sugarchalet, I have goldfish in my pond (approx. 1500 gal). I have a couple of each, fantails, comets, shubunkins, calicoes. You probably have standard reds if you have "regular goldfish" in your pond. The Comets are the fastest... Hard to catch and therefore best if you have predators visiting your pond. I think Fantails are the prettiest but are slower, but still faster than your average Oranda or other fancy. It's a matter of preference I guess. My mosquito fish from last year didn't survive our long, cold winter... but they really populated the pond and did a wonderful job when they were there.

The Raccoon Factor: you build the pond with straight sides (no gradual slope into the water) and NO plant shelves. Raccoons like to wade into the water. With straight sides, they can't do that. Planting tallish plants completely around the edges of the pond also helps to keep predators at bay. Adequate depth (at least 3'--4' is better) also protects the fish (somewhat) from Herons. With depth you must also factor in safety for pets and children. As to bog filtration, that is best for a water garden with goldfish (unless the pond is very large, say over 10K gallons). This is because Koi are, honestly, poop machines. They are high-metabolism creatures that grow large and eat a lot to get there. They are dirty fish that produce a LOT of waste. Serious filtration is needed if you want to have more than 1 or 2 koi healthy for the long term. On the good side, I wash all my koi poop out of my filters onto my roses, and the roses are very, very happy about it. Free organic fertilizer. As I said before, plan, plan, research, and plan again. If there is a local koi club go to some meetings and see what is involved before doing anything. A water garden with goldies is just as restful and peaceful and beautiful as a koi pond with a lot less worry and work. Goldies are much, much less work. Lastly plan at least one if not more sitting areas right from the start in your pond planning and design. Many people leave that as an afterthought--and it's the most important thing! Why have a pond if you can't luxuriate there in comfort and enjoy it?

LOW-WATER-USE TROPICAL LOOK Trees -- Bauhinia variegata ORCHID TREE x Chiranthofremontia MONKEY HAND FREMONTIA Palms (see separate list) PALMS Podocarpus nagi NAGI Spathodea campanulata AFRICAN TULIP TREE Strelitzia nicholai GIANT BIRD-OF-PARADISE Tabebuia chrysotricha GOLDEN TRUMPET TREE Tabebuia impetiginosa LAVENDER TRUMPET TREE Palms -- Brahea armata MEXICAN BLUE PALM Brahea edulis GUADALUPE PALM Butia capitata PINDO PALM Chamaerops humilis MEDITERRANEAN FAN PALM Jubaea chilensis CHILEAN WINE PALM Livistona australis AUSTRALIAN FOUNTAIN PALM Livistona chinensis CHINESE FOUNTAIN PALM Trachycarpus fortunei WINDMILL PALM Large Shrubs/Small Trees -- Cocculus laurifolius LAUREL-LEAF SNAILSEED Cordyline australis HARDY DRACAENA Fatsia japonica JAPANESE ARALIA Mahonia bealei LEATHERLEAF MAHONIA Mahonia lomariifolia CHINESE MAHONIA Melianthus major HONEYBUSH Medium Shrubs -- Anigozanthos KANGAROO PAWS Aucuba japonica JAPANESE AUCUBA Cordyline stricta AUSTRALIAN TI PLANT (st) Cycas revoluta CYCAD, SAGO "PALM" Doryanthes palmeri SPEAR LILY Phormium tenax hybrids NEW ZEALAND FLAX Strelitzia reginae BIRD-OF-PARADISE Small Shrubs/Big Perennials -- Acanthus mollis BEARS