This summer I decided to try my hand at some outdoor water gardening. My problem, of course, was that I didn’t have a pond outside, and we don’t have a lot of space in the backyard to make one. So, we came up with the idea of building something a little bit different — a small raised brick pond.

(Photo immediately after construction – May 2006)

Since construction, our “pond” has gone through a number of phases. One of my experiments for this project was to see if I could get away with keeping the pond healthy without your typical pond filtration. I found out that while I could get away without filtration, I couldn’t get away with a lack of circulation. Within a few weeks of filling the pond, the surface was pretty much covered in blue-green-algae (BGA). I decided it was time to invest in a pump to move the water around. The obstacle, was that I didn’t want to go to the trouble of extending our outdoor electrical circuit over to the pond. So, I found a solar-powered pump instead, which has worked out beautifully.

The pump circulates approximately 170l/h, which is just about perfect for the 65-75 gallons of water in our pond. As you can see, the panel itself is not too large, and doesn’t take away from the overall view of the backyard.

Now, with the algae under control, I introduced a number of plant species from my aquariums. I added heteranthera zosterifolia, sagittaria subulata, limnophila aromatica, hygrophila polysperma, hydrocotyle leucocephala, phyllanthus fluitans, frogbite, and echinodorus quadricostatus. Additionally, I added about 2 dozen Endlers livebearers fish, some cherry shrimp, and plenty of common pond snails.

As expected, the Endler population has exploded. From the 2 dozen initial fish, I estimate there to be no less than 200 fish currently in the pond. They’re quite active fish, and do not shy away if you put your hand in the water. In fact, they will readily swim up and nibble on your arm hairs, if you let them.

This fall, I hope to drain the pond for the winter and sell off or give away most of the Endlers and plants. It’s been a really enjoyable project that’s enhanced the look of our backyard. Additionally, it’s become a gathering spot for our two cats to amuse themselves, and for our dog’s a drinking trough. (Regardless of how much we discourage them.)

Finally, I snapped some pictures of a sagittaria subulata flower, and the  limnophila aromatica, which has started growing emersed. Did you know that in some asian countries, l. aromatica is used as an herb in cooking? I hope it flowers too!

So, I’ve decided to start a blog about aquariums. Why, you might ask? Well, it’s quite simple, I like aquariums — freshwater planted aquariums specifically. I’m active participant in my local aquatic plant club, GWAPA, and would like to start documenting some of my experiences in the hobby. I hope to keep this blog updated at least once per week, probably corresponding to my weekly water changes. Let me introduce you to my tanks:

20G Jungle Tank

This tank has a breeding population of apistogramma borelli, which readily breed inside the hollow bog wood, and moss/plant cover. There’s currently an amalgamation of plants including: hygrophila corymbosa “narrow long leaf”, hygrophila polysperma, sagittaria subulata, utricularia graminifolia, ludwigia sp. “cuba”, ludwigia palustris, ranunculus inundatus, heteranthera zosterifolia, and assorted java, taiwan, fisidens sp. mosses.

40G Breeder Tank w/ADA Amazonia Substrate
This is my first attempt at an iwagumi scape. A breeding population of apistogramma panduro are the main occupants in this tank. Most of the aquarium is covered by eleocharis acicularis, with more stargrass, rotala macrandra “green”, limnophila aromatica, and nymphea “red lotus” occupying the back left.

75G – My Largest Tank

This is an old picture of my 75G tank. You will soon see some updated pictures of the tank, along with a dairy of DIY attempts to build a scape. As you can see, I have no problem adding as many plants as I can get my hands on inside this tank!

54G – Rainbow/Low Maintenence Tank

This is the tank that I never do anything to, outside of changing the water every two weeks. The anubias may not look perfect, but they keeping growing, and the rainbowfish stay happy and show great color. There is also an assortment of loaches, cories, and plecos hidden in this tank.