The Best Koi "Pond" EVER

[Jason]

Im not sure if I have ever shared Vortex Springs with you all on here, but it is the coolest Koi habitat I have ever seen! Here in Florida (and other states lol) I have about 10-15 Natural, Fresh Water Springs around me that are Crystal Clear and stay at a Temp of 65ish Degrees all year round.

One in particular called "Vortex Springs" about 30 minutes from where I live is home to a Huge Koi family that have been raised there by the owners. This is a Public Spring and I try to go once a year at least and visit all other springs as well when I kayak. Here are a couple of pictures I found of the Spring and Koi that live there. If you are ever Around Panama City, FL, you NEED to go visit this spring as a Koi Ponder!

Oh and No filter or pumps just a natural 28,000,000 Gallons a Day flow rate

 

[sissy]

What are all of those lines under the water .Looks like they tint the water also but boy is that crystal clear .So it is spring fed ,I see docks do people swim or boat there .I was just looking on you tube at the american wind mill aerator on you tube .I sure would love to have the small one as they use a bellows to make air .I wonder if that place there aerates there pond

 

[addy1]

Wow how neat, and great looking fish and water.

 

[haver79]

Wow beautiful fish and the water is so clear. Really neat.

 

[Catfishnut]

What are all of those lines under the water .Looks like they tint the water also but boy is that crystal clear .So it is spring fed ,I see docks do people swim or boat there .I was just looking on you tube at the american wind mill aerator on you tube .I sure would love to have the small one as they use a bellows to make air .I wonder if that place there aerates there pond

Sissy,

That is no pond... That is basically a "sink-hole" spring. They are all over Florida as well as all over the world. Florida has lots of them, though.

The underground water errodes carbonate rock (like limestone) and forms channels and pockets. If enough rock and soil is erroded, a hole or void will form and it may collapse leaving behind an open hole to the surface. The spring water from underground then flows up through these holes and you see what you get in the end with Jason's photos.

The water isn't tinted, it is blue because the water is so pure / clean from being filtered through the limestone rock and sand that there are no impurities or suspended particles. The sunlight is refracted in such a way during its transition between air and water that the visible wavelength emitted is what we perceive as blue. Same reason as why the sky is blue.

I am not certain what the "lines" underwater are, but I would guess that they are just some of the remaining rock that was not erroded.

Check out the "Great Blue Hole" off the coast of Belize....

Jason,

Sue and I visited her brother when he lived in St. Petersburg, FL. We went to the Crystal River to scuba dive and view the manatees. Very popular and beautiful place. But, don't swim right behind the manatees and disturb or frighten them as they will poop in the water and leave you... ahem... "eating their dust". There was a feature in the river referred to as the Pirate's Hole I think. It was 80 to 120 feet deep and crystal clear. We dove and swam in that.

Awewsome place, but swimming in it was cold as heck!

Gordy

 

[addy1]

We love diving down south, the water is beautiful blue, clear. I have been diving in belize, awesome diving.

 

[sissy]

I know when my parents moved into there house in NJ we had 2 natural springs and we had a bad rain in September of that first year and a piece of the area around the springs caved in and we ended up with a natural spring fed pond from it and each change of season it got slightly bigger for a couple of years .My dad used it to water all the gardens on the 5 acres .He had raised rows and he would flood between them to water every thing(I was the one that had to go in to move the pump )COLD .We added fish the second year .We only lived a half mile from the Raritan Canals off Easton Ave in Franklin ,Somerset County .Lots of my good hard working memories come from there .Dad taught me to work hard and mom taught me all of her canning skills and cooking skills .I was no girlie girl

 

[Mmathis]

Would love to dive somewhere that clear.

 

[Jason]

Thanks Gordy for the Explanation, It is very nice having springs all around but this is the only one I have ever seen with Koi in it lol. The water is cold or warm in the winter but I like it much better than the Beach. The Limestone rock is the only Rock you will see here and Florida and is illegal to take as well but I have a couple of pieces at home inside.

Vortex is 50' deep to the cavern and then 115' down inside the cave, a lot deeper than it looks. The Largest Spring in Florida is Wakulla Springs, which is 315' across and the mouth of the vent pouring water out is 85' across and the spring is 185' deep and is home to many Manatees. The springs I usually go to regularly is Econfina Creek Springs and Morrison and Cypress springs (Found in my Gallery) just because they are only a 15-20min drive from us and are easier creeks to paddle back up stream when we are done.

 

[addy1]

Would love to dive somewhere that clear.

It is unreal how beautiful it can be.