BREECH Anigozanthos KANGAROO PAW Aristea ecklonii BLUE STARS Aspidistra elatior CAST-IRON PLANT Phormium tenax hybrids (esp. ÂApricot QueenÂ, ÂDazzlerÂ, ÂDuetÂ, ÂMaori MaidenÂ, ÂMaori QueenÂ, ÂMaori SunriseÂ, ÂRainbow WarriorÂ, ÂShirazÂ, ÂSurfer NEW ZEALAND FLAX Zantedeschia aethiopica ÂGreen Goddess GIANT CALLA-LILY Ornamental Grasses (And Grasslike Plants) -- Austrostipa ramosissima AUSTRALIAN PLUME GRASS Carex atrata BLACK ALPINE SEDGE Carex dissita BUSH SEDGE Carex tumicola BERKELEY SEDGE Chondropetalum tectorum CAPE RUSH Elegia capensis BROOM REED Elegia equisetacea HORSETAIL RESTIO Hakonechloa macra ÂAureola JAPANESE FOREST GRASS Rhodocoma capensis ELEGANT RESTIO Xanthorrhoea johnsonii AUSTRALIAN GRASS TREE Small-Medium Perennials -- Astelia nervosa chathamica SILVER SPEAR Bergenia cordifolia BERGENIA Clivia miniata FLAME LILY Clivia nobilis RED LILY (st) Dianella intermedia NEW ZEALAND BLUE-BERRY Dianella tasmanica (esp. ÂVariegataÂ) FLAX LILY Grasses (see separate list) GRASSES Helleborus lividus CORSICAN HELLEBORE Helleborus x stearnii HYBRID HELLEBORE Heuchera CORAL BELLS Zantedeschia aethiopica CALLA-LILY Vines-- Akebia quinata FIVELEAF AKEBIA Clematis x cartmanii ÂAvalanche AVALANCHE CLEMATIS Distictis buccinatoria BLOOD-RED TRUMPET VINE (st) x Fatshedera lizei ARALIA IVY Hedera canariensis variegata VARIEGATED ALGERIAN IVY Macfadyena unguis-cati CATÂS-CLAW Solanum jasminoiodes WHITE POTATO VINE Vitis GRAPES Ferns -- Asplenium scolopendrium HARTÂS TONGUE FERN Blechnum occidentale HAMMOCK FERN Blechnum spicant DEER FERN Platycerium bifurcatum STAGHORN FERN Polypodium aureum HAREÂS-FOOT FERN Polystichum munitum SWORD FERN Pyrrosia lingua JAPANESE FELT FERN Pyrrosia lingua ÂCristata CRESTED JAPANESE FELT FERN Pyrrosia polydactyla PALM-LEAF FERN CREATING A TROPICAL-ESQUE GARDEN USING CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS Medium to Large Trees -- Lithocarpus densiflora TANBARK OAK Quercus tomentella ISLAND OAK Umbellularia californica CALIFORNIA BAY-LAUREL Small Trees -- Fremontodendron californicum FLANNELBUSH Garrya elliptica SILKTASSEL Lyonothamnus floribundus asplenifolius SANTA CRUZ IRONWOOD Prunus illicifolia lyonii CATALINA CHERRY Smallest trees (actually large shrubs but, with selective pruning,Â) -- Aesculus californica CALIFORNIA BUCKEYE Comarostaphylis diversifolia SUMMER HOLLY Fremontodendron californicum FLANNEL BUSH, FREMONTIA Myrica californica PACIFIC WAX MYRTLE Sambucus mexicana BLUE ELDERBERRY Really Big Shrubs (up to 15-20 feet and sometimes more) -- (eventually, these can be trained as small trees by "limbing up", if so desired) Comarostaphylis diversifolia SUMMER HOLLY Dendromecon harfordii ISLAND BUSH POPPY Fremontodendron californicum FLANNELBUSH Garrya elliptica SILKTASSEL Myrica californica PACIFIC WAX MYRTLE Sambucus mexicana BLUE ELDERBERRY Large Shrubs (8-15 feet) -- Calycanthus occidentalis CALIFORNIA SPICEBUSH Dendromecon harfordii ISLAND BUSH POPPY Fremontodendron ÂCalifornia Glory C. G. FREMONTIA Fremontodendron ÂPacific Sunset P. S. FREMONTIA Fremontodendron ÂSan Gabriel S. G. FREMONTIA Garrya elliptica COAST SILK-TASSEL Myrica californica PACIFIC WAX MYRTLE Rhamnus californica COFFEEBERRY Medium Shrubs (5-10 feet)-- Dendromecon rigida BUSH POPPY Fremontodendron ÂKen Taylor K. T. FREMONTIA Mahonia ÂGolden Abundance