Wildlife Ponds... Now Total Garden Rebuild

[Mumbles274]

Hi
Last year I dug a very small wildlife pond, initially for some frogspawn that the kids could watch grow that my mum had given us. We soon found ourselves returning from walks with jars of sludge from the bottom of the local canal, and seemed to have a few interesting bugs and creatures in there from that.

The weekend just gone I redug it, saving as much sludge from the bottom as possible, I have made it deeper, and also under the deeper end I buried our budgie that died a few weeks ago

The water was murky and brown from adding the sludge back, not worried about that, no fish will live in here! Just hoping that last years frogs return.

Has anyone else got a wildlife pond? Or a fish pond for that matter, a quick search didn't bring up many results for pond threads?

Thanks
Mumbles

 

[quimcunx]

I don't know about pond enthusiasts but we have at least one snivelling pond destroyer.

 

[teuchter]

We have an old flower pot with some stagnant water in it. Does that count?

 

[gentlegreen]

I have a builder's tub with a few pond plants in it. Saw a toad sitting there more than once - without even any easy way up the sides.

I must go out and have a look at it this year ...

 

[Fuchs66]

On the other side of my balcony there's a sort of pond-like offshoot from the drainage canals here, no idea if there are any frogs or fish in it (only moved in last month) but loads of coots, moorhen, ducks, geese etc

 

[ill-informed]

In my new house i'm planning a new wildlife pond. Raised and made from big lumps of pinkish granite, with a seating platform built into it made from granite sets, and a heavy duty wire mesh just below the surface to keep the kids safe. And i was just going to plant it with water lillies and water forget me not. I can't wait to get started on it.

 

[selamlar]

In my new house i'm planning a new wildlife pond. Raised and made from big lumps of pinkish granite, with a seating platform built into it made from granite sets, and a heavy duty wire mesh just below the surface to keep the kids safe. And i was just going to plant it with water lillies and water forget me not. I can't wait to get started on it.

I would have thought that waterlilies might have issues with the mesh, unless you were to leave clear patches above them.

 

[ill-informed]

The holes are about 1 or 2 inches across and i'll leave gaps around the side for frogs etc. I had it on the old pond in my last house and it worked fine even with waterlillies, and it was so strong that you could stand on it, i have a 4 year old and a one year old so safety is the priority.

 

[Badgers]

Our landlord went mental at ours.

We have no garden though

 

[teuchter]

Our landlord went mental at ours.

We have no garden though

No garden? Had you installed it in the living room?

 

[fogbat]

He just never cleaned the bath out

 

[Badgers]

No garden? Had you installed it in the living room?

Do you think I am some sort of tinker

He just never cleaned the bath out

This

 

[Caecilian]

We have a garden pond. Its roughly circular, about 7 feet across and a maximum of maybe 4 feet deep. About 20 years old, so well established. Its full of newts. Loads of them. Also dragonfly larvae

Frogs are fickle. Years ago I tried repeatedly to introduce them to the pond. Got frogspawn and tadpoles from other people several years in a row. But the frogs never stayed. The newts, OTOH, showed up of their own accord, and have done incredibly well.

The biggest problem that we encountered was leeches. Very bad news if those little bastards turn up- they're hard as fuck to get rid of. For anyone who gets leeches, the best bet is a chemical called Stearazin-P. It won't hurt the wildlife, but you'll have to use it repeatedly to get the leeches. Guess it just isn't very strong.

 

[ill-informed]

what's wrong with leeches?

 

[Caecilian]

what's wrong with leeches?

They're very bad for the amphibians. In a confined environment like a garden pond, a leech infestation could potentially wipe out your newts/ frogs/ toads. Also bad for fish, if you have fish (we don't- its a wildlife pond).

In a big natural pond, I'd assume that the situation is different, and nature can sort of balance things out. But with a garden pond, you have to do some of the balancing in order for it to work.

 

[gentlegreen]

One thing is that you probably want to give easy access to the water - maybe a ramp of flat stones on one side at least - rather than sheer, steep sides.

 

[fogbat]

Or a wee tiny ladder.

 

[Caecilian]

One thing is that you probably want to give easy access to the water - maybe a ramp of flat stones on one side at least - rather than sheer, steep sides.

Yeah- thats very important with amphibians. You also need plenty of cover around the pond for the baby frog/ toads or efts (if you've got newts) to hide in.

 

[Caecilian]

Another thing. Important to keep the area around the pond nice and moist in Summer. I remember turning over a stone around our pond during a particularly hot and dry spell a few years back, and finding several mummified efts (baby newt).

The poor things had just dried out underneath the stone.

So water around your pond!

 

[Mumbles274]

Thanks, good tips

 

[Guineveretoo]

I have a pond which has frogs, newts, dragonflies, waterboatmen and goldfish in and on and around it at different times, along with water snails and myriad other creatures.

Every year, I advertise to try and rehome some of the fish, because it is so successful that we have a population problem. Last year, I gave about a dozen away.

What do you want to know? (I am not an expert, but I can share what I know)

 

[Mumbles274]

I have a pond which has frogs, newts, dragonflies, waterboatmen and goldfish in and on and around it at different times, along with water snails and myriad other creatures.

Every year, I advertise to try and rehome some of the fish, because it is so successful that we have a population problem. Last year, I gave about a dozen away.

What do you want to know? (I am not an expert, but I can share what I know)

got any pics? pond pics would enhance things no end!

Last year we did ok for bugs ad things, hoping to get a few more flying insects to come this year, darters or dragonflies

 

[Guineveretoo]

got any pics? pond pics would enhance things no end!

Last year we did ok for bugs ad things, hoping to get a few more flying insects to come this year, darters or dragonflies

Yeah, loads of pics

But I am on the wrong computer - I will post some up later.

 

[Mumbles274]

Cheerypips

Look forward to it

 

[Gavin Bl]

I think its supposed to be good if you have a veg patch - frogs eat the slugs apparently. I was going to make a small pond just for that really.

 

[quimcunx]

Or a wee tiny ladder.

Like for spiders trapped in the bath.

 

[Guineveretoo]

There are some photos here, including frogs, newts, fish and dragonflies.

 

[Guineveretoo]

Like for spiders trapped in the bath.

Last time I found a big spider trapped in the bath, I put the cat in there.

I don't want the spiders to escape - far too scary.

 

[Mumbles274]

There are some photos here, including frogs, newts, fish and dragonflies.

Nice, thanks. I love the shot of the robin on the pebble

 

[fogbat]

Last time I found a big spider trapped in the bath, I put the cat in there.

I don't want the spiders to escape - far too scary.

You just let lots of spiders gather in there, and have them fight one another, like a tiny arachnid thunderdome. It's a most entertaining way to spend an evening.

The downside of this is that you may end up with one super-tough spider, that can't be killed without the aid of explosives.