You know, Sean, you're absolutely right....it's pointless to get so worked up over it all. I had been to a couple different forums prior to building my pond, and usually someone there had told me to build my pond the way they had theirs (bottom drain, rocks, no plants, plants, no bottom drain, UV, no rocks, just gold fish, just plants, no UV, 500 gph pump, concrete, get an aquarium, blow it out my butt, etc.) and after a while I get tired of it all and split. One person on one site was very nice to me...until I had a different opinion. Then she invited me to leave and never come back. The difference of opinion was that I didn't feel I needed to spend $2600 on a pond when I found quality components for less than $1200 shipped. She kept telling me I had crap, that my stuff was "stolen ideas". I got told I'd have a dirty mucky pond for it's lifespan because I didn't follow their advice.
The results of not doing things their collective way is this, after more than two years:
This was a couple days ago, and I haven't done much to the pond in about a month (not even cleaning a filter).
This is not to say that my way is the right/best/proper way, just that what works for one isn't necessarily what works for all. I have a parrot, as many know, and he's been very healthy and happy, but some parrot forums had banned me because they felt that I was not raising/treating him properly and that I was a bad example.
I'm better off without forums like that, because you just can't argue with success...clear water doesn't lie.
Bottom line...do what works for you, if it doesn't, see what needs changing. But why people get their panties in a knot over someone else having rocks or not having a bottom drain is just a bit too AR to me!
