Stagnant Pond (1 Viewer)

RichardH2 · Jun 24, 2017

Apologies if there is a better suited forum for this post. my thinking was that experts on amphibians might also be experts on ponds...

Today I cleaned my grandma's pond, which is about 1m x 2m x 0.5m. It was hidden by overgrown bushes which i have cut back. It had a very thick layer of duckweed, which i have removed and was full of twigs, small branches and leaves. It is devoid of life and has a nasty stagnant smell (not eggy, just stagnant mud smell). The water is also a bit dirty, maybe from mud i was disturbing.

Could anyone advise me how to bring this pond back to life? it used to be full of frogs and newts. Thanks, Richard

Andy Adcock · Jun 24, 2017

Keep it open which keeps it oxygenated and that will encourage diversity

A

coaltit · Jun 24, 2017

Yeah I have a ornamental well its a bit deglected and wants some work doing to it and has a large clump of perrywinkle now along with Ivy they can give it a bit of character but they are so Intrusive so I cut them back when needed, the well itself soon gets gets filled with leaves and other debris and first Impression how can anything live in there well after topping it up with clean water as it was I looked later and two frogs disappeared below the surface I,m rarely disappointed in not seeing any frogs in my garden they have always liked it here.

King Edward · Jun 24, 2017

Probably best to drain and clean the pond out totally, including the mud, if there's nothing much using it at the moment. Presumably it's lined?

RichardH2 · Jun 25, 2017

thank you all for the advice. yes the pond has a lining, can't remember if it's prefab or plastic liner but it has one.

so i will try and get all the water out. clean it up and then fill it with tap water. i have heard about declorinator and pond bombs. are these a good option. what plants should i put in? thanks again

Andy Adcock · Jun 25, 2017

RichardH2 said:
thank you all for the advice. yes the pond has a lining, can't remember if it's prefab or plastic liner but it has one.

so i will try and get all the water out. clean it up and then fill it with tap water. i have heard about declorinator and pond bombs. are these a good option. what plants should i put in? thanks again

Best not involve chemicals at all IMO, anything in the tap water will usually dissipate within 24hrs.

If you have any large drums, fill them and let them stand for a day or two before you put water in the pond. Collect rain water in the same way for future top ups or cleaning if required.

A

RichardH2 · Jun 25, 2017

Thanks Andy, I'll follow your advice and let you know how i get on.

King Edward · Jun 25, 2017

andyadcock said:
Best not involve chemicals at all IMO, anything in the tap water will usually dissipate within 24hrs.

Not a water chemistry expert, but I think some of the chemicals used don't dissipate like regular chlorine. The main long term disadvantage though of tapwater is the high nitrate content, which encourages algal and duckweed growth. Rainwater is ideal, but difficult at this time of year.

For plants: Rigid Hornwort is very good. Potamogeton crispus also.
Glyceria fluitans, Mentha aquatica (both vigorous but provide good habitat)
Eleocharis palustris is a good emergent. Potamogeton natans is a good floating-leaved native.

Not so good (especially for a small pond): Iris pseudacorus, water lilies, Marsh Marigold - all attractive but generally too big and/or poor underwater structure.

RichardH2 · Jun 25, 2017

King Edward, thanks for the plant info, that's valuable stuff. I'm less interested in aesthetics, preferring native plants that are good for the pond ecolog.

I know Andy said not to use chemicals, but is there a way to combat the nitrates in tap water?

Andy Adcock · Jun 25, 2017

RichardH2 said:
King Edward, thanks for the plant info, that's valuable stuff. I'm less interested in aesthetics, preferring native plants that are good for the pond ecolog.

I know Andy said not to use chemicals, but is there a way to combat the nitrates in tap water?

Once a natural, bacterial population is established in the bottom of the pond, it will deal with most non chemical problems. The greatest mistake that many new, aquarium enthusiasts make, is cleaning the gravel when they clean the tank. The gravel contains essential bacteria that deal with natural waste from other animals in the water, the same applies to a pond. Keep it open and aerated and it will pretty much take care of itself, especially if aesthetics don't bother you.

