What's in the pond?
 

How can I find out what sort of wildlife is in a pond, and what the bottom is like?

On the parcel of land we're looking to buy, there is a fairly large, established pond. Probably man-made, but it's been there a very long time. On a sunny day, you can see down into the water, but I can't see all the way to the bottom in the middle.

I've seen fish, but I'd like to know what else might be in there: snakes, turtles, whatever. I'd also like to find out how deep it is, what the bottom is like, and whether there's any large "junk" in it (fallen trees, tires, old cars, etc).

I'm guessing that swimming around in a diving mask would give good information. I do love swimming, but without knowing what's in there, I'm hesitant to jump in. What other methods exist?

Thanks!

When I looked at a property to buy with a pond I fished the pond to see what was there. I also swam in it to find out how deep it was and other factors.

You might try a raft/boat and some rope with a weight to measure depth. Without running a net through it or fishing it you will have to sit and observe to find out what wildlife is around.

Going into the water may stir up silt from the bottom and cloud your view. Additionally, going into the water will frighten the wildlife in the water so they will go hide away from your view.

An alternative suggestion is to use a small boat with a glass viewer in the bottom. If you can't find a boat like that any other small flat bottomed boat or a small raft will do and use a very large glass or clear plastic container to view into over the side of the boat. Put the bottom of the glass viewer in the water and look inside it. The glass will magnify everything under the water and give you a clear view.

To measure the depth use a rope with a sinker on it, with measurements marked on the rope. Use a boat to go out on the water and lower the rope until the sinker touches the bottom and mark the depth by the measurements on the rope.

To find out what kind of wildlife you can anticipate will be in the pond you need to do some research about what kinds of wildlife would normally be in that environment. If the pond has been there for a long time and is a healthy pond there's a good chance it will have attracted all of the normal wildlife that is indiginous to the area.

Welcome to HT, magpie!

It is the not knowing that makes the deep waters wonderful. I hope you never find out, but never stop looking.

in Florida an established pond will have a diversity of fish, amphibians and reptiles; it could likely home a gator or snapping turtle or water mocassin, all which would mean no swimming. Ponds in South Florida may have introduced animals like cayman and anaconda. Not to scare you; I'd love any of this wildlife in my pond but to let you know what could be living there. If it has been left on its own and it is warm enough, a variety of residents may have taken up the offer.
If asking the current owner is out of the question the above advice is all good. I used to have a pond that I excavated myself in Florida and I'd go to the middle with a long pool-cleaning pole to measure the bottom (the first year after being dug it filled in a lot and then a little each year). I had it stocked with the usual; catfish, brim, gambusia. You can buy Tilapia, Crappie and Bass to stock ponds with. People put their aquarium fish when they outgrow it also. Turtles found our pond right away but we never had water moccasins or gators come by, probably due to all the guineas and wild hogs we kept. you can toss bread pieces in to see what comes to eat :) likely some residents are seasonal. If the pond is large enough, get yourself a little aluminum or wooden boat, don't use a vinyl or rubber inflatable until you are certain what is in there. And don't wade until you are certain you have no water moccasins; they're a bit territorial. Best wishes. A pond in Florida is awesome :)

There are camera setups available a sporting goods stores that allow fisherman to see what's happening underwater. They have limited fields of view depending on water clarity but if you could borrow or buy one it could give you an idea of bottom composition and structure. You might even see some of the resident critters swim by.

Yea, good catch on the pond being in Florida. Depending on the size it is a very good chance of a gator or two (or more) being in there. Florida ponds are completely different than other parts of the country. Instead of throwing bread in to see what is in the pond throw ground beef in.

Dunno if you have any cats/dogs but until you know what is in there and the animals find out what is in there don't let them roam the shores. (Same goes with kids) The chances of a gator going after a full size human is very low (but possible) but you put out a small mouthful sized treat like a small dog and you can say goodbye.

