Check out my outdoor Molly pond! Plant filtered only.

[emeraldking]

Btw that is a great video! What types of plants do you have in there?

That differs per year what I put in there. But some like the grass looking plants are plants that stay in there every year. I even had to shred certain parts to create more swimming space for the fish.

I've offered the excessive plants on the internet and they were gone within a day.
I've even shredded the water lily and divided them over a three tubs.

 

[utahfish]

If you wanted to keep the mollies its much easier to harden water than it is to soften it.
Calcium chloride with magnesium sulfate will increase hardness to suitable levels for mollies

 

[JuiceBox52]

If you wanted to keep the mollies its much easier to harden water than it is to soften it.
Calcium chloride with magnesium sulfate will increase hardness to suitable levels for mollies

Yup! But that would mean rehoming the other fish

 

[TropicalPond6]

Yup! But that would mean rehoming the other fish

Since several spoke have expressed concern about our water hardness I’ve been doing some research on pond forums. I remembered that back in the summer when I was first filling the pond I dumped in several bags of UNWASHED hardware store pea gravel. About 4” deep. Knowing more now I definitely wouldn’t do the same thing again. The water was incredibly cloudy but settled in a few days and then I started adding plants from the established pond at our local nursery. The fish went in a few weeks later. People on the pond forums are saying that using pea gravel, especially unwashed, greatly increased their water hardness. I won’t know more until my test kit comes, but given the glowing health of these fish it’s possible I did a good thing out of ignorance.

 

[Retired Viking]

Since several spoke have expressed concern about our water hardness I’ve been doing some research on pond forums. I remembered that back in the summer when I was first filling the pond I dumped in several bags of UNWASHED hardware store pea gravel. About 4” deep. Knowing more now I definitely wouldn’t do the same thing again. The water was incredibly cloudy but settled in a few days and then I started adding plants from the established pond at our local nursery. The fish went in a few weeks later. People on the pond forums are saying that using pea gravel, especially unwashed, greatly increased their water hardness. I won’t know more until my test kit comes, but given the glowing health of these fish it’s possible I did a good thing out of ignorance.

I hope that this works out for you, I have the opposite problem with hard water and having to use RO water to bring down the hardness. Good news is that I found a seller who charges 29 cents a gallon which is cheaper than what I was paying. I like tetras and they are soft water fish. I have been able to have over a dozen fry so far which is a good thing considering my water.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I hope that this works out for you, I have the opposite problem with hard water and having to use RO water to bring down the hardness. Good news is that I found a seller who charges .29 gallon which is cheaper than what I was paying. I like tetras and they are soft water fish. I have been able to have over a dozen fry so far which is a good thing considering my water.

How much do they charge?

 

[JuiceBox52]

How much do they charge?

29 cents a gallon

 

[Retired Viking]

How much do they charge?

29 cents a gallon there I made it clearer, I was paying 60 cents a gallon which adds up when you are doing a large water change on a 55 gallon tank. With the savings I am thinking of adding a 10 gallon breeding tank in the basement sssshhhhh do not tell the wife

 

[JuiceBox52]

.29 cents a gallon there I made it clearer, I was paying .60 cents a gallon which adds up when you are doing a large water change on a 55 gallon tank. With the savings I am thinking of adding a 10 gallon breeding tank in the basement sssshhhhh do not tell the wife

Lol what happens when she goes down there? She says "viking where did this tank come from!?" "Sorry honey, it was just gonna be temporary!"..... next time she comes down there 3 more .... conversation repeats..... you casually add another....


We all know how this will turn out fish addict to fish addict, dont risk it!

 

[Retired Viking]

True, I am taking a chance but if I can set it up in my hobby/work room in the basement maybe she will not notice it. If she does I can always use the old "Its my territory routine" If that does not work at least it is starting to warm up here and I can sleep on the back deck comfortably until things cool down

 

[utahfish]

Yup! But that would mean rehoming the other fish

Yup i forgot about the tetras in there. Danios are pretty adaptive and might be ok, tetras not so much.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Lol.

Is it really worth 29 cents per gallon? That seems like a lot to me.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Yup i forgot about the tetras in there. Danios are pretty adaptive and might be ok, tetras not so much.

I agree Danios are very adaptable and hardy.

 

[JuiceBox52]

Lol.

Is it really worth 29 cents per gallon? That seems like a lot to me.

It depends how badly you want soft water fish.... his water is too hard otherwise and tap water costs money too

 

[PheonixKingZ]

It depends how badly you want soft water fish.... his water is too hard otherwise and tap water costs money too

I guess you’re right. Problem here is, I have to soft of water. (Which makes no sense. After all, I live in the “limestone capital of the USA” and limestone is very hard.