Stagnant Pond (1 Viewer)

RichardH2 said:

I'm too sentimental to evict the fish. it's only small, perhaps 6cm. i do wonder how it got there though. i didn't see any sign of other animals. I'll clear all the leaves i can, get some new plants and have a good tidy up around the edges. i will make a wooden ramp for frogs and fill up with some well rested tap water. thanks for all the help and advice.

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Enjoy, you may even get in to it once it starts to visibly flourish.

A

andyadcock said:

Enjoy, you may even get in to it once it starts to visibly flourish.

A

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There is no way I'm getting in that pond

andyadcock said:

Enjoy, you may even get in to it once it starts to visibly flourish.

A

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I'm nominating this as the funniest comment on BF this year.....cheers Andy B

(And no hard feelings to the OP :t: )

Simon Wates said:

I'm nominating this as the funniest comment on BF this year.....cheers Andy B

(And no hard feelings to the OP :t: )

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I wondered if someone would pick up on that as I wrote it!

Obviously, Richard was less than enthusiastic for anything more than a bit of a clean up, or seemed so. I thought he may enjoy the pond far more once it starts to attract life...........you knew what I meant damn it.......8-P


A

Did a bit more clearing and cleaning of and around the pond today. Saw two frogs and lots of newts. The 'experts' at Aquamania had not heard of the plants sugested by King Edward. And instead offered me the standard fish tank type plant, just visible next to the water pump. I gradually filled up with rested water. Hopefully the bit of slate will let the frogs get out if they want to.

Looking better already,
don't forget that newts are amphibious and will hibernate out of the water so they need to be able to get out too. They also require plants with conventional leaves on which to lay their eggs.



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andyadcock said:

Why on earth would you 'kill' the fish!?

This is supposed to be a site and a topic for nature lovers, it would be easy to drop them in a local pond somewhere if you didn't want them. They do serve a purpose, they will eat any midge or mosquito larvae that get laid in the water. As long as they're just small fish, they won't predate newt larvae, eggs or tadpoles.

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Sorry for the late reply, only just returned to this thread. What you are suggesting is highly irresponsible - many pond species are quite intolerant of fish and introducing fish to a previously fish-free pond will cause long term harm. Best known example is great crested newt, since the larvae swim in open water and are very susceptible to fish predation.

Garden pond fish are also likely to be goldfish, a non-native and not one that should ever be released into the wild. Stickleback is another possibility - native but capable of breeding to extremely high densities.

By all means choose to keep the fish, but releasing them elsewhere is never an option that should be considered. Same goes for unwanted pond plants, many of which are extremely invasive and should not be introduced into wild ponds.

In general garden ponds without fish are a lot more interesting than those with them.

As someone has already suggested drop a roll of barley straw in the pond. I put one in mine a month ago and the pond is now duckweed free and the water very clear.

osprey123 said:

As someone has already suggested drop a roll of barley straw in the pond. I put one in mine a month ago and the pond is now duckweed free and the water very clear.

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Didn't realise barley straw would clear duckweed! Must get some!

Richard, the surrounding area look good for hedgehogs. Have you seen any signs? Maybe a ramp in the pond to help them get out, as well as frogs etc, as they may well fall in this weather, trying to get a drink.

What happens to the Barley Straw that's been mentioned once you dump it in the pond? How does it clear duckweed? Do you have to fish it out after a while?

RichardH2 said:

What happens to the Barley Straw that's been mentioned once you dump it in the pond? How does it clear duckweed? Do you have to fish it out after a while?

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Gh7afyx2qc&ytbChannel=Laura Ramirez


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Hi Richard, yes with the water pump you have got a nice little pond, back at home the previous owners built a small ornamental well with roof overtime the wood in the roof has become rotten and slates have started to fall off all done by the elements in 37 years, but I periodically clean out the concrete well same colour anyway to look at its been here since the 70,s and has for a number of years attracted frogs to it we seem to do well for frogs in the garden anyway I found one the size of my thumbnail on the patio last week could so easy get trampled at that size but it is the first that size I,ve probabily ever seen in the garden always adults or half grown ones, anyway I cleaned out the well today cut back the periwinkel and Ivy which does its best to Invade and then the cleaning out began mud tends to collect in the well and soon turns stagnant but in this small well about 18" by 12" or more there were 4 adult frogs I have lowered the water level and put a small branch in there for one adult to climb up on I,m not putting any tap water in I put some rain water in there and hopefully will add to this after a week or more from my watering butts I use for the garden I,ve just filled them today I might use some barley straw like someone mentioned earlier but the frogs never seem to bothered about how its gets till I start churning up the bottom then I put them in a container till I had finished its a messy job or could be but I go about it slowly its surpriseing how hardy frogs are.