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Well, i have an old clawfoot bathtub that i scaveneged off a council pickup pile some years ago, & ever since it's been sitting in the yard growing weeds... so i've finally decided to do something with it.
The plan is basically to turn it into a small pond... soooo, this is what i've come up with so far -

Coat the inside with pond sealer.
Fine gravel substrate
Couple of water lilys
Stock with 3 fantails, maybe some White Clouds or someting... dunno yet...

now the tricky part, the filter. What i'm thinking at the moment is running the intake of a canister filter through the drain hole in the bottom of the bath (install a fitting so i can remove the ends of the hose/pipe), hiding the filter itself in an metal cylinder/tub/hidey thing & running the water back into the bath via an old style faucet. (if that's as clear as mud & you're just sitting there scratching your head thinking 'what is this looney on about?', ask & i can whip up an illustration of some kind)

other problem is basically the visual aspect... i'm thinking of just polishing up the exterior so it's just a metal finish...

So.... Any thoughts? Anything i've missed? All ideas & suggestions are welcome!

Sin

The bathtub would be a little too small for 3 fantails. I think you would be better off with the White Clouds or perhaps Rosy Reds. Make sure you treat the water really well before adding the fish in there: sometimes chemicals used for cleaning stay on for a while

Inky

I had an old clawfoot bathtub that I hauled around for years thinking I would restore it, but never got around to it.

I did set it up as a pond, but I actually dug a hole and set it at ground level. I then built a waterfall that flowed into the side and place some waterlilly's in it. It was pretty nice looking when finished.

I just sealed up the drain hole, overflow hole and faucet holes with silicone and plastic. Worked out great.

Jim

---

Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

ok, clarification...... It's an absolutly enormous ancient cast iron job... It's a little over a metre deep, almost as wide & about 2 metres long... it takes 3 people move this thing.... so, tons of room as for any cleaning residues "Coat the inside with pond sealer." ... so not a problem

Sin

I think it's a great idea! What kind of climate do you live in? Will this be a year-round pond, or will you bring the fish inside for the winter? (a kiddie pool actually works fairly well as a temporary pond if you have a basement)

I think the filter idea sounds awesome! But... a regular cannister filter is probably not going to be large enough for a whole tub (based on your measurements, you're talking about 350-400 gallons) However, they do make external cannister-style filters for ponds, most of which are weatherproof and you can sink them into the ground to make them less visible while still being able to do maitenance. The idea of running the outlet through a faucet is fantastic! but you'll want to run tubing all the way through the faucet if possible, as corrosion and other nastiness on the inside of the fixture might cause problems otherwise.

I'm sure that you'll run into problems we havn't thought of as you set this tub up, but it sounds like you have a great idea and I think it's quite realistic. Keep us updated if you do go ahead with this project.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

I want to know who had a house that had a bathroom big enough for a tub that size !

Only thing I worry about is the sun exposure on it in such a place as oz. If it were an inground pond the soil would help keep the tub cool enough during the summer months, but above ground and I worry of overheating. Would it be set up in the shade? I'd just keep temperature in mind and pick the fish that can handle higher temps.

I like the idea of a school of rosy barbs (are those the same as rosy reds ) if you dont already have the goldfish that need a better home.

^_^

Me too Babel! looks like it could have been used as a small double tub or something like that...

I live in sydney, so the climate's fairly outdoor friendly.... all the rest of my fish are currently living in the great outdoors too, they're heated though, but even without heating they should be fine.... extereme temps would be bout 5 C at night in mid winter & we generally get 1 or 2 days a tad over 40 C in summer.... averageish would be anything from 15 - 30 though....

It's gonna be set up on a paved patio so burying anythings not an option, but i can put it in the shade... i'll just evict the BBQ ... so it'd only get about an hour of morning sun. My other outdoor tanks get about the same amount & the highest temp i've ever had on them was low - mid 30's... Think goldies could handel that?

The goldfish are mandatory i'm afraid... I rescued 100 odd freezer bound comets, shubunkins, fans & moors a few weeks back. Managed to save about 60 of them so now i'm pushing them on anyone & everyone i know who has a pond or can otherwise accomodate these fellas. ...Anyone want some? There's plenty to go around!

I'll do some investigating on the pond canister filters - great idea - the thought hadn't even crossed my mind that such a thing might exist... duh .... running tubing through the faucet - another brill thought! Thanx illustrae

Thanx guys! Keep it coming peoples!

Sin

Guess I've got much to learn on the weather of oz still ....

I think it sounds fine, goldies should be able to handle those temps no problem, especially if you plan for it and have ways of increasing surface agitation when needed for the higher temps. So glad you were able to do a rescue and it's even better that you've got a good home for them ! If you ever get a chance for pics I'm sure we'd all love to see.

Not sure about evicting that bbq though ...isnt there something about having to give up your australian passport if you havent got a BBQ

^_^

I think what you want is something like this:
http://www.thatpetplace.com/Products/KW/W26A%40%2bW26B%40%2bW26C%40%2bW26D%40%2bW26EX/Class/Pond+Filters/T1/W26CA+0082+0144/EDP/18409/Itemdy00.aspx

Looks like a cannister filter, but the price isn't bad, and it looks pretty easy to maintian, and it isn't even all that ugly, but you can build a little wooden box to go around it that can double as a bench or something...

For goldfish, as long as the water doesn't freeze solid, they should be just fine, and I think they'll do okay in daily temps up to 30C. That's some rescue you did! /:'

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...