Wow! It looks like you have a fairly well shaded yard where your pond is located but your aquatics and terrestrials are flourishing. Love your sloped stone transition to the bridge. Very Nice.

Thanks binaatthelake, I can't wait for the weather to warm up and I can get back to it..I already have an extension planned. Above ground pond connecting to the existing in-ground pond via a stream w/a bridge over it..DH is ready to kill me, lol. Don't know why he's complaining, I do all the work..he just forks over the money, lol.

chas045, I tried to count them last fall ( in groups of 10 to make it easier to keep track of)when I was taking buckets of them to the pools in the basement. This spring I lost a few due to me not paying attention and some got caught in the filter and died. They had babies again this year but I cut back on feeding and the little baby ones from last year took care of the new babies of this year, almost like nature would.. I have 2 females ond 3 males golfish and of course all the babies which are getting big now to, I should of listened to my husband when he said no fish (lol) it sure would be alot less work, time and money oh well.... Thanks so much for your lovely comment on my pond... Sheri

I know what you mean about others pointing fingers. My pond is almost three years old, and I've already done two rebuilds. Just can't seem to get it big enough to suit me! And my family just can't understand why I can't ever be satisfied. I think you have to be a fellow ponder to understand the desire. I don't have a bottom drain either, but if I can ever afford it, maybe I will do that some day. Right now, I have two submerged pumps going to separate skippy filters, and a skimmer going to a waterfall box/bio filter. My pond is 2500 gallons with koi. With goldfish and shubies, you should be fine with the pump you mentioned. Watch out for those online calculators, though. They can be notoriously inacurate, especially if you're planning on having shelves and stone in the pond. The calculations run from edge to edge of the pond, but the shelves literally bring the actual measureable edge farther in. Ponds with sides that are straight down are easier to calculate. Stone and rocks can displace quite a bit of water. When you refill your pond, be sure to meter it in. The easiest way is to record the numbers on your yard meter before and after you fill it (Don't run water in the house, though, while you're doing this. Even flushing a toilet can alter your reading). My meter is in gallons, but some are in cubic feet, so make a note of that. You could use either barrel for the goldies while you're doing the rebuild, but use a good airstone and pump to circulate the water. The bubbles will add oxygen and bring the bottom water to the top, effectively "turning the water over", which will increase the surface area. If you can, drop your pump in and run it to a temporary filter, even a bucket filled with quilt batting would work, as long as the water spills back into the barrel. Keep an eye on the ammonia levels in the barrel. Get an ammonia test kit. The test strips have a reputation for being unreliable, so get the liquid kind with a test tube. I think they're made by Aquarium Pharmacuticals. They're easy to use and more accurate. I'm using one now because my koi are in an Intex pool while I repair a leak -- naturally near the bottom. The silicone is drying, and I hope to have the fish back in tomorrow. Good luck with your project. Your yard is beautiful.