Very easy to overwinter them, mine have survived several winters. Be careful if you build one...just as addictive as SW tanks. I think it's time to move my build thread over from the competitors site.

I saw yours as well on aa :)

Ya I've over wintered the fish outside for as long as I've had the pond. So far so good. I won't lie though, it is unnerving knowing your fish are out back when it's minus thirty outside!

I have no heater, just a circulating pump and de-icer (keeps a hole in the ice for gas to escape). In the summer I'll do weekly water changes cuz they eat a lot more (equals more poop). As well, there tends to be more algae. Outside of august I will do a water change every two to three weeks. It is addictive, especially once you start adding water plants!

All-in-all it is fairly easy to maintain. Water chnages are quick and simple!

Any problems with raccoons?

Oh and my pond is 24" deep at it's deepest. There's a ledge that's shallower at 12" deep where I keep my water plants. There are bylaw store consider when digging water features, specifically, you if you have one deeper than 24" it must be enclosed by a 6' locked fence (excluding your property fence).

I don't do water changes on my pond all season. Just a 100% water change at the beginning of the season.

I've actually never seen a raccoon in the wild here. I'm sure we have them but I've never seen them. Maybe the coyotes, wolves and foxes keep them away? The porcupines are more adventurous. I had one of those living under my deck.

What I do have concerns with are heron! Every year I find one or two in my back yard. I live near lakes and a river so my back yard is on their way to feeding grounds :-/

I lost a couple if fish to heron one year. Other years if see them in the back yard during (my) breakfast and chase them away. I put a decoy heron in my back yard that helps I think. Heron are territorial apparently, so they won't land if they see a heron on the ground already.

I wish! I think the amount of feeding will affect your water chnage schedule. In July and august I will feed my fish 3 times a day on an auto feeder.

My biggest challenge is algae. I get A LOT if it because my pond is exposed to full sun for most of the day. We don't have any houses or trees near us that will shade the pond. I've tried just about everything for algae control except hydrogen peroxide which I'm going to start trying this summer.

We have a lot of raccoons here. My neighbour lost his fish last year, so I am reluctant to build a pond. So I just enjoy pictures of everyone else's.
I have seen herons here as well.

Seriously, h202 is the ticket. I had algae the first season and crystal clear water for the next 2 seasons. The first season I wasn't using hydrogen peroxide. The key is a super good pond clean out at the beginning of the season. That's why I do 100% water change. H202 combined with occasional flocculent after heavy rains has kept my water Crystal clear. And I feed 3-5 times a day during hot season.