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Okay, I'm thinking again and it's dangerous!!!! I have a patio that is 100% covered. On it is a 4' x 4' square cut out in the cement that was intended for a hot tub. It has become painfully clear the the hot tub will never happen so, I'm thinking.....if I dig this square out 3-4 feet down I could make a decent sized pond right there on my patio.

Any thoughts on how to filter an in ground pond this size? It's going to be several hundred gallons whether it's 3' or 4' deep. Since it's so very hot down here and it doesn't get very cold in the winter, I'm thinking of putting some native aquarium fish, the Texas Cichlid, in there. They live in the Rio Grande naturally (about 8 miles from my house) so I know that they will do well. Should I dig it out and line it with concrete or another liner of some kind? Any advice, tips, thougths???

Here are some pics of the patio, and the 4 x 4 foot square in question. Thats just bare ground in the center. What do y'all think? Is it doable?

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

pic of the concrete cut out!!

Attached Image:

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

4x4 feet isn't all that big for a pond really (only 300-400 gallons), and if it does stay that warm down there, I'd do a partial above/below ground setup. That will also make it easier to hide eqiupment. I would not make the pond more than 3 feet deep in total. You can build a 2x4 and plywood frame, line the whole thing with styrofoam board (used as insulation from building supply places), and use a heavy-duty pond liner. Pond liners tend to come in only black, and under your porch is quite dark, so you may want to think of lighting schemes, both under and above water ideas. You can build wooden benches around the pond so you can sit and enjoy your fish, and you can hide most equipment underneath the benches. Alternatively, a regular pond filter with a fountain attachment would provide adaquate filtration.

You should check out the pond forums on MonsterFishKeepers.com for more ideas on indoor/outdoor ponds and how to build them. Lots of people there have step by step project plans with pictures that are very informative.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...