Quote Originally Posted by jigflinger View Post
True. Chlorine is a gas.
Not so fast. Most municipalities no longer use straight chlorine. Most use chloramine- chlorine bonded with ammonia. This extends the life of the chlorine (it won't evaporate out as quickly) and it is somewhat more potent as a bacteria and algae inhibitor. You can buy water treatment from Wal-Mart or any pet store that will remove chloramine from the water instantly. Just dump and go. You can even fill with the hose, add the dechlorinator, and the fish will be okay.

If you're really interested in filtering the water, you can kill two birds with one stone by using a large sponge filter instead of the mechanical filter shown. All you need to do is hook your airline up to it and drop it in the water. You may have to tie a weight or two to it to keep it on the bottom in the beginning. Buy the one rated for 125 gallons. You can't over filter the water. Believe it or not, the tiny bubbles from an air stone don't actually oxygenate the water. The surface agitation caused by the bubbles promotes gas exchange. As long as the surface is moving around, you'll be fine. Keep a few minners swimming around or drop a goldfish or two in your barrel to keep the filter active. As long as it's out of direct sunlight, you should be able to keep the goldfish in there indefinitely, even during the winter. Change five or ten gallons every now and then and you should be able to keep minners year round.

Sincerely,
Former tropical fish wholesaler and retail aquarium store manager.