Thanks Larry,
I am encouraged about the info on the coppernose too. I've been thinking they might be risky as well. It's not the average winters (Fla.strain/coppernose) that I worry about but the 1 in 5 to 6 winters that may have more than a couple of weeks below freezing. Well I guess that's why many call owning a pond the great experiment. It might not hurt to have a handful like you've done to see how they do for a few years before stocking any more. I'm more inclined to stock either SMB or LMB in a pond but not both only because I'm not aware of much information on their compatibility in 1-5 acre ponds. Thanks for the advice.
Linder