Hi Charlie,
In brief:
1) Go deep. 5 to 6 feet minimum.
2) Go steep. Foils predators.
3) Bottom drains are your friends. So are skimmers.
4) Bare
liner bottom. Rocks on the sides only.
5) No submersible
pumps.
6) Figure out how much filter you need. Now double
it.
7) Calculate your gallonage. Buy pumps and filters that
can move your entire pond volume through your filters every
hour (for 5-8000 gallons) or every two hours (more than
8000 gallons)
Start with that and read everything you can
find before you dig.
Bob Passovoy
