I just love "Tubbin Time"!

[ACIDRAIN]

Here are my tubs that are full, well most of them. I still have 2 more besides these to set up. These first three pics are a 150 gal in the ground 2/3 of the way. Has a over flow small like water fall with a turtle spitter in it. This is the tub that cracked on the bottom side last year, so I had to line it. I will be putting Red Shoulder Gouramis in this one. And maybe some natives depending on what I get next week.




Going to get some Parrot's Feather to place around the rocks that the turtle is standing on, and let it grow up all around the turtle. The little blue flower by the turtle is a plastic marker for the plant that is in there. Once the plant grows up I will take out the marker flower. It is a pickerel flower.



In this pic, you can see from the back side where I am not done with the rock work, how almost half of it is out of the ground. This will all be covered with rock work in the next week.

[ACIDRAIN]

This is another one out back in one of my flower beds. It is about half in the ground and half out. It is about 35 or 40 gal.



The orange plastic flower is just a marker for an orange Lilly. The upside down green plastic one is a red one marking a red Lilly. The big Lilly in middle is a white Lilly. And under the snowball bush, is Lizard Tail.

[ACIDRAIN]

This is one of my new ones. I am going to line this one, put gravel in it, and two strong power heads attached to PVC pipe with the intake at opposite end of the power heads. Going to put some Darters in it next week when I go collecting, that is if I get lucky enough to get some....

[ACIDRAIN]

The Front Porch!

Three tubs here. Across the front in the flower bed is planted Cocks' Comb. It will be about 2-3 foot high plants, so you will probably not be able to see the two small tubs from this point of view in another month or so.

[ACIDRAIN]

This first pic is of a planting pot that does not have a drain hole drilled. In it is another Lizard Tail. I have had it for a few years now and works great for a tub. It is only about 10 or maybe 15 gals after the plant is added, so only a couple few small fish like killis go in it. Probably going to put some Aphyosemion primigenium "GBN 88/10" in this tub or the half whiskey barrel, and with some Water Hyacinth on them for spawning.



The one on the left is a half whiskey barrel with a custom fit hard plastic liner. I had two of these but gave one to my cousin for her birthday. They are about 30 gal before plants. Both the liner and the half barrel together run around $50 give or take. Will probably be getting a lotus for this one in the next week or two. The big one on the right is a 150 gal, same as the one in the first post that is in the ground and that I lined. I have had several of these over the years and the one in the first post is the first one that has ever cracked. This one has my Hillbilly Redneck Fountain on it. LOL. One neighbor said it was my Hillbilly fountain, and the other said it was my Redneck Fountain, lol. Anyhow, is easy to make, no holes drilled though you can if you want to. I plan on putting something viney on it that will grow up around the sheep's hook holder. The yellow iris in this I have had for about 10 years now. I almost lost them last year when the other tub cracked and drained but they made it though. They used to be twice as tall, and hopefully will again some day soon.



The 150 gal will have a colony of Melanotaenia sexlineata Rainbowfish in it, in a few more weeks. Also will get a good covering of Water Hyacinth for spawning mops on the roots. And also maybe I am gonna try some Fundulopanchax sjoestedi "Dwarf Red" in there as well. Not sure yet if they will fair together OK or not, need to do some more research. But if not then they will get my other 150 gal that is not set up yet, all to their selves.

[kyhokie]

Those look great man! Keep us posted. I've got to get mine cleaned and running...

[Qaddiction]

Well done Marcus! Your tubs make mine look like rather morbid...

[kyhokie]

Isn't that the truth Todd! Excited to get my fish outside. Don't have any pics yet this year, but here's last years finished product:

I find all my Ohio river natives spawn readily in something that resembles their natural habitat.

[Mina]

Thanks for sharing pics! Awesome!

I don't know if I'll be up to it this summer, but just in case- Two questions, everybody.

1. Has anyone done American Flagfish (Jordanella floridae) in a tub? If so, what size tub did you use/how densely did you stock it (without filtration)? Where did you get them?

2. What does everyone do with their tub fish at the end of the season?

I did a tub once about ten years ago. It was whiskey barrel sized. I called it my "cultivated puddle". It had Anacharis, Water Hyacinth, Dwarf Water Lily, and Mint with either some Gambusia or Medaka, can't remember which. I loved it!

[ACIDRAIN]

You bring your fish in to your fish room in the winter. Though if you have one in the ground, you can leave any natives out in it, as long as it does not freeze solid. The is the second main reason for the tub I put in the ground in my first set of pics. The main reason for the tub in the ground is to put all my plants in it that can winter over. It is deep enough that it never freezes over. I used to keep one of my tubs outside with a heater in it to keep it from freezing over, but this way is much simpler. I just put all the plants that can winter over in the same tub. But if I get some natives this year I will put them all in it as well, come fall. The rest of the fish come into the fish room. And it is a good thing the Auction is in October, just in time for this. As your fish will be over crowded for just a short time. I bring my fish in, in late Sept or early Oct depending on how quickly it starts getting real cold at night.