We used to have a small waterfall in our pond, and there was a filter which hosed water back into the pond, via the 'waterfall' which was a stream-like affair, running down on 3 levels, before the water went back into the main pond. One bright spring day, having bought some watercress for salad, from a supermarket, I noticed that some stems had roots forming, but I knew that watercress prefers moving water (My SiL lives near a watercress farm in Hampshire) so I stuck these stems into the top section of the waterfall, and placed a flat stone on top to keep them there. Within 3 weeks, I had to pick and divide the clump, and keeping an amount in the top section for the duration of the summer, gave us plentiful supplies of fresh, peppery watercress, AND - it filtered the water amazingly well!

Thats ironic! I just started an ebay account for the first time yesterday to get a book I have been searching for, for over 2 years. Haven't checked the aquarium section yet, I'm affraid LOL. Anyway, that is an awesome price since the new goes for $150 +. The lunar lights and cooling fan are a great bonus. You most likely would have to change out both bulbs anyway if they are over 18 months old. You can usually use 55W in a 65w fixture so the bulbs from AH would be OK. Check the ballast to confirm though. I say go for it. You will need CO2 injection or organic carbon supplements for that much wattage. Also if you plan on getting a wood canopy you can just affix the AH fixture to the lid. I'm sure you know someone with basic wiring skills (someone who can rewire a table lamp or wall swithch). I would go for the used one for that price first.

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

I have a glass front china cabinet and open bookcases. There's dust in the china cabinet too. You might put a piece of glass on the wall to judge the reflections from an unlighted unit, could be pretty awful as you suspect. Mock up the top of the tank and space to see if you can reach the bottom and do any sort of manipulation. I suspect 12" is fine. Allow for the light unit too. If the tank has a good cover then not much water evaporates. Really. If you are using canister filters or a sump then you can get a pretty tight seal on the tank. Fish need oxygen so don't overdo it if using an air tight canister filter! You will need a fan to move heat from the lighting out of the enclosure. No question about it! I just painted my 30 year old bookcases that sat next to my 180 gallon aquarium for about half that time. Thought they were dealing just fine. Nope. No structural damage but the finish was seriously damaged. What is your plan to reduce water contact when maintaining the tank? As for the weight of the tank mock that up as well. If you can see if the floor joists are running perpendicular to the wall that's perfect as the weight will be distributed across several joists. Get that 250 kilograms of weight on the floor, maybe several good sized people then jump up and down next to them. If there's jiggling, not good. Unsure of the weight of books and actual structure, maybe add a couple more friends before bouncing? Nice looking project, going to be a great addition to your home.