Once the dogs/cats see it attack something they usually realize they don't wanna go around there and will keep an eye out, but if its their first dealing with a gator they will be curious and the gator will be hungry...lol

I will warn ya, if you do have a gator down there don't feed it!! When i lived down there we had a gator in the pond behind the dealership I worked at and we fed it hotdogs and burgers whenever we had a cookout. After a while they associate humans with food and he started lurking out in the sales lot hiding under cars and what not looking for food. Needless to say we had to have him removed.

If you cut the bottom out of a 5 gallon bucket you can stick it part way into the water. That will reduce the surface distortion so you can see further into the water.

Definitely keep pets and small kids away from the pond until you know what is living in it.

Thank you all for the great responses!

It's easily big enough for a small boat, and I love the idea of a glass-bottomed boat. We'll definitely also throw in bread and meat and see what nibbles! If the cameras aren't too pricey, I'd like to try one of those, too.

We do have pets and small children, so snakes and gators are a concern. (The land is a bit southeast of Ft Myers and west of the Corkscrew swamp area.) I'll be extra-vigilant till we figure out what we've got.

Warm water ponds are not the best to swim in. Nose clips are recommended due to that nasty bacteria that go in thru the nose and attack the brain.

That's true. It's actually a protozoan. It's even killed kids up here in MN recently. I think I would get a pool of some sort for the kids.

any natural wild pond will have snakes, frogs, turtles, dragonflies, etc..as far as fish,if it has no inlet from a wild stream they will have had to have been brought in..catch and release will give you an idea of type

Is that near Gator Alley? :) It is very likely you will have gators, snapping turtles and/or water mocassins that far south. I haven't been there for decades but it used to be very lovely. Great find. Congrats. :)

Don't even think about putting non-native species of anything in the ecosystem.

Once you know what is in there on any given day, you still won't know what is arriving the next night, so you can never just relax and treat it like it is no threat to kids and pets. Enjoy! but be wary.....Joe

As much as this makes sense, it isn't true. You can dig a pond, fill it, and then stay completely away from it, if there is any waterfowl in the area at all, you will have fish in the pond.
Ok, I guess that does constitute being brought in.

Birds can wade around in shallow waters of one pond, picking up fish eggs on their feet, then fly over and land in another pond where the eggs can wash off their feet.

A few years ago there was a topic here about that exact thing happening. The person posting had dug a hole in their back yard with the intention of turning it into a lined koi pond with landscaping rocks and aquatic plants. Before he had a chance to complete lining and building the pond the hole filled in naturally with water from an underground seep that he hadn't known about. It attracted herons and waterfowl to it and a short while later there were little hatchling fishes in the unfinished pond.

If yoy don't have a gator now, check annually and keep an eye out. They move around and are happy in smaller ponds than yours. There are lots of them around that area too, not just because of Corkscrew but also all the small watercourses and swamps (and golf courses) all around Ft. Myers. I have seen quite a few just visiting family down there. You will have all kinds of interesting creatures living there though! Get a good book on local fauna and get to know it. Learn the hazards, teach your kids and you can all experience it safely.

I would call the DNR and see if they would run their boat through your pond, they have a special boat with electrical rods that shock the fish and they rise to the surface. It's how they count fish at State managed waters.

Normally when fish end up in a pond it's from water flowing into or out of the pond. A heavy rainfall that puts an inch of water on the ground that flows into another body of water with fish is enough for many kinds of fish to migrate. I've seen 4" sunfish lying on their sides flapping like crazy going upstream in an inch of water.

An hour later the water is gone and the birds get the blame.

Fish eggs that are adhesive (fatheads, walleyes, etc) lose their stickiness within an hour or so of spawning.

