Thanks, everyone ...to answer a few questions and I'll send another pic (with blue bubblies!) which I can't seem to figure out and do on a "follow-up." My GH cut a small hole in top and bottom of basketball and then put a piece of water pipe (copper pipe) through it...to hold it steady. He then cut the ball open on the top enough to pour in the cement..he had this sitting in a 5 gal. bucket of sand. You can see the bb lines on the cement. Yes, you could just make a cement ball. It was fun and looks great with the old feed tub by it. Jeanne

dang it....I had a really well though out response all done, and my internet explorer crashed. So I'll try again...lol!! First...a few comments regarding how koi ponds compare to aquariums. Normally, aquariums are lightly stocked with small fish. It's really easy to keep the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate cycle operating perfectly in a correctly stocked environment. Same as a rock bottom pond...lightly stocked and properly maintanied it can work. In a pond's bio filter, ammonia is converted to nitrite and then to nitrate. Nitrate is most easily removed froma koi pond by way of regular water changes. Ever try to keep an aquarium with goldfish? Many goldie keepers I know keep no gravel in the tank at all, because of maintenance. That gravel gets really filthy very fast. I had a lovely goldie tank once....and gave it up. the maintenance was a nightmare! I'd rather deal with a huge koi pond any day of the week. Some people are reporting sucess with rock bottom ponds and no maintenance. Again...it is directly related to stocking levels. I hope these ponds continue to perform well for years to come, but for the vast majority of people, they will not. Most watergardeners install their ponds (and rocks) and then run out and buy a bunch of adorable little 5" long koi. The koi grow.....fast. They produce mountains of fish waste, which all gets trapped in the rocks. But because the pond looks clean, the owner is lulled into a false sense of security and does not think that there is a thing wrong, until the fish start dying or the fins start rotting off. Then they do one of two thing....they learn where they went wrong and correct their mistakes, or they just buy new fish (which is unfortunatly what most people do). Matt...you are on the right track with your new pond. You certainly can install your bottom drain now and add the rest of the system later. But instead of using a pipe cap, install a 4" ball valve on the end of the line. The water can't be permitted to sit stagnant in the unused drain line for too long or it will start developing the dreaded hydrogen sulphide gas. Opening that valve every couple of weeks and allowing the water to flow out for a couple of minutes will prevent the problems. I am attaching a link to the Atlanta Koi Club's web site. They have an excellent pdf that explains a lot about how a koi pond works, water quality, stocking levels, how much biofiltration is needed and many other wonderful facts. Cindy

3/4" electrical conduit Eh!!! We'll be checking into that miss use of electrical materials. " The Lectric Specter"

3 x 5 - Easy way: get a bucket or tub whose volume is at least twice that of the pot you're going to fill. Add about half as much soil as you think you'll need for the planting project. Keep adding water and stirring until it's almost muddy, then add as much dry soil as you think you'll need to increase the volume to that which you'll need, and stir some more. At this point (3 minutes?), you can plant in it. If there is still some portions of dry soil, diffusion of water vapor from the moist soil particles into the dry particles will quickly break any hydrophobic tendencies of the dry particles. If you decide you want to use a wetting agent for the soil, it's best to use a product specific to that purpose. Roots are very sensitive to detergents. If a detergent solution makes its way into the soil, the effect on roots is immediate. Because one of the main function of roots is to absorb water and nutrients dissolved in water, they lack the waxy protective coating that leaves employ. Detergent solution in contact with root cells can quickly dissolve the lipid membrane surrounding cells, killing the cells and inhibiting water/ nutrient uptake - probably not desirable. Hair cells growing as appendages off larger roots do the lion’s share of assimilating water and nutrients, and these very delicate cells would be the first casualty of any detergent in the root zone. This soil is going to be VERY water-retentive, and that's something that can prove frustrating to even seasoned growers. Once you get the hydrophobic condition remedied, you'll be able to water normally. If you can't water to beyond the saturation point so you're flushing the soil when you water without having to worry the soil will remain soggy for so long it rots root or seriously impedes root function, you might want to think about using or making something that allows you to water correctly. Al