[willowa]

We have a pond about a year old. Two newts have taken up residence they look like a breeding pair. There is also about four fish in the pond. We are going to build another pond just for the fish. How do I get the fish out of the pond? two of the fish are bottom dwellers ( tench) without taking all of the plants out and without disturbing the newts. There are lots of plants in the pond so I can't catch the fish with a net. I may have to drain it into something then put the water back.

[adw73uk]

Originally Posted by willowa

We have a pond about a year old. Two newts have taken up residence they look like a breeding pair. There is also about four fish in the pond. We are going to build another pond just for the fish. How do I get the fish out of the pond? two of the fish are bottom dwellers ( tench) without taking all of the plants out and without disturbing the newts. There are lots of plants in the pond so I can't catch the fish with a net. I may have to drain it into something then put the water back.

Unless you can borrow an electrofishing kit from a fish farm or EA, you'll need to drain it as much as possible and net them. Try to save as much water as possible to put back.

Why not leave the fish in there - or at least the hard to get Tench? If there is that much vegetation and cover in the pond most of the tadpoles would survive.....

[Keithec]

Originally Posted by adw73uk

Unless you can borrow an electrofishing kit from a fish farm or EA, you'll need to drain it as much as possible and net them. Try to save as much water as possible to put back.

Why not leave the fish in there - or at least the hard to get Tench? If there is that much vegetation and cover in the pond most of the tadpoles would survive.....

In my experience fish and newts do not mix well in the average British pond. If you have fish in there the newts will eventually disappear from that pond altogether.

Keith

[Osprey_watcher]

A heron, a pike and a couple of osprey should do it.

[Maurice Berry]

One of our local ponds has a good head of coarse fish and a thriving newt population. The pond has a well vegetated shallow area on one side.
Maybe you could create a similar feature in your pond? adding some large stones and pebbles to provide a refuge for the newts.

Tench are predominantly bottom feeders, finding most of their food by grubbing around in the mud and should not pose too much of a threat to a newt population

[Touty]

Originally Posted by willowa

We have a pond about a year old. Two newts have taken up residence they look like a breeding pair. There is also about four fish in the pond. We are going to build another pond just for the fish. How do I get the fish out of the pond? two of the fish are bottom dwellers ( tench) without taking all of the plants out and without disturbing the newts. There are lots of plants in the pond so I can't catch the fish with a net. I may have to drain it into something then put the water back.

wait until winter 06/07 and drain.

[willowa]

This is a recent photo of the pond. Alot of the plants are at the bottom just starting to come into growth.
The newts should leave the pond in summer. I will aim to drain it into a kiddies paddling pool catch the fish then return the water to the pond.
All newts are protected by law now so if anyone has any advice on this let me know as I don't want to disterb the newts just do my best to help them. That is why I want to put the fish in a separate pond.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2...n/P1280047.jpg

[Beany]

Originally Posted by willowa

All newts are protected by law now

Only Great Crested newts are protected from disturbance. You're more likely to have smooth or palmate newts in a garden pond like yours. If it is smooth or palmate that you have, you wouldn't be breaking the law if you did disturb them while moving the fish.

If it were my pond, I'd temporarily remove enough plants to net the fish.

[Keithec]

Originally Posted by willowa

This is a recent photo of the pond. Alot of the plants are at the bottom just starting to come into growth.
The newts should leave the pond in summer. I will aim to drain it into a kiddies paddling pool catch the fish then return the water to the pond.
All newts are protected by law now so if anyone has any advice on this let me know as I don't want to disterb the newts just do my best to help them. That is why I want to put the fish in a separate pond.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2...n/P1280047.jpg

If, as you suspect, your newts are breeding then I think it is more important to protect the newt tadpoles that you will get in the pond. They will stay in the pond much later than the adults and sometimes still be there in late autumn. It is also the tadpoles that are most likely to be predated by fish, especially as the fish in your pond are presumably not very big. I still think just persevere and remove all the fish.

Keith

[jacana]

i wouldn't bother with the tench at all they are predominantly vegiatrian. it has also been shown that fish tend not to eat eggs/larvae adults of palmate/common newts, while prefering great crested newts.

BTW if you are interested, the great crested newt isn't actually that rare at all, the heavy protection measure is a prevention method, as Britain is the last strong hold for this newt in Europe. Instead of protecting it when it becomes very rare, they protect it as it has the potential to become very rare. if only we could have the same with everything else!

