First pond questions

"Elaine T" wrote in message
om...
Ok...I'm back. ;-)

I rent so I can't dig but I have a concrete patio where I can put a pond.
No electricity, so no filter but that's OK. I want lots of plants and
only a fish or two to keep the mosquitos down is fine by me. I'm in
Southern California, zone 10 and never any frost. After some research, it
looks like I have two choices, since I'm not super handy and far from
rich.

First, build a 4' by 8' frame of pressure-treated 2x12s on underlay, line,
and fill. Supposedly this works. The resulting pond is shallow and will
have a lot of bottom area on the concrete so I'm concerned about the
temperatures. Volume should be about 200 gallons. This appeals because I
like how the wood will look, it will be easy to break down when I likely
move this summer, and it is very inexpensive to see if I like ponding.
Cost is $50 in liner plus lumber costs - should be well under $100.

Second choice is a stock tank. Not elegant but maybe I can camoflage it a
bit with trailing marginals or build a wood box around it. I'm not sure
what size yet, but there are some bathtub-shaped 150 gallon ones that look
affordable and manageable. The stock tub will be deeper, with less bottom
area on the concrete, but also less surface area for oxygen/C02 exchange
and plants.
[snip]

My first ponds were stock tanks and I like them because
they're great for beginners. The mistake I made on
my first was buying one with an uneven bottom which
made it harder to get the plant pots to stay upright. My
second was (is) a Rubbermaid 150 gallon with a smooth
bottom. That may be the one you're referring to.

You can also buy stock tanks that are shallower and
rounder - which makes them less flexible to fit into
spaces, perhaps. I don't think you have to worry
as much about oxygen exchange for plants. That's
more to do with fish, and if you keep small fish, like
minnows, you probably won't have a problem. I
have minnows and a ton of plants in a 110 stock
tank - all are healthy year around (no filtration, no
water movement other than the wind).

If you don't mind the effort, I agree with Jan that
your first choice is probably the best. But keep in
mind most ponders go through a couple different
designs before settling on one (or several) they like.
Balance your effort and money with how much
you'll be experimenting over time.

Temperatures should not be a problem where you
are. I'm in Zone 8 and don't do anything to protect
my goldfish or minnows, which do fine (but then
it seldom gets below freezing around here). Plants
are a different matter, if you want tropicals. I have
only hardy plants, so can't help you there.

BTW for fish stock I really like minnows. They
are hardy, they stay small, they're not as fussy
about filtration as goldfish are, and they do a pretty
good job at keeping down the mosquitos. I bought
my original rosey reds at my LFS and then they
breed enough to replace themselves.

Gail
near San Antonio TX