Need more information: Did you fertilize the lily when you planted it? Did you plant it in a pot, or is it in a mesh bag? Overfertilizing a lily can cause the leaves to die back and injure the plant. I would do a partial water change, replacing with fresh water. I don't use rain water in any of my lily containers, just fresh tap water. Likewise, not fertilizing at all might make the plant's growth slow down, the old pads might not be replaced with healthy new ones. Some people use Miracle Grow spiles or Jobs spikes, others use Osmocote pellets, others use plant tabs made for aquatics. Those mesh bags are, in my opinion, completely worthless. I have never managed to grow a healthy water lily in one. Water lilies generally do better when planted in a large container of clay-based soil. Garden soil will also work, but you'll need to hold it down with sand and gravel. Otherwise, there could be aphids on the pads or maybe a caterpillar that you haven't spotted yet. Moths will also lay their eggs on plants, and the larvae are tiny green caterpillars that easily escape notice. I don't think you need to scrub out the tank. If it was used for animals, it shouldn't have anything in it that would harm your plants.

Hi, whyndy! Welcome to the forum. My pond isn't "hooked" to the well in any way. It was filled with a garden hose, and about once a week, I top it off about an inch, due to a little bit of evaporation. I bought the circulating pump at Home Depot, and I got one designed for ponds up to 500 gallons. (The tank holds about 425). Mark ran an electrical line to the area, and the pump is plugged into a box as shown above. It circulates the water through a biofilter which we bought at Home Depot at the same time. (The guy there was very helpful in picking out what we needed). One of the most important things is to have plenty of good aerating plants in the pond. Typical aquarium plants will work great, and you can also add some decorative floating plants, too, like water lilies. They help keep it clean and provide cover for your fish. They also help oxygenate the water. If you don't overcrowd the fish or overfeed them, and you don't get fertilizer in the pond (from potting soil), it should stay clear for you. But sometimes, it does take a few weeks to get it balanced. I recommend picking up a good pond book (they even have those at Home Depot) and reading it through. They will have plenty of illustrations and good tips to help you decide just how you want to set up your tank. It's not at all hard, and it is so rewarding. Good luck with your project, and feel free to ask any other questions you think of. Marcia

Hi lola, I have always had rubbermaid poly stock tanks. I did have several crack. :( A couple of them were my fault, since I let them freeze full of water one winter. My above-ground ones I now empty and turn over for the winter. I don't have fish. I have 2 300 gallon ones that are sunk into the ground. One is a lotus bog, and the other is for plants/frogs/snakes. I do use a big deicer in the winter in that one. It's all up to you. Sinking them half-way would keep them cooler in the summer, if that's needed, and a little warmer in winter. I'm afraid with fish, you're always going to have raccoons trying to get your fish. You could put a run of electric wire around the ground around it. What size stock tank do you want to get? Your chances of not having coons get your fish might be greater if you don't put any plants/pots near the edge...........but then again, they're not afraid of swimming. I've seen lots of pics on here of metal stock tanks for ponds, and people seem to like them. I liked the poly ones 'cause they're not so bright. Good luck, and be sure to post pics once you get it going.

Wow catherine! Congrats! Another kind and conscientious grower has come back to share what happened! Thanks, that is so helpful to others to share in your harvest experience! If you get a chance to get a pic of he plants that would be so interesting to see:-) Tasteless or not, everyone has their faves. But it's fun to see what else is out there. My season was over in June but I kept plants on life support and the maters keep trickling out. Here's a fun variety called Speckled Roman. Just as tasteless as Roma, but it a magnet for everyone walking their dog to come by and gaze at (while the dogs are unimpressed, but take advantage of the break lol). Costoluto is also a sweeter option and has a good fruit load. Sweeter but hard to peel. Then there's Rio Grande, a superb tomato with a little tangy-ness great replacement for some Romas and even better for chunky salsa, and out produces it here. Cheers, PC