G. A. BARBERRY Mahonia ÂSkylark SKYLARK MAHONIA Rhamnus californica ÂEve CaseÂ, ÂMound San Bruno COFFEEBERRY Small Shrubs and Taller Subshrubs (2-5 feet) -- Carpenteria californica ÂElizabeth BUSH ANEMONE Galvezia juncea BAJA BUSH SNAPDRAGON Galvezia speciosa ISLAND SNAPDRAGON Garrya veatchii SILK-TASSEL BUSH Mimulus aurantiacus Hybrids BUSH MONKEY FLOWER Vaccinium ovatum (taller in shade) EVERGREEN HUCKLEBERRY Medium Perennials -- Blechnum spicant DEER FERN Iris macrosiphon BIG-TUBE IRIS Penstemon centranthifolius SCARLET BUGLER Penstemon spectabilis SHOWY PENSTEMON Polypodium glycyrrhiza LICORICE FERN Polypodium scouleri WESTERN LEATHERLEAF FERN Polystichum dudleyi DUDLEYÂS SWORDFERN Polystichum munitum WESTERN SWORD FERN Small Perennials -- Chlorogalum pomeridianum AMOLE, SOAP PLANT Heuchera maxima and hybrids CORAL BELLS Iris douglasiana DOUGLAS IRIS Iris Pacific Coast Hybrids PCH IRIS Salvia spathacea HUMMINGBIRD SAGE Sisyrinchium bellum BLUE-EYED GRASS Sisyrinchium californicum GOLDEN-EYED GRASS Grasses and Grasslike Plants -- Carex barbarae SANTA BARBARA SEDGE Carex nudata CALIFORNIA BLACK-FLOWERING SEDGE Carex spissa SAN DIEGO SEDGE Carex tumulicola BERKELEY SEDGE Nolina parryi BEAR GRASS Groundcovers -- Arctostaphylos ÂEmerald Carpet E. C. MANZANITA Carex barbarae SANTA BARBARA SEDGE* Carex nudata CALIFORNIA BLACK-FLOWERING SEDGE Carex tumulicola BERKELEY SEDGE* Mahonia repens CREEPING BARBERRY Rhamnus californica ÂSeaview LOW COFFEEBERRY Ribes viburnifolium EVERGREEN CURRANT Satureja douglasii YERBA BUENA Vancouveria planipetala INSIDE-OUT FLOWER * those grass and grasslike groundcovers that make good lawn substitutes -- tolerate some traffic and will take an occasional mowing. Joe

The problem with putting mesh over the inlet pipe is it will get clogged pretty fast. I've been testing a new inlet type on my pond for the last year and it is working really well. I have large 20" fish and also 6 baby fish about 4" long. The inlet/drain is a 4" diameter PVC pipe about 3 feet long. One end has a cap on it and the other a 2" outlet which is connected to the line that goes to the pump. I used an angle grinder with a 4 1/2" disc to cut 1/4" wide slots in the sides of the pipe. There are different types of cut off discs, the one I used is a "metal grinder" type which will make a nice 1/4" wide opening. A "metal cutting" disc will make a 1/8" an opening which is too narrow and debris will get stuck in the intake. Also, the 1/4" wide opening is safe for small fish, I haven't had a single baby fish get stuck in it. The fact that the pipe is white also makes it easy to see if any leaves are on it. I have the pipe mounted horizontally about two feet off the bottom of the pond, on the edge of the pond. This gives me some peace of mind if something happens so the pond doesn't completely drain if there is a leak somewhere. When I originally made my pond I had tetra "over the edge" bottom drains but I don't think they were worth the trouble now. They're supposed to pull debris from the very bottom of the pond, but I was always worrying about them getting clogged or not sitting on the bottom and sucking fish into them (which never happened, but they did suck in some frogs). Anyways I guess I'll post a picture when I have a chance to take one. It works really well and is cheap and simple.