Bathtub pond

cathryn · #1 04/29/08, 08:58 PM

I wondered if anyone here has ever used a bathtub as a small pond.

I have a large clawfoot tub that I had hopes of using for its original purpose. That isn't happening anytime soon and it takes up a lot of space in my shed. I also have been wanting a little pond in our yard, but that is also not happening anytime soon. SO, the two issues came together one day and I thought it may work to use the tub as a vessel to hold the water, fish, frogs, plants and other pond items. I do not intend to bury it. It would sit in the yard next to the deck, or a stone bench in the yard. I have a large metal tub that I would use for additional plants, and for a water-fall to help airate. My concern is overheating in summer, and freezing in winter. I am in Southern CT.

Any experience out there?

Peace,
Cathryn

knight88 · #2 04/29/08, 09:24 PM

We have been using a cast iron tub here in the high desert in SE AZ for about 7 years, biggest problem is the cranes fishing for our fish. We have a piece of 6" pipe about 18" long for the fish to hide in. The water lilys do great, the dogs prefer it for drinking...

GrannyG · #3 04/30/08, 07:54 AM

Ny friend has a tub outside, filled with herbs...it is lovely.

Phantomfyre · #4 04/30/08, 07:55 AM

No experience here, but I would *think* that a bathtub would be too small for anything more than a couple small fish. And it probably would freeze. Not sure about the overheating - what color is it? White might not be so bad... Maybe you can bring the fish in the house in the winter, heel in any plants you put in there, and drain it until spring? I think that'd be pretty easy with it above ground.

BTW, I'm jealous; I've had this vision of a clawfoot bathtub pond for years - was even considering putting it in the living room, IF I ever get one. What I'd do for water circulation is have the water drain out the drain into a filter and pump it back up to a spigot and have it coming out of the spigot back into the tub - like someone's filling the tub for a bath all the time. A white tub, with those colored glass blobs (probably dark blue) on the bottom instead of rocks. With a couple of bright orange goldfish or koi swimming against the blue...

Or if I put it outside, I'd be sorely tempted to get a pedestal sink and a throne to go with it, set them up like a bathroom, and plant around everything to create a room/secret garden effect. But make it look accidental and forgotten - a hanging plant draping out of the sink, something growing out of the toilet - and not obvious - you have to look for it to find it. So you'd stumble across the "room" and go, "Hey, somebody forgot a bathroom out here!" Yes, I have a weird sense of humor.

jross · #5 04/30/08, 08:41 AM

I used one for about five years until one cold hard winter when everything it finally froze. I had thought about a stock tank heater, but figured if the power went out, the dropping temp would kill all the fish anyway. That being said we now have a 65 gallon plastic pond with no problems, but we haven't had a cold hard winter for a while.

BaronsMom · #6 04/30/08, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phantomfyre

No experience here, but I would *think* that a bathtub would be too small for anything more than a couple small fish. And it probably would freeze. Not sure about the overheating - what color is it? White might not be so bad... Maybe you can bring the fish in the house in the winter, heel in any plants you put in there, and drain it until spring? I think that'd be pretty easy with it above ground.

BTW, I'm jealous; I've had this vision of a clawfoot bathtub pond for years - was even considering putting it in the living room, IF I ever get one. What I'd do for water circulation is have the water drain out the drain into a filter and pump it back up to a spigot and have it coming out of the spigot back into the tub - like someone's filling the tub for a bath all the time. A white tub, with those colored glass blobs (probably dark blue) on the bottom instead of rocks. With a couple of bright orange goldfish or koi swimming against the blue...

Or if I put it outside, I'd be sorely tempted to get a pedestal sink and a throne to go with it, set them up like a bathroom, and plant around everything to create a room/secret garden effect. But make it look accidental and forgotten - a hanging plant draping out of the sink, something growing out of the toilet - and not obvious - you have to look for it to find it. So you'd stumble across the "room" and go, "Hey, somebody forgot a bathroom out here!" Yes, I have a weird sense of humor.

Yah know... that would be pretty darn cool! I never thought of indoors. I've got a beautiful, deep clawfoot tub - and we use it. No shower. If we ever get a shower and remove the tub, I don't want to just get rid of it. Having it in this old home is a neat idea!

gone-a-milkin · #7 04/30/08, 08:56 AM

I would say to go ahead and try it. If it got really cold you could go ahead and bring the fish in for the coldest months. My grandma has a rainbarrel pond in Oregon. She left the fish in it last winter and only lost one. As long as there is water circulating to the surface, those fish (carp) goldfish, etc. can have thick ice on the water. You could put up an umbrella or put it under a tree to provide shade in the summer months.

at my house we have KOI in 1000 gallon stocktanks aboveground. Our main issue has been keeping the netting on there so those dang-blasted herons can't eat $! dinner.Those dragon butterfly koi sure are pretty...

jassytoo · #8 04/30/08, 03:30 PM

I've had one for years.Its boxed in with railroad ties and has a planter at the end. Its at the end of a deck, so when you're on the deck you can see the fish. I have a couple of water lilies in it and a pot with some kind of reed in it. I put in 10 goldfish ( 10 for 1$ feeder fish ) when I started it several years ago and about half of them are still there. They are about 6 inches long now. Also have water snails that must have come in on the plants. The only maintenance I've done is I put an old screen door over it in the fall so the leaves don't get in. Also use a barley pad during spring and summer to keep down the algae, and sometimes I do have to top off the water with the hose. I leave the fish in there in the winter and they do fine. It does freeze on top but not all the way down.

