Mosquitoes will definietly make it through that. you need something the size of window screen to keep them out.
Thanks for the info. I was thinking that maybe after I had this pond set up and going for awhile I might try another pond with fish other than goldfish. Goldfish are so messy that I imagine its best to have some sort of filtration/aeration. But yeah, I was thinking rosy reds or American flagfish with just a bunch of plants. Only problem is making sure I have enough tank space in the house for winter... although I suppose American flagfish could survive here, they're native here and it barely even gets in the 20s in the winter here.I had a tub pond with no aeration and no filter. I've been setting it up for the past three years with NO problems. Lots of plants for filtration, a couple of white cloud minnows to keep the mosquitoes at bay. The minnows breed every year.
Your talking about Mike aka PittBull on here. You could easily find him in the South/Central American Cichlid Forum. Me Mike and Nano talk alot on there.Maybe this is quibbling but I would not describe your setup as a pond. To my mind a pond is a hole in the ground with water in it. Even if it has a liner on the bottom to prevent all the water soaking out, it has interaction with the surrounding ground at the edges. Plants grow up and out; dirt blows in with the wind or erodes in from the rain. Etc.
You are essentially setting up a big metal fishtank that just happens to be outside. I would do everything as you would in any other tank, scaled up to suitable proportions for the volume.
(I have hopes of doing the same, although with concrete block rather than a stock tank. Was inspired by the one from the ACer in KY last year....was that ponderingKy? my brain is a steel...sieve these days. Haven't seen him around lately anyway.)