nobody wrote:
I'm going to put in a small 60 gal. water garden in front of my deck. I
have a preformed shell and a pump/filter/waterfall kit that the manufacture
says can handle up to a 350 gal. pond. I may have the weir empty in to
water course/stream that will run approx. 7' down a gradual slope to the
pond, or I may simply have it empty directly into the pond. It will get a
lot of sun, at least 6 hours a day I know it can be difficult to establish
a good self-sustaining ecosystem with such a small pond. Any general
advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Newbie in PA.

Sounds nice. I have a small pond of barrels connected by spillways.
Some random thoughts...

You'll need to look up whether your pump can handle a 7' head to run the
weir. With no head, you will likely too much current.

Water hyacinth is your friend. :-) It loves sunlight, grows like
crazy, thrives on fish waste, has attractive purple blooms, shades the
water to slow algae, and shelters your fish. Water lettuce is nice too,
but mine gets crispy if it gets too much sun.

If you want goldfish, only get a couple. They grow surprisingly fast
outdoors and 60 gallons isn't a lot of room for adults. Minnows like
rosy reds or gold white clouds (you can see either from above against
the black liner) are great for smaller water gardens.

Your pond will be a magnet for thirsty cats, raccoons, and other
fish-loving critters and your fish will not have enough room to escape
predation. I learned this the hard way. Consider predator netting, a
fence, a scarecrow sprinkler, or some other way to discourage them.

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