So last fall, on a whim I put in a small pond after seeing a 300gal. rubbermaid pond liner in a Habitat for Humanity Restore for $39 dollars. I put the pond into the ground, bought a 1,600gph pump, made a cascading waterfall type thing to recirculate the water, and added some cattails. I threw in a couple small goldfish because winter was coming and I didn't want to do any serious stocking because I admittedly don't know much about pond maintenance. Anyways, fall came, the pond filled with many leaves, the water turned black from the tannins, and eventually all of the fish died because on a lack of oxygen. All I want is a relatively maintenance free, aesthetically pleasing pond with a few fish, and won't break the bank. My main questions are:
1) What is a preferred (cheap/DIY, i'm in college) filter design for a submersible pond pump?
2) How could I maintain fish during the winter in the pond? i.e. keep the pond oxygenated and clean in winter (I live in Western Virginia where the pond will freeze over)
1) What is a preferred (cheap/DIY, i'm in college) filter design for a submersible pond pump?
2) How could I maintain fish during the winter in the pond? i.e. keep the pond oxygenated and clean in winter (I live in Western Virginia where the pond will freeze over)
