pond 101 question

[scruffy]

OK, having raised a few comet gold fish in an aquarium, I've always accepted the principle of 20 gallons for each adult comet. We are serously thinking of building a pond, and my mother found an article on line that gives 1 square foot of surface area per inch of fish. So let's say I have 10 inch comets and the pond is 4 ft wide, 5 ft long, and 2 feet deep. This comes out to 300 gallons and 20 square feet. In the 20 gallons per fish scenario, I can have 15 comets, but in the 1 inch of fish per square foot scenario, I can have only 2. These are widely different. Which one should I go with?

S

[Northernguy]

I would go with the largest pond you build for them.
Have you priced out your equiptment yet?

[Fishguy2727]

Any of those oversimplified guides are dangerous to use as a law. There are simply too many variables to say 'one square foot surface area per inch of fish' or 'X gallons per inch of fish'. If you read the article on stocking an aquarium you will see all the variables that can effect stocking. In addition, all of these guides focus way too much on one particular aspect and ignore all the others. For example, the surface area guide is based on gas exchange at the surface, yet if you have a really good air pump and air stone you can more than compensate for the lack of surface area in something like a column tank. The biggest issue is water quality. The nitrate concentration should be under 20ppm. Once this is met it is a matter of physical space and compatibility.