Is seeing that deep down in a pond normal is Florida? A pond that clear in this area would be considered sterile and need fertilizer. Ask the owner if he has been managing the pond at all. If not, there are likely only a few large fish in it or else a bunch of small stunted fish. It takes effort to keep a pond in balance. You could always buy a cheap fish trap to throw out and sample or tie off some large hooks on heavy line baited with chicken or something to check for larger critters. Spending some time in a lawn chair looking for movement on top of the water, especially around the edges would give you a good indication of snakes, muskrats, etc. I think I would put a fence around a pond in gator country to keep them out. Ponds are great and it is always nice to raise yourself some fish for the table.

delete-dupe

Yea, thats another good point, down in FL it doesn't get cold enough to kill it, or it thrives in warm water. So it is a much bigger threat. Most Floridians don't swim in water unless it is a pool or saltwater. (That was my rule) Although some do, you are taking a much bigger risk of this..

The protozoa live in pools too. You can get it from tap water. You're better off worrying about something else.

If you have gators or snakes in the pond they will be obvious. All snakes aren't moccasins, and snapping turtles don't attack humans. They also will be obvious, as they all breath air. I've been swimming in southern ponds, rivers and swamps for most of my life. I have never been attacked by any reptile, amphibian, mammal or fish. :D using a cast net will give you the best data as to what type of fish you have. You're on your own with the Protozoa, as it is present in most all fresh water in North America, more prevalent in warm water. If you can live your life without getting fresh water in your nose you should be safe. ;)

What's in the pond?
 

When entering a freshwater pond, I recommend starting with a rope, and finishing in the cannonball position.

Disclaimer: No one can know all ponds, and it is possible that your pond, deep and uncharted, contains heretofore unknown species, lurking in deep dark holes, just waiting for a human to dip its toe in. I can not be responsible for that. Good luck.

Properly chlorinated pools have a very low risk of it. Tap water isn't as chlorinated as a pool but it is usually pulled from a safer source. Why do you think they put cisterns underground and in basements? It's to keep the water cold to keep these (and other) bad bugs from growing. When they pull water from a reservoir they pull it from the bottom which is much colder.

It is a ridiculous thing to trouble yourself about.
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegler...n-sources.html
Who Gets Infected
PAM infections have been reported from around the world. From 1962 through 2012, 128 infections have been documented in the U.S. Infections have occurred in all age groups, but 107 cases have occurred in children under 18 years of age (median age of 11 years; range 8 months to 66 years). Over three-quarters (>75%) of infections have been in males. Infected people were often reported to have participated in water-related activities such as swimming underwater, diving, and head dunking that could have caused water to go up the nose.
Naegleria fowleri has also been documented to infect animals such as cattle and a South American tapir. Experimental infection can be induced in other species including mice, which are used as the model system for studying Naegleria fowleri infections resulting from swimming.
When Infections Occur
Infections linked to freshwater swimming mostly occur during the heat of summer in July and August when water temperatures peak and water levels are low. Infections can increase during heat wave years as water temperatures increase.
Risk of Infection
No data exist to accurately estimate the true risk of PAM. Hundreds of millions of visits to swimming venues occur each year in the U.S. that result in 0-8 infections per year. The extremely low occurrence of PAM makes epidemiologic study difficult; it is unknown why certain persons become infected with the amebae while millions of others exposed to warm recreational fresh waters do not. Attempts have been made to determine what concentration of Naegleria fowleri in the environment poses an unacceptable risk. However, no method currently exists that accurately and reproducibly measures the numbers of amebae in the water. This makes it unclear how a standard might be set to protect human health and how public health officials would measure and enforce such a standard.

You should be more concerned with giardia or GI infections. I would be more concerned about the mosquitos.

I'll tell my husband that the scar on his arm must be from something other than a snapping turtle. :eek:

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Lots of great things to think about!

Vicker, you beat me to it. I just finished reading the CDC website. :)

Naegleria fowleri is a horrible thing. But it's present in almost all southern ponds, and we want southern property with a pond. It creeps me out enough that I might get nose clips for the kids. But if the pond is otherwise swimmable, we'll be in it. I want my kids to have a childhood similar to mine, and that includes lots of natural-water swimming. :)

I'm more worried about water moccasins. True, most water snakes are not mocs (thank goodness). But I want to do everything I reasonably can to find out whether or not "our" snakes are.

