Crystal clear water

[Krewella]

I wouldn't worry mine got a great head start as they spend 2 weeks in a bucket in the green house. We moved into this house in Dec and a silly frog layed the spawn in a bucket in the garden and we had no pond at all. So we dug a pond and as it was warm in the green house they had hatched before we put them in. Was worried they wouldn't survive, they did slow down there growth as soon as they went into the pond they were layed 22 march ish and have only gained back legs in the last few days.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Steve149c

Hi Krewella,

Yes is the simple answer - the more plants that you have in your pond (to an extent) help the natural cycle. The best place would be a garden centre that has a specified pond / aquarium section. Ask the staff, I am sure that they will be more than happy to help (after all they want your cash). Positioning of plants in ponds all depends on depths - ie how much light reaches the plant - a water lilly is a great idea - assuming that the stem grows long enough for the leaf to lie flat on the surface. The leaf will also double as an area for tadpoles to hide under when they feel threatened - you might even be lucky (if the leaf is big enough) to get a photo of a frog sunbathing on it!!

Other plants that would help are reeds. As I mentioned before - best to ask your local water centre.

Cheers

Steve

This is good advice, in addition adding food for the taddies particularly protein rich chicken - adds nutriants to the water that are likely to encourage algal growth. Certainly when my fish tank is getting a bit green around the edges, I feed my fish less and chage a bit of old water for new to remove some of the nitriants that arise from the aquatic bacteria breaking down waste.
Don't forget taddies have evolved to eat a few of each other - maybe its even important for them!! - Ensures a stronger species

[Grrrrrr]

All good advice.

In response to a comment further up about trying to clear some of the green. I find at the beginning of the year my plants take a while to get up to speed and I have an algae explosion as the accumulated fish excrement from the winter is used up by the algae as the spring sun gains strength. (Newts love it mind.) I find barley straw extract or a bale of barley straw seems to keep it in check until the plants get going.

For plants I have hornwort, in the depths, Rose Arey lillies (vedry pretty pink ones with very pleasant aniseed type scent), water hawthorn (although that can get a little rampant) and ivy leaf duck weed (about the only safe duck weed to have unless you like looking at a green blanket.) In the margins I have Pontederia Cordata and Iris Laevigata Variegata. I did try growing water violets but my snails loved them and as soon as I placed them in the pond they ate the lot within a week!

If you have fish then you'll probably need about 2/3 of the surface taken up by plants unless you have a pump and filter or similar.

My tadpoles are fed on raw braising steak which the wife finds really creepy for some reason!