About to add the fish!

I've read some on how you should allow the water to cycle before adding fish.

I'm guessing it is kind of like setting up a new aquarium...you don't want to fill it up and just throw fish in.

I've had water in the fish vat for about a month now and over the last two weeks have been running the water through the growbeds.  It hasn't been on a cycle of any sort, just when I was still trying to get everything right and currently just when I go out there.  I would say it is probably run through the beds 5-6 times a day.

After watching one of the catfish in my aquarium grab and eat one of my 4in goldfish last night, I figure I better step this up and get him out into his new home soon!!!

The timer I ordered came in and I bought an extension cord today. 

It is pretty cool.  The "on" time can be set in seconds or minutes and the "off" time in minutes or hours.

Seems fairly simple.  I played with it and got the "on" time just about where I want it.

 As I was testing it out, I noticed that I have 

a lot of hydroton to retrieve from the fish vat from all the experimenting I've been doing.  Now I'm worried about some of it in the future getting caught up in the pump.

I don't know how well it will work, but I've come up with an idea to try...

I'm taking an old strawberry planter, leaving the plastic bottom insert tray in, and setting the pump inside.

I'm covering it with an old dollar store net type bath sponge that I've taken apart.  It is one long piece of netting bunched up to make the sponge. It fits right over the top and completely around it.  I cut of the top and can use the rest of it for many more applications like this (if it works.)  It wont keep out any small stuff, but should be able to keep out any hydroton that happens to escape...

The water temperature of the inside aquarium (we run it without a heater since the fish in it usually come from the pond in the backyard)  is only 8 degrees warmer than the outside vat....testing halfway down.  I'm wondering if that is because over 2/3rds of the vat is buried. Because the aquarium in the house is so large, I'm going to move some of the water into the vat with the fish...maybe it will help them with the transition....and perhaps a jump start on the cycling if I haven't done it right???

Looking forward to tomorrow!!!