On Fri, 29 May 2009 09:26:34 EDT, theilliniguy
wrote:

Process was 40 gallon (approx) composite flower pot. Filled 1/2 with
gravel/rock. 3 large "structure" stones. Water. Conditioner. Lily
plant, 3 other types of plants (2 types grass in mud pots and 1
floater). 6 goldfish. No aeration.

Seemed to work real well until coons would fish and turn plants over.
Then it got real muddy/dirty and had to be rebuilt.

For a while the fish kept dying off. Gal at local pet store sold me a
plant that would absorb some of the oxygen from the other plants. She
aid excess oxygen was burning their gills. Coons got the next batch
before I could really tell.

Excess oxygen was burning their gills?!!!! You sure you heard right?
:-)

It definitely wasn't excess O2, but lack thereof. 40 gallons with no
filtration or aeration is not enough water for 6 goldfish to last long.
Maybe 2 tiny ones at best, and still an airstone should be in place
minimum, imho. I have an aquarium with more gallons and a huge filter with
6 goldfish. I suspect it was excess ammonia that fried your fishes' gills,
plus low O2, if anything.

I too have problems with raccoons around my smaller containers. I found
wire fencing around them, 3' high (not over the top) is enough to keep them
out. Too flimsy for them to climb, yet firm enough not to collapse. Here
they're going for my tadpoles, not goldfish. Both pond areas have motion
sprinklers and the koi pond has a hot wire on at night. Currently I have a
broom in the middle of my yard from tossing it at the one raiding the
squirrel feeder last night. I'm keeping the feeders near empty now by
evening hoping they eventually quit visiting, way too many of those
critters in the neighborhood the last couple years. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us