Keeping Tropical Fish in Warm Weather or Warm Countries

When I moved to Singapore several years ago I won an aquarium, the usual sort with glass sides. In the UK I had had an aquarium which needed heating and a pump for tropical fish.

However, a friend who is an expat in Singapore (an Australian) keeps tropical fish such as guppies in a deep plant pot in the front yard. In Singapore there is no need to heat the water outdoors because the temperature is not all year.

My friend has had to put a grid across the top to keep out birds which would otherwise eat the fish. The plant pot 'pond' has opaque sides so you cannot see the fish at the bottom nor observe them from the sides. You watch the fish from the top, as you would in a garden pond.

I am not happy about the idea of an open top area of water which could be breeding mosquitos and exposing you and your neighbours to dengue fever. You should check on your local regulation for health and any precautions you should take about the siting of your fish tank, eg keeping it in an enclosed conservatory rather than in a yard or balcony, or whether local fogging (official regular spraying in the area) will protect you.