* Male goldfish have smaller and more oval anal openings and anal fins are not as thick as that of female goldfish who has a larger and rounder anal opening with a slight protrude. The anal fin is also thicker.

* The spawning time is easiest time to distinguish boys from girls. The female opening will look larger and more swollen as eggs begin to ripen. She would look big and heavier. Since fish reproduce through external fertilization, you can make out when a male is ready by white breeding tubercles and you can actually push out milt through his ventral opening by running a gentle finger along his sides.

* There is one more obvious, but kind of time taking way to make out which one of your fish is male and female. Find out who is chasing who – chaser will be male and chased and tired out one will be female! It’s natural tendency on part of male goldfish to chase and nudge at a female’s rear part.

* You can now put rubber pond liner into pond and spread it out.

* Make sure you smoothen folds and position it evenly. Some folds will still be there but water will take care of that.

Time for filters and waterfalls

* As lining is in place, you must now get Pond waterfalls and streams positioned. Place them to spill directly into pond and put pond liner against pond filter.

* You can use a stone and secure it to liner with mortar or expandable foam. This will hold back water allow it to spill over stone creating waterfall.

Time to connect Now you will have to do all connections as in connect pond liner to skimmer and position all pipes and tubing according to instructions given.

Time to decorate

* You’re almost done. Use copingstones to edge outline pond by arranging them around pond folding pond liner up behind stone, slightly above water level. (Use mortar to if you feel stones are not heavy enough to be stable). Add some shrubs around edges too.

* You can create a cobblestone beach edging with gravel and cobbles.

* Make it look as natural as possible and keep a lot of plants to add on later, once water is in.

Fill it up!

* Open tap and fill it up with water till it is a few inches from top and then make corrections if necessary to ensure that pond is level. As pond is filling remove wrinkles and make folds as necessary.

* Add dechlorinator to pond to remove any chlorine or chloramines.

* Put in gravel and plant root plants into gravel or with some soil still attached into gravel. Plants should be added immediately after pond is ready. Make sure you plant enough of Anacharis, as this plant helps to fight algae and is like a natural filter. Put in water lilies as they help to shade fish.

* Also add packaged bacteria to seed pond filter and pond.

Point to note: Do not add goldfish right after you build tank. You must allow pond to cycle and create bacteria and other sustenance needed to support fish. Introduce you goldfish into pond after several weeks.