Keys to Success:

• The stock tank is easy to acquire and fill
• The pond was filled with water in 1 day. The plants and fish were added the next day
• It draws a lot of attention and excitement!
• We were able to order beneficial bacteria and dye online
• Gambusia fish and aquatic plants are easy and inexpensive to get ahold of in town!

Challenges:

• The pond is subject to vandalism. Plants are removed from their pots and the pots are then used to throw water out of the pond.
• Austin ISD allows ponds to be 6 inches deep or have a 6 foot fence around the area. To solve this, we filled the pond to 6 inches with river rock and the rest with water. All plants and fish now need to survive in a 6 inch depth.
• The pond is in the middle of a path so we had to consciously add plants and rocks to make it accessible to wildlife.