Hello from SWFL!

[FL Zoo Mom]

Hi, folks! I'm planning my next pond and since I'm in a rental it's going to have to be above ground and able to be moved should I ever leave here. I'm going with an 110-gallon stock tank from my local Tractor Supply and I'm looking at plans for a DIY bio filter. I'm going to put a few plants in and a few goldfish and it's going to be my serenity.

I had a small in-ground pond when I lived in MI so I have a basic understanding, but I have a feeling that water gardening in South FL might present some unique challenges. I'm still in the planning stages so if anyone has any hints or tips I'm all ears!

 

[Lisak1]

Not in Florida myself (I WISH!) but I would guess one challenge for ponds (especially smaller ones like you are planning) in your climate would be the heat. If you can I would choose a shady spot or plan for some kind of added shade. Lots of plant cover on the surface will help too. We have some ponders from Florida here, so I'm sure they will chime in.

Welcome!

 

[Becky]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Hello and welcome fellow Floridian.
An above ground pond in our climate absolutely requires mostly shade. I would say that 3 - 4 hours of sun a day would be sufficient and manageable. The water will heat up quite rapidly and , because our summer nights are also quite warm, this heat will dissipate very little and being above ground there is now surrounding soil to moderate the water temperature. Ample shade must be provided especially from mid-day through the afternoon hours. Other than that it is business as usual in maintaining a pond. The advantage of our climate is that there is no Winter ice-overs and pond shut-downs, no fish with compromised immune systems because of Winter inactivity. In other words, your pond will function at a full 100% the entire year.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group!

 

[FL Zoo Mom]

Hello and welcome fellow Floridian.
An above ground pond in our climate absolutely requires mostly shade. I would say that 3 - 4 hours of sun a day would be sufficient and manageable. The water will heat up quite rapidly and , because our summer nights are also quite warm, this heat will dissipate very little and being above ground there is now surrounding soil to moderate the water temperature. Ample shade must be provided especially from mid-day through the afternoon hours. Other than that it is business as usual in maintaining a pond. The advantage of our climate is that there is no Winter ice-overs and pond shut-downs, no fish with compromised immune systems because of Winter inactivity. In other words, your pond will function at a full 100% the entire year.

I was actually considering putting it on my lanai so it would get afternoon sun through the screen or just outside the lanai in a spot behind the Areka palms. That way it'd get a few hours of sun but a lot of shade and dappled sun. I do plan on having lilies and some water hyacinth to add more cover for the water and fish. I was hoping that if the water is moving that it would help to keep it from getting too hot, but I'm not sure how that works.

 

[FL Zoo Mom]

Not in Florida myself (I WISH!) but I would guess one challenge for ponds (especially smaller ones like you are planning) in your climate would be the heat. If you can I would choose a shady spot or plan for some kind of added shade. Lots of plant cover on the surface will help too. We have some ponders from Florida here, so I'm sure they will chime in.

Welcome!

Thank you! I know that the heat is really going to be quite a challenge but I am taking the brutal sun into consideration.

 

[FL Zoo Mom]

Welcome to our group!

Thank you!

 

[FL Zoo Mom]

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you very much!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I was actually considering putting it on my lanai so it would get afternoon sun through the screen or just outside the lanai in a spot behind the Areka palms. That way it'd get a few hours of sun but a lot of shade and dappled sun. I do plan on having lilies and some water hyacinth to add more cover for the water and fish. I was hoping that if the water is moving that it would help to keep it from getting too hot, but I'm not sure how that works.

An in-ground pond has the advantage of the surrounding soil to help moderate the water temperatures be it Summer or Winter. An above-ground pond does not have the advantage of this moderation. Shade in the hottest part of the day will be your main salvation. The heat from solar radiance is not the only source of heat that you will be dealing with. The ambient air temperature will play a major role.

 

[FL Zoo Mom]

An in-ground pond has the advantage of the surrounding soil to help moderate the water temperatures be it Summer or Winter. An above-ground pond does not have the advantage of this moderation. Shade in the hottest part of the day will be your main salvation. The heat from solar radiance is not the only source of heat that you will be dealing with. The ambient air temperature will play a major role.

Outside air temperature isn't something I considered. Do you think if I partially buried it maybe a foot down that would help?

Or maybe I'll just keep it on the lanai and solve the sun issues. My concern is the plants getting enough sun and that's the only reason I considered putting it outside the lanai. I'm going to have to measure the amount of sun that comes into the lanai in the afternoon.

I'm glad I found this board!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Outside air temperature isn't something I considered. Do you think if I partially buried it maybe a foot down that would help?

Or maybe I'll just keep it on the lanai and solve the sun issues. My concern is the plants getting enough sun and that's the only reason I considered putting it outside the lanai. I'm going to have to measure the amount of sun that comes into the lanai in the afternoon.

I'm glad I found this board!

If it is placed on the lanai, it will require filtered (dappled) sun the entire time. Mid-day to afternoon sun is grueling here in Florida, much more for you as you are farther south than I am. Even non-native plants are usually unable to survive the heat and radiation. Dappled sun in your Zone is equivalent to full sun in Zone 4/5 so Water Lilies and other aquatic plants should do OK. That should tell you what you will be dealing with.

 

[FL Zoo Mom]

If it is placed on the lanai, it will require filtered (dappled) sun the entire time. Mid-day to afternoon sun is grueling here in Florida, much more for you as you are farther south than I am. Even non-native plants are usually unable to survive the heat and radiation. Dappled sun in your Zone is equivalent to full sun in Zone 4/5 so Water Lilies and other aquatic plants should do OK. That should tell you what you will be dealing with.

That's extremely good information. Thank you.

I might have to reconsider everything about this. :/