Hello all,

I am located in Central Florida adjacent to some wildlife management swampy area. I just finished clearing and digging a 60'x45' backyard pond that is going to be 4' deep wit a few shelves of ' depth. I have a few rookie questions that I need to ask before I set a liner in and begin to fill.

1. Is this considered a "small" pond on this forum? I read different places and from what I see most of you have acre+ size ponds.
2. In Florida heat, should I dig deeper to 6 foot or more? I worry about water temps.
3. How deep should I set the shelf? I am considering BG or tilapia as my main fish. However if I add BG, I will later add some type of bass.
4. Sand or gravel, or some combo of both for the base layer?