Hi Norm,
Welcome back North!

1) Not an expert here but I would change some of the things the suppliers
told
you to do. I would dig down about 3 feet. Yep - 3 feet. In fact that
would
be a minimum. My LFS told me the same thing.... I'm in Missouri and she
said 18 - 24 inches would be fine. I didn't listen - instead I dug down 3
feet.
Am glad I did - now the Koi are large and really need the space for
swimming.

2) I don't have a UV. I waited out the green water until the pond balanced
on its
own. Your choice here.

3) I would suggest you go for the 60 mil liner. The guy who put in mine
used
roofing liner. Never have had a problem.

I don't know about keeping out the frogs and such. My koi and goldies keep
the mosquitos in check.... You can always throw in a Mosquito Dunk for
extra
care.

Good Luck!

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Norm" wrote in message
...
I know enough about outdoor fish ponds to be "dangerous". I built three
small ones on my property when I lived in Florida for over 25 years. Now
I
am back in New Jersey and I think some of the rules have changed --- not
the
least of which is the weather. So here are my brief questions:

1) Some pond suppliers have said I only need go as deep as 18-24 inches
for
fish to survive the winter (goldfish and koi --- noting exotic for me).
The
pond will only be about 7' x 7'.

2) I never needed a UV filter in Coral Gables but I am seeing that almost
everyone recommends them here. Do I also opt for a pre-filter.

3) In Florida I used the standard 40 mil liner ... should I spring for the
60 mil for added peace of mind?

4) Aside from raccoons (I covered my pond at night --- the only way I
could
beat 'em), I never found an adequate way to control frog breeding
(tadpoles)
or mosquito larvae. My cichlid pond never had a problem --- it was "snack
food" for them; but my koi and goldfish never quite kept those pests from
intruding all the time. Any ideas?

Thanking you all in advance --- I expect to be a frequent visitor here ---
the threads are very informative.

Norm