On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 21:49:50 +0000, Kameleon
wrote:

The pond is 4' long and 2.5' at its widest point, it has a depth of 3'
at its deepest point with a 1.5' deep margin running around 3/4 of it.
It is only intended for 4 goldfish that have been in the family for a
while and the occasional frog that needs a home. So with that in mind
my questions a

a)What plants should I include in order to maintain health water
(flowering ones would be nice).
b)Will a simple pump/fountain be enough or do i have to concider an
expensive pump/filtration system?

Since you have had the fish for years you must realize a pump and
filter isn't really necessary for the 4 fish to survive. I didn't
have a filter for a couple years, but decided I wanted more fish and
increasing the fish load means more fish waste. A pump and filter
allow for more processing of waste and more fish.

This crowd likes lots of fish and has a saying: "If you look out the
window and see green lawn there is still room for a bigger pond."
You don't have to agree with them/us.

I know of a small pond that has canna as the pond plant, another that
has rush, the roots are held in place by stones/river rock and no dirt
or clay is used in the ponds. The stones are necessary to protect
the young root shoots from the fish. I had more blooms with lilies
planted in garden soil, but they must have been beneficial to the fish
that lived in your pond. I would suggest stones as the planting
medium unless other nutrient removing plants are used.

The ideal plant according to a waste control article I read is
cattails, but I just can't handle such a large plant. What makes it
ideal is it begins growth at 40 degrees F and grows rapidly absorbing
nutrients from the waste ponds.

Regards,

Hal