Beaners · #9 04/30/08, 08:19 PM

If you grow something like morning glories up the side (they would give some shade but still let you see the tub) it would keep it a little cooler in the summer. Honestly, I think that even the hardiest goldfish would be hardpressed to survive the temperature swings you would get in a body of water that size above ground through the summer. I had much better luck in warm water with feeder guppies, although they wouldn't survive the winter and the goldfish could.

Kayleigh

MedicalUser · #10 05/01/08, 01:09 AM

Ive had bathtub ponds on several occasions. Just bury it up to the rim. Set a brick or neat the drain and install a stopper so u can drain the tub if need for cleaning etc. I never seen a cast iron tub bust apart from freezing. Like others say bring fish in as well as cold sensative water plants indoors in the winter. At the same time with the way scrap metal prices r going, might be better off to haul it in for scrap weight along with any other scrap metal/iron u got laying around and buy u some pondliner and build one in a design that u like, just an i dea

PeAcE

cathryn · #11 05/01/08, 07:53 PM

Thanks guys. Some fun information, and good ideas-I love the hidden bathroom idea Phantomfyre. Too funny! Would be hard to "hide" it though as we are on a small lot (1/2 acre, but only about 1/4 acre usable due to the steep slope). We are in an itty bitty Cape house in a sea of Colonials. The neighbors already think I'm a whack-a-doodle, I might just have to prove it by putting "the room" at the top of the driveway. LOL When we bought the house the first thing the neighbor asked was when we were going to tear the house down.

If we do make it a pond I thought it would be fun to put a few feeder fish in, and maybe a few snails. There is nowhere to put them inside for the winter, so they would have to be tough. I think I can manage $1 a year for new fish if I have to. I am concerned about the heat in the summer. The tub is white inside and out. I think that if I plant something to go up and around it to provide some shade that would help. Maybe one of those big oval shower curtain rods with some blue clematis on it.

I read the postings to my husband and it got us talking about the options. Another idea is to use it as a tub on the deck (you know, when the deck gets built). We are putting in an outdoor shower so there will be running hot/cold water available. It would most likely be used in the summer to help to cool off.

It was my Grandmothers tub so I will keep it to use for something (although my husband likes the scrap metal idea). I think I like the pond idea the best so far. I will let you guys know what I end up doing with it.

Peace,
Cathryn

hotzcatz · #12 05/01/08, 08:00 PM

If you need feet for it, Creative Castings in Tacoma, Washington can make some for you. http://www.creativecastingco.com/clawfeet.htm

We "rescued" an old tub and put new feet on it so we can use it in our "teardown" house. We are the last worker house in manager camp so ours is the tiny old house directly next to the big fancy ones. Might be nice to put a clawfoot tub pond out in the front yard except DH has old farm machinery yard art out there. It wouldn't shock the neighbors, though, they have small tub ponds of their own. I use a horse stock tank in the back yard and that works fine although it is pretty deep and hard to see the fish.

Phantomfyre · #13 05/02/08, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathryn

Maybe one of those big oval shower curtain rods with some blue clematis on it.

Oh. Oh my. I just swooned a little. That would be SO cool. I can see that oval rod positioned at proper shower curtain height, and then using fishing line attached to it and weighted/tied at ground level for the plants to climb up - an invisible trellis. Probably just on the south side for shade, and you create a backdrop for the tub and a "wall" for the "room." Morning glories would work nicely. Or hyacinth bean. Or scarlet runner bean... Mmm. Another thought: in a bathroom, you've gotta have a mirror! Mirrors can create some really neat effects in a garden. A framed mirror (buy a cheap garage sale mirror and a cheap frame) and hang it with fishing line, too - a floating mirror. Get some spray paint in gold or black or silver and paint the frame, the spigot, curtain rod, etc. to all match. Plant Scotch moss or creeping thyme or something as your floor/bathmat, set a "dressing" chair in one corner, put some candles out there (maybe hang them to either side of your mirror like wall sconces), and you can hang out in your room with a good book and a glass of your favorite beverage on a summer night. Like taking a luxurious hot bath in the winter, only... not.

Hmm, anyone have a clawfoot tub they'd like to donate?

cathryn · #14 05/04/08, 09:45 PM

You are just too funny Phantomfyre! I may just have to set a bathroom up for myself outside. I LOVE the mirror idea.

The tub has nice feet, but thanks for the site anyway. Never know when you will need new feet! LOL.

I have been pulled back to the priority project. Fix the porch so it doesn't fall off the house. I will get to this though, and I have lots of really great ideas. I will let you know what happens, when it comes to the top of the list. Maybe I'll get myself a nice stock tank for a pond if we end up using the tub as a tub. Seems like it might work better anyway. We shall see...

Peace, Cathryn

FourDeuce · #15 05/04/08, 11:54 PM

I've had one in my yard for years. It's not for fish, though. The ducks love it.