Wildlife Ponds... Now Total Garden Rebuild

[Guineveretoo]

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.

Wouldn't I also be a bit smelly from the lack of showers/baths?

(The last one I saw in there was mega huge, but my cat made short work of it.)

 

[machine cat]

My dad and I built one in the back garden when I was younger. It served well as a fish pond for a good number of years (small ghost carp) and after a while we had resident frogs, newts and tonnes of insects. Unfortunately a heron decided it liked the pond and all the fish in it a bit too much and these days it's overgrown and fishless.

 

[Guineveretoo]

Herons fed from my pond a few years ago, too, and took about half the stock. I was upset, because I had named the fish!

Since the neighbours got noisy dogs, the herons have not been back.

 

[pennimania]

We have really quite a large naturally occurring pond. I live in a very isolated place btw.

We have just got frogspawn again - late this year.

However - most years this pond dries up by mid May - even here in supposedly wet Skye - yet every year there is spawn - and I always see loads of frogs around

while it lasts it is one of my private joys - I spend ages sitting by it watching the little creatures at their business. Somehow it always manages to get going again despite the draught.

 

[Mumbles274]

I'm thinking of digging a larger pond... rather than start a new thread I though I would ressurect this one to ask for advice and tips for making a proper pond. Am thinking a wildlife pond but I think my kids would like fish so wondering how compatible those things are. Also if it was up to me would like to stock natural fish like roach and rudd.. anyone done this?

Our current wildlife pond has frogs return and breed this year and still has lots of creepy crawlies in it so have a good natural mix to get it going.

Questions that occur to me are:

Liner or pre-formed base?
Does a pond have to have an oxygenator or can it cope without?

Thanks Sub-urbs

 

[gavman]

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.

was going to say this, so hedgehogs can escape

 

[gavman]

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.

they eat all the bugs though

 

[teuchter]

I had a malarial swamp in my place recently. Left a mop bucket with water in it, forgot about it and went away for a while. When I came back I noticed there were quite a lot of mosquitos around, and eventually discovered that they seemed to be breeding in the bucket of stagnant water.

 

[Mumbles274]

Tempting as a bucket of stagnant water is I went for a little wander round a garden centre today and came away wanting a proper big pond rather than anything small..
i also ended up convincing myself that a complete relandscaping of my garden was a good way to go, something I have wanted to do for ages.

So i got to drawing an idea, bearing in mind my garden is about 10x4m approx none of this is huge but i think i can squeeze in what i want..
i also think it might be a good way to keep myself busy and something to focus on that will stop me feeling shit about myself... Bit of manual work digginG up the garden in the sun for the soul

excuse the scrappy nature of the plan, sketchy start to my ideas for it all

 

[machine cat]

I'm thinking of digging a larger pond... rather than start a new thread I though I would ressurect this one to ask for advice and tips for making a proper pond. Am thinking a wildlife pond but I think my kids would like fish so wondering how compatible those things are. Also if it was up to me would like to stock natural fish like roach and rudd.. anyone done this?

Our current wildlife pond has frogs return and breed this year and still has lots of creepy crawlies in it so have a good natural mix to get it going.

Questions that occur to me are:

Liner or pre-formed base?
Does a pond have to have an oxygenator or can it cope without?

Thanks Sub-urbs

The pond I helped build and look after when I was younger held Roach along with the Ghost Carp (before the Heron arrived ). I was able to buy a dozen of them from a local Koi shop that sold a variety of native species. They were really easy to look after as the pond was quite well established so no feeding was involved. The only problem was that I could hardly see the Roach so if you have kids who want to watch the fish I'd get some Carp instead.

 

[Mumbles274]

Cheers, worth bearing in mind, I wonder if Rudd would be better as native fish to stock, being that they tend to dwell a little further up in the water?

Having done a little research I can see that stocking carp is going to involve a lot of work making the pond, worth doing but as it will be a dug pond I'm worried about the sides being strong enough for the depth required.

 

[Mumbles274]

Well, I've made a start on clearing the garden ready for the rebuild, had a nice fire to finish the day, time for a glass of rose and spag bol on the patio

Just wish I had someone to share stuff with

 

[gavman]

(((mumbles)))
nature makes up for loneliness, i find?

 

[Guineveretoo]

In my experience, a wildlife pond will need a pump to get the water moving and allow oxygen into it. It also stops it from freezing completely, so keeps the fish alive.

A few months ago, my pump stopped working, despite being under guarantee, and I was so worried about the fish etc, that I ended up having to buy a new one (the company I bought the pump from had gone into liquidation). Later, I managed to find the guarantee, and contacted the manufacturer, who sent me a replacement pump.

So, I have a brand new, unopened, boxed pump, still under guarantee. I will, sooner or later, get round to selling it on ebay, I expect but, in the meantime, I am open to offers

 

[davesgcr]

Upturned bin lid , tadpole nursery - works well !

 

[kittyP]

excuse the scrappy nature of the plan, sketchy start to my ideas for it all

That looks like it could be lovely mumbles
and a far superior drawing than I could come up with

 

[Mumbles274]

thanks have been working on a more detailed final draft.. will post it up when it's finished

 

[Guineveretoo]

If you are anywhere near South London with a bucket, you are welcome to take some of my goldfish - I have far more than the pond can take. They breed constantly and, if I don't give them away, the surplus just die and/or get eaten by other pondlife.

 

[Mumbles274]

Cheers, will bear that in mind if I ever get it dug!!!!


updated paper plan and some 1:1 scale planning in the garden. I've also been doing a bit more research into the types of filter and pump I would need based on rough calculations of how much water there will be and browsing a diy garden book for tips on stoneweork and watching all the garden programmes I can find on telly...

I think once I've cleared some of the garden waste off to the dump to be recylced I should break into the digging and take it from there!!!

 

[discokermit]

i don't think i would get native fish if i were you mumbles, you'll hardly see them. koi look fantastic but can be pricey and tricky to keep. i think it's worth it though.

what sort of pump and filter are you going for? you can diy it quite easily.

 

[Mumbles274]

probably just buy a external filter sump thingy with a pump to suit, will use that to trickle water into a waterfall type thing... I hope!!!

Pretty hard to know at this eearly stage how my landscaping will pull through!

 

[gavman]

i find once i start digging things suggest themselves, if you know what i mean.
then again they have to, cos i don't have a plan

 

[Mumbles274]

I'm working towards starting to dig today... going for the middle ground of having a plan but seeing what suggests itself as a hole takes shape

 

[discokermit]

I'm working towards starting to dig today... going for the middle ground of having a plan but seeing what suggests itself as a hole takes shape

i did that and my pond ended up nineteen foot long, six foot wide and three foot deep. once i start digging i can't stop.

 

[Mumbles274]

So far so good

I have a hole!!!! Just gotta keep going deeper now

 

[Wookey]

Bravo Mumbles! I can see it now! We'll have cricket pavilions, breeding right under their noses!!

 

[gavman]

are you just using a shovel?
mattock ftw!

(probably my navvy roots showing)

 

[gavman]

i did that and my pond ended up nineteen foot long, six foot wide and three foot deep. once i start digging i can't stop.

same thing happens to me. i once had to dig out a tree stump from someone's backyard. saved it for friday afternoon and got stuck in
had to return on saturday because the billy said it looked as though a mine had gone off under his garden. well i thought they wanted the whole thing out....

 

[Mumbles274]

Haven't got a shovel, just using a spade, no mattock either but ground isn't too hard so far..

 

[gavman]

wetting the ground can make it easier to 'cut' with your spade, but you seem to be doing well *thumbs*