BasilB I have a situation where I need a holding tank sort of too so I am anxious to see the replies to your post. We have sold our current home where I have a pond with about 12 goldfish that are between 4 to 7 inches long. I have had all these fish for about 7 years now and feel very responsible for them. I am concerned for their well being as The new owners have indicated they "don't know what they will do with the pond...how hard is it to fill in...etc" So at this point I must get the fish moved with me somehow. problem is I am having to completely move myself and daughters (close move-only about 10 miles down the road)as my husband is deployed. I am not able time wise(or skill wise..haha) to build a new pond right now at my new home. Any ideas out there for a container/way, etc to keep my fish safe,alive for about a month until my husband is home for a few weeks? I have about 3 weeks to make a plan but I am stumped because of the number of fish and their size.
Thanks all
momof3

I had to house about thirty gold fish, some years ago when I decided to to a rebuild of my ponds.
I used a childrens plastic wading pool, as a temporary pond.
If you decide to do the same, you will still require filtration to keep the water fresh.
I would also suggest you cover it over with a net [or just at night with a pvc tarpaulin] to keep the predators out.
Being shallow raccoons etc, would have a smorgasbord meal if they got in. So there must be protection over the temporary pool/pond. Some shade is also a good thing, as during sunny days, the shallow water can warm up very quickly.
A plastic wading pool is handy to keep around for emergencies, rebuilds or as an isolation container for sick fish.
"Horton"

Horton,
Thanks for the info. I've thought of a wading pool but it seems awfully flexible to me. Apart from not having a flat surface to put it on, I would be concerned that critters would collapse the sides trying to get a drink. Maybe I just have to see a few in the stores. Of course, I could set it in a hole but more digging? ! I thought I was done with that! Definitely plan to net and cover whatever I use and I think I'll put a milk carton or something for cover too. The place I'm thinking faces east and only gets sun in the morning.

momof3,
If it's only 10 miles away for a month or so, perhaps you could ask the new owners if you could keep the fish there. When I bought my house I "cat-sat" the previous owner's cat for a few months until their new home was finished. Even if the owners plan to fill in the pond, they might consider waiting a month or so

BasilB

Basilbird and Momof3, the size of you holding tanks really depends on the length of time the fish will remain in the ? The long the fish are in temporary housing the bigger the container needs to be or two containers.....

Be sure to consider things like heat and cold. Containers and kiddie pools do not have protection again changes in the weather. Oxygen and filtration is also very important. Have you considered a whiskey or wine barrel? They are more secure and can be utilized later as planters. Stock tanks are also a great option, and the cost can be recouped by selling it when you no longer need it, or use it to make a water garden.

Basilbird...have you thought about putting in a liner? You can put it right over the existing cement and you should never have another leak. Might be a little spendy but well worth the money. I purchased my liner at BendTarp and it was far better than any I found anywhere and much more affordable. But any liner would work.

Hope this has helped!

Belle

Thanks, Belle,

I decided on a 100 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank. I still have to work out filtration but I figure I'll be able to move the fish into it in March and throw in the bubbler for the time being. As a bonus, I'll get a count of how many babies survived and their sizes.

I had initially planned on using a liner but the local terrain had other ideas! My property is on ledge and I discovered several rocks that simply couldn't be moved. There is one that we decided to incorporate into the wall and that's become the biggest problem. When the ground freezes the rock moves and cracks the wall. The first two years it was only a hairline crack but this year we had prolonged zero degree temps and the crack is 2 feet long and half an inch wide! We're trying to figure out how to excavate the rock this Spring.

Here's an old pic from September 2007
{{gwi:183908}}

I think the stocktank is a great solution for your situation. Somehow it never really occurred to me to think about it since the kiddie pools were so easy to find. Next time I have a few dollars extra I may get one and set it up as a water garden until it is needed. Why is it there is never enough to cover all those little extras you want.
I cringe at the idea of trying to remove that troublesome rock. Your pond is so beautiful as it is but form does have to follow function and a pond that won't hold water isn't a pond. I wish some one could come up with a more satisfactory solution to that leak. Sandy

I thought momof3 (and others) might be interested in the place where I ordered the 100 gallon tank The price was $83 with free shipping to a local hardware store. I was amazed that the affiliate store was less than 3 miles from my house!

http://doitbest.com/Main.aspx?PageId=64&SKU=740997

I know I'll feel better just knowing that i have something that will hold water (even if the pond won't!). Now if I could just find a roaming geophysicist with an interest in the movement of large rocks (or... really... just someone interested in moving them!)