9 replies to this topic

[Joshaeus]

Hi all! Still pondering what to keep in my water garden. To help me with that...how cold of water can southern natives (Florida, Georgia...basically south of the Carolinas) typically stand? Is 60 the limit, or could they go to 50 safely? Thanks

[mattknepley]

My chunk of SC is further south than about 1/2 of GA and my outside kiddie pool, 13 gallon, igloo cooler, and 100g ponds freeze several inches thick every winter. Never had water temp related losses. Southern native fishes that have ridden that out include Greenfin Shiners, Whitetail Shiners, Mottled Sculpins, Greenhead and Yellowfin Shiners, Gambusia, Snail Bullheads, Carolina and Christmas Darters, Blackbanded Sunfish, and a madtom I got from the MO convention. I forget the specs on your pond, but it might be doable. Might not. I would certainly want to have a back up plan. Would pass on Florida endemics for sure if there was no way to escape freezing temps.

[Joshaeus]

I was definitely going to pull the fish in before temps were cold enough to freeze the pond solid (below 32 at night consistently). How much earlier should I pull them in? It will be a 40 gallon pond, about 40L by 27W by 14H.

[Joshaeus]

Aye! Almost forgot...did some quick research and found that the average air temperature drops into the low 50's in Northern Florida during the winter. Does that mean that water temps also drop into the low 50's?

[Matt DeLaVega]

A stock tank de-icer might extend your season.

[gerald]

It varies depending on water sources.  Springs and streams with large amounts of groundwater input may vary only a few degrees year round, upper 60s to mid 70s.  Not everything in FL is necessarily heat-tolerant.

 

 

Aye! Almost forgot...did some quick research and found that the average air temperature drops into the low 50's in Northern Florida during the winter. Does that mean that water temps also drop into the low 50's?

[mattknepley]

Can't say authoritatively, but during my almost 20 years living in the Orlando area water never got to 50 degrees, at least not for any length of time. 50 degree water is what I remember from Lake Ontario in May as a kid in NY. Definitely colder, by a long shot, than anything I ever felt in FLA. Water temps change more slowly than air temps, so even when we got those "Arctic" nights of upper 20s the water didn't seem to drop anywhere near that. And as Gerald said, the spring fed streams with sizeable additional ground water input along their length stayed nearly the same temp all year, regardless of weather.

[JasonL]

Not sure of the need to look at southern species. There are likely several species already in your area you could catch yourself that would meet your needs with just basic pond husbundry practices.

[Joshaeus]

Not sure of the need to look at southern species. There are likely several species already in your area you could catch yourself that would meet your needs with just basic pond husbundry practices.

True...how about banded killifish?

[JasonL]

I would give them a shot if you can get them locally.