| I have built three ponds at two different houses over the years and thought I would share my progression.
Here is my first attempt at ponding -
It was built out of a half whiskey barrel that overflowed into a recycled bath tub and held about 75 gallons. I made alot of mistakes on that one (rocks on the bottom, no filtration, too many fish and not enough plants) but still enjoyed it. When I sold that house and moved I moved my fish with me because I knew I would never be without a water feature in the garden again.
This is the second pond I built -
This one was built out of a 100 gallon stock tank. After spending so much time crawling around on my knees tending the first pond (and not getting any younger!)I opted for a raised pond with a bench for easier care. But armed with information from this forum and lessons learned from the other pond, I found that this pond was much easier to manage.
Success with the second "pondlet" gave me courage to take on my third and largest pond to date -
With this one I went back into the ground for 650 gallons and a waterfall. It took about 5 months of weekends to get it to it's current status and the landscaping is not mature but I am happy with the results. The water is crystal clear and the koi and goldies are happy. I have a bench nearby so I can sit and enjoy it as I look around for my next [larger] pond project!
Thanks for looking and for the invaluable information offered on this forum!
nova in Florida | 
