Thank you for comment. I posted that 2 1/2 years ago and we learned so much. I don't have a filter but will try a natural one in the spring. If you are thinking about one, just do it. So much is dependent on climate and amount of sun etc. Be prepared to work and do research. Start small and work up. One tip I can share is if everything is working and fishy alive leave it alone. I've killed more fish in the cleaning process than anything else.
It looks great,I'm sure you're son will be thrilled with it!,what do you have in there,to keep the water clean,..i have just put in a wildlife pond into my garden,it's small,i bought a water fountain to keep the water moving,added lots of oxygenating plant's also,...now I'm waiting for the frogs to arrive,lol,....apparently i have just learned that barley straw keeps the water clean,which come's in liquid form also...so need to use chemicals, which may harm the fish/wildlife,keep us updated.
Pauline Jones Hi. This was set up last year. Had a lot of ups and downs. I need to do an update. One piece of advice I say are adding clams and snails. They are amazing in terms of cleaning things up without chemicals.