Ponds in Florida

[GBBUDD]

3 feet deep (high water table)

That is a blessing and a curse but manageable..
Like most of Florida there is high water table. Meaning you don't have to dig very deep to find water. Not this is q Huge benefit to a hot climate its air-conditioning from below. The water down 3 or 4 feet will be very much cooler then the air temp so don't build the pond up if you find water . You will however need to provide an escape for the water to get out from under the liner. They do sell perforated pipe like 1" that is secured side by side with a couple other pipe this gives the water a escape from under the liner andprevent the hippo. Those pipes need to come up to the surface and preferable piped or allowed to run away from the pond.

 

[rubyduby]

That is a blessing and a curse but manageable..
Like most of Florida there is high water table. Meaning you don't have to dig very deep to find water. Not this is q Huge benefit to a hot climate its air-conditioning from below. The water down 3 or 4 feet will be very much cooler then the air temp so don't build the pond up if you find water . You will however need to provide an escape for the water to get out from under the liner. They do sell perforated pipe like 1" that is secured side by side with a couple other pipe this gives the water a escape from under the liner andprevent the hippo. Those pipes need to come up to the surface and preferable piped or allowed to run away from the pond.

You are always such a huge help to people GBBUDD and it is greatly appreciated. I will put a lot of thought into this so that I don’t run into problems later…still trying to get used to the Florida temp/lifestyle after living in the Adirondack mountains for 25 years then a small stint in Virginia. When I see ponds like yours (your walk around your pond video was awesome!) it makes me want to move back up North.

 

[Stephen Noble]

You are always such a huge help to people GBBUDD and it is greatly appreciated. I will put a lot of thought into this so that I don’t run into problems later…

You have come to the right place. Lots of really nice members who all want to help.

still trying to get used to the Florida temp/lifestyle after living in the Adirondack mountains for 25 years then a small stint in Virginia. When I see ponds like yours (your walk around your pond video was awesome!) it makes me want to move back up North.

This January and February instead of digging out of a Lake Placid snow bank you will be basking in the warm Florida sunshine!

 

[rubyduby]

You have come to the right place. Lots of really nice members who all want to help.

This January and February instead of digging out of a Lake Placid snow bank you will be basking in the warm Florida sunshine!

This is true…I survived the summer here this year but honestly don’t know if I can do it again, although even the Northern summers can be unbearable !

 

[brokensword]

This is true…I survived the summer here this year but honestly don’t know if I can do it again, although even the Northern summers can be unbearable !

That's why you should envision yourself with LPS and make it LARGE enough so you can swim in it. I mean, fishies don't nibble THAT much!!! Just ask @addy1 !

All bets are off though if you get a snapper; should see the video of addy scooting out of the pond when THAT happens! Course, in your case, you'll have to fend off the gators, too, I imagine...!

 

[addy1]

And mine was a small snapper, but it sure can hurt. Rather run into the snakes that came next than a snapper.

 

[rubyduby]

That's why you should envision yourself with LPS and make it LARGE enough so you can swim in it. I mean, fishies don't nibble THAT much!!! Just ask @addy1 !

All bets are off though if you get a snapper; should see the video of addy scooting out of the pond when THAT happens! Course, in your case, you'll have to fend off the gators, too, I imagine...!

LOL!

 

[rubyduby]

LOL!

How do I find the video of Addy and the snapper???

 

[brokensword]

How do I find the video of Addy and the snapper???

apparently, you got ta bribe someone in the main office. @j.w comes to mind...

 

[addy1]

I have still pics, need to find the cam video, somewhere. It was a small one sure surprised me when I ran across it. Moved to a big farm pond

 

[rubyduby]

Thanks for the pics Addy…I had a seven acre pond in the Adirondacks and the snappers would come up to the cabin to lay eggs. Lots of babies…so cute…

 

[addy1]

Lots of babies…so cute…

They are cute when tiny but not cute when they can nibble on your toes!

 

[SarahT]

The guy who might be building my pond (I am 69 yo woman that feels 79 and can't do what I used to) says that it can't be deeper than 2 1/2 feet because of the ground water level here....He says that the hiding spots, moving water, and plants will keep it from getting too warm.... How deep is your pond SarahT?

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Yes, my pond is 3 feet deep, and is 9x9 feet, plus a 2.5x7x1 foot bog. DO put in a bog, as the sun down here is intense and the algae (regular green stuff) loves the light, even in a pond with floating plants and a decent biofilter. The forum group will laugh, nicely, as I was skeptical of the bog. No longer. I'm a convert. The bog is wonderful for water quality and I love the plants in it. At 3 feet deep, my pond is above the water table (by a couple of feet, I think), and I put the pond top about 5 inches above the surrounding yard to prevent runoff potentially flooding in. Turns out it is very sandy soil that drains quickly, so it doesn't need the extra height, but it's a good idea. If you want 4 feet, potentially, you could build up a foot tall berm on the surrounding surface. You will probably want extra aeration in the summer, which I need to improve on, and add some additional shade. My fish (1 koi and initially, 3 goldfish ... oh dear, baby goldfish available!) were struggling a bit in the hottest of the summer (very slow moving) with low oxygen, I think; the air stone helped. We moved down last year from Chicago and I'm hoping it's true that we acclimate to the summers here. And, knock on wood, I haven't had a snapping turtle or a gator. Ask any questions you like! EDIT: Definitely hiding places and a net!

 

[rubyduby]

Hi, and welcome to the forum. Yes, my pond is 3 feet deep, and is 9x9 feet, plus a 2.5x7x1 foot bog. DO put in a bog, as the sun down here is intense and the algae (regular green stuff) loves the light, even in a pond with floating plants and a decent biofilter. The forum group will laugh, nicely, as I was skeptical of the bog. No longer. I'm a convert. The bog is wonderful for water quality and I love the plants in it. At 3 feet deep, my pond is above the water table (by a couple of feet, I think), and I put the pond top about 5 inches above the surrounding yard to prevent runoff potentially flooding in. Turns out it is very sandy soil that drains quickly, so it doesn't need the extra height, but it's a good idea. If you want 4 feet, potentially, you could build up a foot tall berm on the surrounding surface. You will probably want extra aeration in the summer, which I need to improve on, and add some additional shade. My fish (1 koi and initially, 3 goldfish ... oh dear, baby goldfish available!) were struggling a bit in the hottest of the summer (very slow moving) with low oxygen, I think; the air stone helped. We moved down last year from Chicago and I'm hoping it's true that we acclimate to the summers here. And, knock on wood, I haven't had a snapping turtle or a gator. Ask any questions you like! EDIT: Definitely hiding places and a net!

Thank you SarahT...Great info...I really want to do a bog filter this time but didn't know if it would cause more mosquitoes here in FL? I would love to see pics of your pond...Did you post any?

 

[rubyduby]

Thank you SarahT...Great info...I really want to do a bog filter this time but didn't know if it would cause more mosquitoes here in FL? I would love to see pics of your pond...Did you post any?

Also, does your bog filter keep your water pretty clear or is that impossible here due to the warm summer weather? The pics of ponds I have seen here all have cloudy water