My pond made from an old ski boat has been full of water for a couple of
weeks now. Except that yesterday I managed to pump 2/3 of the water out of
the boat, whereupon the bow floated up several inches and had to be put
back, but I learned something and practiced my ditch-digging skills, and
had a crash course in french drains. Anyway. Some of the new plants have
started to grow.. It has a Skippy style filter (with no plants in it yet).
I am working on landscaping the area around the pond.

What next? I figure it needs to sit there for a while before I even think
about goldfish. How long before it turns green with algae, and how long
does it take to settle? Should I go ahead and start testing the water? How
will I know when it's ready for fish? Do I need to go ahead and pour in the
filter starter stuff?

I have a couple of pond books and have been reading lots of wonderful
websites. I would like to find one that describes everything that you do
after you turn off the water hose when the pond gets full for the first
time..

Thanks!