Brandon, I have to agree with Toby. not suggesting you waste money, but to do it right will take money. the larger the pond, the more money in general. i don't think anyone is discouraging you from achieving your dream, but your descriptions of what is going on may set you up for disappointment. for example, i built a big pond, cost me a pretty penny. a guy up the street hired a less expensive, but also less experienced bull dozer operator to build his pond. he spent 8-9k on his pond, i spent a looooot more. mine is almost full; his ran over the top and cut the dam, had to spend another 4 grand rebuilding. mine is still holding water, doing great. his is now down to almost a puddle, and he has hardly any fish surviving, but feedin' the buzzards and bears and coons (which is great if you like that stuff, but i want a big pond and fish, i'll go to the zoo to see bears!!) soooo, IF you can save for a few years if you have to, THEN do it right the first time, over the years you will have a better return on your INVESTMENT. Think of it as something that must last 40 or more years, not just a few seasons, and calculate the cost savings over that long of a period and the cost won't look so bad. now, i hope this encourages you, and more importantly, backs you up when you talk to your wife about spending money on moving/buying dirt and paying to have a fancy hole dug. I can just imagine what the guy's wife up the street says to him when she drives by there expensive puddle! his property has now not increased in value at all, and will only cost him more in the long run to fix it. not to mention the "i told you so's" from his wife!!! so, tell your wife it's all for her, and you are just thinking of her!!! ha, good luck and have fun, keep us posted on your success. Brandon, also reviewed your profile. I'm a Christian too, thumbs up. Truly, another Success story!! I think you'll love this website, the folks on this website are great. I don't know about you or some of the other folks, but as WOOD said "my pond is my refuge", and i spend alot of time thinking, praying, and thanking the guy upstairs for such a wonderful opportunity to see the fish, water, wildlife..when working around my pond. have fun. mark
