[marie1]

hi, i'm new on the site & i've got loads of probs with my pond & wonder if anyone can help? i've got rat-tailed maggots, ooh er missus. in the summer i noticed all these drone flies hanging around the pond. then i began to see these awful maggoty things in the pond. found out they were r.t.maggots (the larvae of drone-flies) which are normally found in stagnant water apparently. fine but i've got a pump-fed small waterfall leading into my pond. should i be worried or should i just let nature move on & the maggots will turn into more drone-flies?
problem 2 concerns leaves in pond. my pond is sited under a tree, yeah i know not ideal but the pond evolved from something else. anyway loads of leaves fall off tree into pond-most are removed straight away but lots now in bottom. should i leave them to rot, providing lots of nitrates for pond or should i remove them, maybe taking lots of snail eggs & crawly things with them? any help at all would be greatly appreciated. thanks, marie.