Poppy asked about seeing that deep down in the pond, so I should clarify: I don't know how deep I'm seeing. I can see it slant down from the edges, but I can't see the bottom in the middle. I don't know whether it continues to slope gently or drops off.

Oh, and regarding alligators: would an electric fence (with a low-placed wire, of course) keep them out?

What's in the pond?
 

In the south you are always going to have the chance of encountering poisonous snakes. It is best to just be aware of that and learn to look out for them. You can limit thick underbrush and cover around the pond, but you want some. Even if you have no snakes today, you may have them tomorrow. They'll avoid you if at all possible. They will display aggression if their territory is encroached upon, but I doubt they'll actually attack you, however, I've never stuck around to find out. The display has always worked very well on me :D And then, I have looked at a pine stump I was standing by for several minutes and seen one coiled on top, ignoring me. I've only ever seen the aggression display when in a boat or canoe and approached them in the water or where they were laying on the bank.

If you have a lot of frogs, I'd say look out for water moccasins.

How big of a pond is it? Around here people shock the water to count the fish.

What's in the pond?
 

Another thing is, ponds aren't that great for recreational swimming unless you have an improved area of no debris and a clean bottom, or a dock. Snakes aren't typically going to hang around those areas, and when they do they are more easy to spot.

Almost every body of water of any size in Florida will contain something interesting :)

I have to disagree with vicker, snapping turtles I've seen will attack, however you do usually have to provoke them a bit. They'll stretch their necks up quite a bit and hiss usually first. You may also have softshells and red-eared sliders. Go to google and look up Florida Water Snakes - lots of choices there. Cottonmouths are the most dangerous and are very territorial during nesting season.

And then there are the gators. Big ones, little ones, medium sized ones - please keep dogs, cats, chickens and children away until you are familiar. And then it can change the next day, particularly during gator mating season when the males travel from pond to pond to see who's available :) Our collective family has lost many a dog to gators in the country.

You may have cichlids if anyone has felt the need to dump their tropical fish out in the pond, along with gar, bluegill, (thinking about what is in the pond behind work). Then there are the birds - herons, anhingas and other fishing birds. Very cool to watch.

Iguanas are prevalent in some areas of South Florida, and they do swim.

Just be smart, keep your eyes open, and keep little people and pets away until you are familiar. Have fun!

~ST

What's in the pond?
 

SimplerTimez, maybe there is just something about you the riles up turtles. :D Thankfully, I've never had that gift, but you might would come in handy when I get a hankering for cooter soup. I'll contact you.

New complaint manager maybe
 

I thought maybe you put him in charge of the complaint office.

You can contact me for turtle hunting as long as I don’t have to eat the stuff!

But, in all fairness, I’d probably have to call up Mom’s younger brother to make the scenario work. Seems I recall a big stick, an avid interest in messin’ with things, and possibly Jack Daniels involved. He was a young whippersnapper back then.

Or maybe he used me, his eight year old niece for bait. We can be overly chatty at that age after all.

Personally, I think he was lifetime miffed because they did not pick HIM to be Marlin Perkins’ side kick on Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.

And to address the OP who has received suggestions of feeding or baiting the gators for discovery purposes, I wanted to make sure they had knowledge of the 500.00 fine if caught doing so per Florida statutes.

As to what 'enticement' of an alligator would consist of, my imagination runs a little wild :)


~ST

What's in the pond?
 

Looks like it is ok to provoke them. I was once attacked by a Black Racer. I was a kid, and saw him sunning in the road coming up from the pond. I tried to get a stick on his head, but the stick was a rotten pine limb, and it broke when I put pressure on it. The snake took off with me in hot pursuit. Every time I got the stick on its head the stick broke. Finally, I suppose he got tired of being hit in the head with a rotten pine limb, he turned the tables and began to chase me. My buddies thought it was pretty funny , and I suppose it was. Those babies can go fast. Thankfully, this was before cell phones and YouTube. :D
I was also attacked by a cow once, but I'll save that one for thread drift on another

(When I said they didn't attack, I meant other than when you chase them down and stick your digits in their mouth)