1. The sound of water is relaxing.
2. It encourages wildlife to visit your yard (birds, butterflies, frogs, etc.)
3. The dragon and damsel flies that are attracted to the water, eat mosquitoes.
4. Koi are beautiful – watching them glide through the water drains the day's tensions away.
5. Water lillies are beautiful, and the first bloom always seems like affirmation that you are doing everything "just right."
6. Once established, a pond is less maintenance than a similarly-sized area of lawn – no mowing!
7. Even though you don't "have" to do a whole bunch with a well-established pond, it is always a good excuse to go out and "tinker" in the yard!
8. Watching birds bathe in your shallows is entertaining, as they battle one another for the best places, and roll around flipping water over their backs, etc.
9. The sound of frogs croaking and calling to one another is like music – and if you are lucky enough to sneak up on one while it's sitting on a lily pad, it's just like a fairy tale!
10.Koi have personalities, much like dogs, and you come to know each one as an individual. It is gratifying to train them to eat out of your hand, come when you call, etc.

Con's:

1. Getting the right set-up can be time-consuming, with researching components, digging the hole, installing the drain, the plumbing, the liner, the coping, and so on, and so on
2. Getting the right set-up can be expensive, as putting the words "water garden" on the label seems to be an excuse to charge 20-50% more for most plumbing and plant items.
3. There is always the potential for pump failure, which can be catastrophic.
4. There is always the potential for a puncture in the liner or some other kind of leak, which can also be catastrophic.
5. The wildlife the pond attracts can also bring parasites and disease to your beloved koi.
6. The raccoons may think your water lillies (or other plants – or even fish) are actually a free, all-you-can-eat buffet you put out especially for them.
7. You do have to do regular maintenance to keep nitrogenous compounds down or your fish suffer.
8. You have to do regular maintenance or it can stink and/or become an eye-sore, with debris build-up, algae, etc.
9. Medicines to treat your koi for some of the diseases brought in by wildlife can be expensive.
10. Replacing your koi, because you didn't treat the diseases brought in by wildlife, is also expensive.

Even though there are ten of each (pro and con), I still would vote "pro" pond every time. Hope this helps.

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pro:
- koi and goldfish are very cool fish
- they look great
- neighbors will want to spend time partying in your back yard
- another excuse to get more fish

Not 10 I know…

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Cons:
- Not the same feeling to look at a nice tank in your house
- Hard during season changes
- Pests like rabbits that could eat the fish (Like Mine)

Sorry I couldn't give you a lot, nor too many that are technical, just some ideas off the top of my head…
Personally I think that for keeping fish, a tank should come first, because I tank is Beautiful Decor for the house, and actual kind of Pets, while a pond outdoor, I find, is just a decor to the outside.

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Pros:

Outdoor space
Looks nice in yards
Nice fountain sound in summer
Kio

Cons:

Algea
Lake smell

Personally i would get one, but thats just me

GOOD LUCK

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