A

Andy Adcock · Jun 25, 2017

RichardH2 said:
King Edward, thanks for the plant info, that's valuable stuff. I'm less interested in aesthetics, preferring native plants that are good for the pond ecolog.

I know Andy said not to use chemicals, but is there a way to combat the nitrates in tap water?

Once a natural, bacterial population is established in the bottom of the pond, it will deal with most non chemical problems. The greatest mistake that many new, aquarium enthusiasts make, is cleaning the gravel when they clean the tank. The gravel contains essential bacteria that deal with natural waste from other animals in the water, the same applies to a pond. Keep it open and aerated and it will pretty much take care of itself, especially if aesthetics don't bother you. You could add a simple pump for extra oxygenation if that's an issue, especially in hot weather.

A

RichardH2 · Jun 25, 2017

It seems my idea of stagnant and that of mother nature are somewhat different. After dragging one end of a hosepipe through thorn bushes and brambles to the bottom of a neighbouring field, I started the syphoning process with a gobful of stagnant pond water.

After draining about 30% of the water off I was amazed to see a small fish darting around.

I didn't think bacteria could live in there, nevermind fish. I don't want to refill with tap water and kill the fish. Perhaps I could fill it gradually over a week. The fact remains that the pond is full of leaves, is this bad? I wondered if the lack of frogs could be down to them not having a stepping stone or much of a habitat. Or maybe the birds ate them?

Apologies to all the people who gave advice that has been somewhat confounded by the fish. I will try and attach a snap of the pond shortly.

RichardH2 · Jun 25, 2017

...the pond

Julie50 · Jun 25, 2017

It looks like there is a stone or concrete lip round the whole pond? If you want to encourage frogs etc make sure you give them an access point of a log or plank, wood is best as it tends to stay cooler in hot weather which is better for amphibians.

Good luck!

Andy Adcock · Jun 25, 2017

Julie50 said:
It looks like there is a stone or concrete lip round the whole pond? If you want to encourage frogs etc make sure you give them an access point of a log or plank,
Good luck!

A more obvious problem, how do they get out once they're in!

Yes, get the leaves out, that's not the best thing and fill gradually as you say, just stand the tap water for 24-36 hrs and most of the nasty stuff will be gone.
Perhaps be a bit more diligent in removing any leaf litter as and when.

As I said, if there isn't too much sediment, I'd leave it alone

A

Julie50 · Jun 25, 2017

Hi guys

Yes Andy of course - Richard I did not explain very well. Frogs etc can hop and indeed fall into a pond, but can find it difficult to get out again. An exit point of a slope of stones or wood assists with this.

honeym · Jun 26, 2017

To help clear the water you could always try the old remedy of barley straw - available from aquarist supplies and garden centres - and natural.

King Edward · Jun 26, 2017

To be honest I'd probably just get rid of (kill) the fish unless there's a particular reason for wanting it/them. Sounds harsh but the other pond wildlife will be much better off in the long run.

It still looks as if it could do with a drastic clearout and more plants cut back around the edge. Use a cane or something to test the depth of the mud/leaves. Is there any sign of much living in it apart from the fish? There could be young newt larvae at this time or tadpoles which might not be immediately apparent.

Andy Adcock · Jun 26, 2017

King Edward said:
To be honest I'd probably just get rid of (kill) the fish unless there's a particular reason for wanting it/them. Sounds harsh but the other pond wildlife will be much better off in the long run.

It still looks as if it could do with a drastic clearout and more plants cut back around the edge. Use a cane or something to test the depth of the mud/leaves. Is there any sign of much living in it apart from the fish? There could be young newt larvae at this time or tadpoles which might not be immediately apparent.

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.

A

RichardH2 · Jun 26, 2017

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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