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| used hot tub as a fish tank. good or bad? what to look for? http://byap.backyardmagazines.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=8895 |
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| Author: | caseyhalone [ Jan 17th, '11, 10:54 ] |
| Post subject: | used hot tub as a fish tank. good or bad? what to look for? |
thinking of looking for a dead hot tub. my thoughts are... 1. outside already looks nice usually wood panel - worst case needs re stained 2. well insulated, its already designed to hold a temperature 3. maybe able to use the jets for aeration but not full blast i would think. 4. holds a few hundred gallons of water. 5. is it weird if i take a soak with the fish? |
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| Author: | bassmonster [ Jan 17th, '11, 17:57 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: used hot tub as a fish tank. good or bad? what to look for? |
if it is a jacuzzi style tub, the jets will be an awesome aerator!.. I cannot see anything wrong with the idea. And soaking with the fish should be fun. As long as you don't put on sunscreen and other funny stuff - the fish may not appreciate it. And don't pee in the water.. 
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| Author: | caseyhalone [ Jan 18th, '11, 08:41 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: used hot tub as a fish tank. good or bad? what to look for? |
this sounds way better than an IBC and could look better with a wood skirt already around it or very easy to build.  I need to learn more about the ability to use a different thermostat with it as well. if i go this route, talapia is looking more viable than trout. heating being built in vs a separate or geo thermal cooling which would require LOTS of digging. |
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| Author: | DéjàVoodoo [ Jan 18th, '11, 09:08 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: used hot tub as a fish tank. good or bad? what to look for? |
It has been pointed out before that even if you have a nice toasty fishtank, the minute you send the water out to the growbeds for filtering you loose a ton of heat. The growbeds make very efficient heat exchangers. If it is all enclosed in a garage or something perhaps, but the electrical costs will be through the roof...especially as far north as you. Read through web4deb's posts and watch his youtube vids. OTH, I see hotubs for free all the time on Craigslist...I have considered using one or more as cheap FT & GB. I have given up though on trying to compete against nature and will just use what she gives me. Lots less worries and a lot cheaper. |
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| Author: | caseyhalone [ Jan 19th, '11, 00:40 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: used hot tub as a fish tank. good or bad? what to look for? |
DéjàVoodoo wrote: It has been pointed out before that even if you have a nice toasty fishtank, the minute you send the water out to the growbeds for filtering you loose a ton of heat. The growbeds make very efficient heat exchangers. If it is all enclosed in a garage or something perhaps, but the electrical costs will be through the roof...especially as far north as you. Read through web4deb's posts and watch his youtube vids. OTH, I see hotubs for free all the time on Craigslist...I have considered using one or more as cheap FT & GB. I have given up though on trying to compete against nature and will just use what she gives me. Lots less worries and a lot cheaper. this is why I am thinking trout. my thoughts are in a shaded garage, i should have an easier time keeping it cool than heating it all to 85ish for talapia right? i guess in a way, the grow bed is like a swamp cooler no? do you have a natural pond there? hot tubs seem to me in North Idaho like a no brainer unless i am missing something that the fish would hate. |
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| Author: | TCLynx [ Jan 19th, '11, 02:46 ] |
| Post subject: | Re: used hot tub as a fish tank. good or bad? what to look for? |
Lots of people have used hot tubs for fish tanks or grow beds. I don't really think using the hot tub heater is a good idea though as it is probably copper tubing worth avoiding. If you can get them for free or really cheap, seems like something good to test out. As to peeing in the tank, only before you get fish to fishless cycle up the system I don't know how effective using the jets and or bubblers would be but might be fun to test them out. Perhaps just set up some jets to function on one side of the tank to give the trout something to swim against. Just make sure to put netting or something over to keep em from jumping out. Or if it's a round tub, you could angle all the jets to one direction to help create a swirl current. 
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