[willowa]

The goldfish is at the top of the pond and is easy to catch. Its the bottom feeders I can't get to. The goldfish posses the biggest threat to the young newts. There are shallow parts where the reeds and rush are so there is some protection for them.

[simon]

Build your pond for the fish and fill it , Buy yourself a cheap kiddies paddling pool, pump the pool into the paddling pool, catch and transfer the fish into the new pond, refill your original pond with the water from the paddling pool, sell the paddling pool on ebay!

[Keith Reeder]

Originally Posted by jacana

i wouldn't bother with the tench at all they are predominantly vegiatrian.

Uuummmm...

They ain't, you know.

Tench will eat invertebrates of any sort - bloodworm, jokers, insect larvae, worms, snails, maggots, freshwater mussels - and will even eat small fish: and yes, they'll eat tadpoles sometimes.

They'll eat "vegetarian" matter too, but the truth is that there's not much of interest to a tench in your average pond.

I've caught tench on breadflake and on sweetcorn, but I've caught far more on worms, casters and maggots...

[Keithec]

Originally Posted by jacana

i wouldn't bother with the tench at all they are predominantly vegiatrian. it has also been shown that fish tend not to eat eggs/larvae adults of palmate/common newts, while prefering great crested newts.

I don't agree about fish and palmate/smooth newt tadpoles. I know from bitter experience and hours of close observation as a child that goldfish especially will wipe out a newt population by eating the tadpoles until there are not enough left to sustain a viable population. Plenty of weed cver at pond margins does not seem to make much difference either.

Keith

[willowa]

The new pond will be ready at the end of May. There are Toads mating now.. I could give the goldfish to my friend as he is easy to catch. But will still have to drain it when all of the eggs have hatched as there is too much activity going on at the moment.

[Pie Face]

I have a similar problem. I built my pond last year and vowed that I would have no fish in whatsoever. However I took some weed out of my mates fish pond and accidentally introduced two micro goldfish. They grew very quickly and I was able to catch one at the end of last summer. The other is still at large and looking very healthy, presumably because he's been eating all my newt tadpoles from last year. I may take the paddling pool suggestion before he does any more damage the little ........

[jacana]

Originally Posted by Keithec

I don't agree about fish and palmate/smooth newt tadpoles. I know from bitter experience and hours of close observation as a child that goldfish especially will wipe out a newt population by eating the tadpoles until there are not enough left to sustain a viable population. Plenty of weed cver at pond margins does not seem to make much difference either.

Keith

sorry just rechecked my sources, trout are the fish that prefer GCNs

[dampflippers]

Why not build the new pond as a wildife pond, and hope they move by themselves?
If there are definitely only 4 fish, surely it will be quite easy to net them? (speaking as a non fish owner)

[willowa]

Hi Dampflippers
I have caught the goldfish, but like I said before the others are on the bottom and there are lots of plants I don't want to disturb. The new pond will be raised and not suitable for wildlife but they may decicde otherwise. Will post a photo for the area marked for the new pond.

[jeff]

Originally Posted by willowa

Hi Dampflippers
I have caught the goldfish, but like I said before the others are on the bottom and there are lots of plants I don't want to disturb. The new pond will be raised and not suitable for wildlife but they may decicde otherwise. Will post a photo for the area marked for the new pond.

Try fishing for them, single maggot or a bit of sweetcorn :)

[Keithec]

Originally Posted by willowa

Hi Dampflippers
I have caught the goldfish, but like I said before the others are on the bottom and there are lots of plants I don't want to disturb. The new pond will be raised and not suitable for wildlife but they may decicde otherwise. Will post a photo for the area marked for the new pond.

Just be patient I reckon. You'll catch them eventually and there is no immediate need to move them.

[willowa]

Hi jeff

My hubby has suggested that... He is going nowhere near my liner with a hook.
The fish have never seen a maggot so they would be to shy to catch with a line. They are black so impossible to see.

This is the site for the new pond.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2...n/DCP_0008.jpg

The wildlife pond has no filter or pump and has lots of underwater plants. The Frogspawn is developing they will be swimming around soon if the frost don't get them. I will just wait and hope some of the young newts have made it through to summer. The young newts should leave the pond in summer. The water will go back as soon as the fish are caught so will only be drained for about 30 minutes.

Thanks for all of your suggestions...I will keep you posted on how things go after the new pond is finished.

[Okwaho]

Best way to catch a fish in an area like that is to use a large net, depending on the size of the fish of course. Some species are actually cool with you picking them up with your bare hands too.