's a passive solar heating option that would do the trick...


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## Markw84 (Jul 4, 2019)

ZEROPILOT said:


> No salt.
> 
> The key is that the water can't get below 55 degrees.
> I have not yet figured out how to heat twin 1,400 gallons ponds.
> ...



You have a couple of options I would try...

A small pump cycling water through a long, coiled or meandering black hose can really make a difference if you have some sunshine. Where you are, I would think you would get enough even in winter to up temps to overcome the cooling of cloudy days if not more than a few in a row.

The same type setup, but have the hose buried, preferable 3 feet or more deep. Ground temps where you are average 77°. So even in winter, the temperature a few feet underground will be at least 15° warmer than your overnight low.


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