I think this patio pond is working great for what I was looking for ... a bird bath. I simply fill 3 64 oz bottles with water, set them on the bottom and added water in the pond to get the water level to the top. I placed a sheet of dark Plexiglas over the bottles, put some rock on the plexiglas, turned on the pump and sat back watching the birds enjoy this pond. Some drank, some bathed. I just enjoyed the sounds.