Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations My first pond, need some help, please

Hey. Just joined the forum. Great information. I live just west of Ocala, Fl. Summer 80-90 degrees. Winter-lows of 30's and a rare freeze or two. Soil is sand! I am looking to build a small pond, maybe 150 x 50 feet. Purpose of the pond is just to have a water feature. I would like to have a few geese or ducks and I suppose some fish, however I will not be fishing (ok maybe a bit). I do have a site selected which is downhill and will collect a bit of runoff, however with sandy soil runoff not to mention standing water is a rare occurence. The property is 10 acres total, mostly cleared for my horses. I thought a duck pond would add a nice touch.

My questions:
1. Liner or clay? I do have access to something called "florida gumbo" a grey clay which is really slick when wet. I know cause I used it to build a tiny pond 4x6 for my pet pig and have slipped more than once! It does hold water when compacted. Any advantage to a liner? I suppose with either method I will get build up of organic material in the bottom. Does this mean eventual filling of pond with muck requiring a total cleanout in a couple of years?

2. Natural or man made filtration? Do I need a bottom drain and all kinds of plumbing with a filter and pump? This is not a Koi pond but I do not want water that is murky. It would be nice to see at least a couple of feet into the pond. Any thoughts on filters? My take is that mother nature does fine without man made filters so why not recreate a bit of mother nature. Can this be done in a pond less than 1 acre without filtration?

3. Once I stock with a couple of geese , fish and plants will the system be self sustaining or is it a lot more complicated to develop a proper biosphere in a small pond such as mine?

4. Depth. I had though maybe 3-5 feet. Should I go deeper to allow for all the eventual muck to settle down deeper or will the "muck" be bio-degraded over time?

Lots of questions i know i do appreciate any help.

J

drjay, welcome to Pond Boss.

There are a few books such as Lusk's Building the Perfect Pond that are essentially must-haves when embarking on such a project.

The magazine also has quite a bit of info. that does not get onto the forum.

Granted, those are the things that bring money to Pond Boss to keep this great forum going.

dr jay

I am currently also planning a pond for my property, and am just down the road. Check your pm.
Also get the book and the mag, it will save you time/money/and headaches.