Ponds and hot weather...

Me again!

So... what are the chances of me having a successful, long lasting, pond in the blistering heat of N. Texas? I'm concerned about the water in the pond getting TOO hot or evaporating TOO fast. Anyone have a pond in these conditions??

Lyte

PC101

Well, you'd just have to check the water levels daily and fill it up. Putting in cooler water on a regular basis will help to keep it cool. Surely there are some ponds in Texas, right? I don't see why you can't have one too.

I have a similar problem, I live in SW Arizona, we get pretty hot during summer before the monsoon rains arrive. Having a deeper pond helps, and yes, keep adding cooler water during the day. I also put a shade up, they sell some nice ones out there, you can pick the degree of shade you want!

They are right the best thing to do is watch the water level. I have also tried if at all possible to have our pond where it would get some shade during the course of a day.

Make it deep and let the shade cover it during the heat of the day. That will help with the evaporation.

Shade is a good idea. You can even plant some plants along the edges that will help shade the water - like iris or cattails - or whatever grows in Texas

You might have to add some ice during the hottest spells. Even in CT I've had to do that when I had a smaller pond.

rubybeetle, where can i find a place that sell pond shades in Phoenix, AZ? thanks.

Last year when it was 108 degrees here in Escondido, I went to Lowes and bought a 12' X 12" portable shade. Having a waterfall running constantly helps keep the temp down and adds much needed oxygen to the water when it is hot.
In extreme cases do a 25% water change, just be ware of the chlorine when you do.

lots of plants in the pond, deeper is cooler, installing an automatic filler is a great labor saver, and yes be sure to oxygenate as the heat steals it.