We converted our pool to a pond (but with no intention of going back again) although ours was an inground unit. While that makes some difference as you can imagine there are other things that remain the same whether it is inground or above ground. First thing: size of your pool/pond to be. If you have, say a 20,000 gallon pool, do you really want to continue to turn over that volume once an hour? Most pools use 1/2 to 3/4 horsepower pump running continuously, although you could get buy with turning them off sometimes (when it was operated as a pool). Not so with a pond IF you intend to have a biofilter/fish. Turning off a pump for long periods of time is a guaranteed way of killing off the biofilter. By reducing our pool to a more manageable pond size we run the whole thing on about 200-250 watts. Secondly, your filters. The filters for your pool are excellent for taking out particles/bacteria - that's what they were designed to do - but they were meant for a relatively low loading. In a pond environment algae grow constantly, which along with bacteria and other things from the pond place a significantly higher loading on the filters. The result will be that they will need to be backwashed much more frequently and therefore your water consumption will go up. Just replacing the innards with some other media may work although you may find you cannot achieve the necessary degree of surface area/volume of biofilter to treat the original pool volume. As to the chemicals or chemical residues: stop adding any algacides and any chlorine/shock/etc. The pool will, within a week or so turn quite green. At that point you will not have to worry about chemical residues. While chlorine (free) does evaporate, chloramines don't evaporate nearly as rapidly and can persist for several days. However, both decompose fairly rapidly upon exposure to sunlight (that's why they add a UV-stabilizer to most chlorine bars/pucks). Aerating the pool while you are thinking of what to do next will help with the inevitable odor problems associated with things going anaerobic if you are not actively circulating the water. Just a few thoughts. ---David

Not really...but okay...There was a mention of "wildlife" moving in...so I assumed living frogs, tadpoles, possible turtles and such would add to the balance? I just disasembled my "water garden" just 500 gallons with Only potted Cannas, and blue eyed grass (NO FISH), no soil just gravel and lava rock, and filtered... The water was very Clear...no algae except the carpet on the sides....but there was at least 4" of silt in the bottom after just 1 year....I can't imagine what a full size pool would have in it after 5 years or so, as I assume the plan isn't to drain and clean yearly, but that is my assumption.. I have been known to be wrong before...so looking forward to see how it turns out! Personally...I love my ponds way more than the swimming pool...so I'm supportive of the change over...Sorry if I ruffled any feathers...I for one just like to collect all data out there good and bad before I dive into something...Just helps to prepare me for worse case scenarios..I hope it turns out just as you like...I have not met anyone yet that hasn't given into the urge to get bigger fish..when they get a bigger pond :) Just usually the natural course of things, feeding the fish is so much of the enjoyment..and It sounded like you already got a bit of the bug..with the betta pond.....My suggestion is to gather lots of information...then do whatever makes you happy....again...sorry Rabbit if we disagree..I'll bail out and watch from afar...One more mention though...If you do it and go with a "diff. fish" I suggest a few Ciclids...they are beautiful and aggresive eaters....so even with a few they will be fun to watch eat!!!!!! The lagoon at Animal kingdom has them....wow spectacular! Blue, yellows...just gorgeous...sorry there I go again talking about fish...they are my passion...can't help myself! Good luck!

Alisonn, I had a pool removed too when I bought my house here in NJ. There is a requirement from NJDEP that your removal company needs to comply with. Basically it concerns the fill material that gets put into the hole, how large the pieces are from the concrete that is broken up and put back into the hole, etc. In Atlantic county, I needed a demolition permit, and then had to get inspections once the pool was removed and the cement chunks put into the hole, then again after the final fill was completed. $3500 is a good price. Mine cost $5500 to remove. Good luck!

ronnatalie...I agree with you 110%. Theory of electricity isn't rocket science...at least at this level. (there are applications when it's above all but the best minds in the business) But knowing the codes and why they are there is what separates those who think they know from those that really do know. I don't know. That's why I'm here...and regardless of my previous post directed at you, I really do appreciate all your input. You obviously know much more about this than I do. I have a copy of the NEC. And I still don't get all I need out of it. So I'm in awe of you guys that know this stuff like the back of your hand. But I do have another question for you pros if I may. One thing we are doing here is cleaning up a bunch of switches, relays, timers, etc into one enclosure. The enclosure we are using is an Intermatic with provisions for a timer and another switch of choice...which will be an air switch for the spa jet pump. We are also going to mount the timer for the floor cleaner valve that needs to cycle every half hour. Plenty of room for this. But some of the existing boxes are plastic, one is metal. None are grounded...not even through the rigid conduit. (rigid conduit only goes to plastic box) The new enclosure has a grounding block. Since the feed from the main panel has 3 sets of hots for 240V pumps plus one hot and neutral for 120V service to the pool, and one green ground wire, would I be safe (legal) to run the ground from the house panel to the pool panel grounding block and distributing it from there to where required? Also, none of the boxes (metal or otherwise) are bonded. I intend to attach a bonding wire of correct size to the existing bonding wire for the pump motors with an approved copper or brass lug and attach the other end to the new panel enclosure. Should that be safe? According to what I read in the NEC, that should do it, but it's not specific. And lastly, the existing rigid conduit out of the ground will not align with the new panel enclosure knock outs. I want to shorten the rigid conduits and attach flexible metal conduit to them to run to the new enclosure. I can't find a reference to this procedure anywhere in the code. Is this safe and legal where it's obvious the rigid conduit isn't uses as a ground? And even if it were, wouldn't tying in my ground wire to my enclosure take care of compromising that ground with flexible metal conduit? Thank you for your advice.