<<What do you guys think of stock tanks. I was looking at some Rubbermaid ones, which I'm guessing would be fine. What about the metal ones, don't the rust eventually? Any one used an old rusty one, and how did it effect the fish, if at all.>>
I have mixed reviews for stock tanks. I have a 6' diameter x 30" tall galvanized stock tank from which we water our horses. I've built a grating of pallets over the top of the tank to keep the horses from eating all of the water plants. I've had the tank for about 15 years and it has a healthy growth of "hair algae or moss" along the sides that serves well as E.zonatum and F.chrysotus nurseries. I have yet to get my pumpkinseeds or dollar sunfish to successfully spawn in this stock tank. On the other hand, I have a 4' oblong galvanized stock tank also 30" deep and while sunfish in it stay alive all during the summer as long as I keep the tank in the shade of a tree, I haven't been able to get any algae growth and less hardy fish like dace perish within weeks. And then I have a third 4' diameter galvanized stock tank that is about 10 years old and I get mixed results with it. Fish in it will be doing fine and then bottom gases must build up and stress and/or kill fish. I!
think it has something to do wi
th the depth/width/surface area interactions. This tank also has hair algae growing along the sides, but not nearly as luxuriant as the 6' stock tank. In summation, the 6' galvanized tank if far, far more suitable a 'small pond' than the other two tanks.
Bruce Scott
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