jw; thanks! I was just telling my son the other day that every element (for me) is essential. I'd certainly feel cheated of the pond experience if I didnt' have a variety of plants. That was part of my hesitation initally for not getting koi. Took a chance a couple of years ago and am working out kinks re that situation and this year seems I found some answers.
addy; thank you!
GB; I sort of stumbled into the bog plan when I first started 9 years ago and consider myself lucky I did. Befuddles me when I read the myriad threads of peeps wanting advice on their fancy filter systems (with both cost and maintenance in mind) that will do the job but in comparison, seems like a lot of extra unnecessary work and cost to me. I've watched more than a few koi videos and the systems they tout seem overyly complex and take up an enormous amount of space! I figure you have to be a gearhead to actually want such a system over an upflow wetland system.
