pond beetles, please help

[tara-pepe]

Hi, I have installed 2 ponds and was leaving one as a wildlife pond, however whan one of our fish was hurt we moved her in, due to bullying from others! I discovered what I think was the larvae of a great diving beetle in the pond today, grey shrimp like insect with tail raised over back. I have moved him to the open ditch. There are a lot of shiny smallish black beetles about with 2 longer legs each side, also tiny brownish versions of same. Anyone know what these are and if my fish are in danger from them?

Thanks
Tara-Pepe

[Wild-Woman]

If you have Great Diving Beetle-wonderful! The others sound like backswimmers or water boatmen.
I would be very pleased to have a wildlife pond with a good balanced ratio of prey and predators.

I would say it depends on the size of your fish to the beetles as to whether it is at risk.

[Dogghound]

Unless you are breeding the fish or they are minnow/stickleback sized you will be fine, sounds like the larva of one of the Dytiscidae or water beetles. What size was the larva? Yes the others sound like water boatmen which are a member of the Notonectidae family they arnt beetles but bugs. They pose no threat to your fish although if large enough your fish will eat them.

[m1.carson]

Hi,

I've read that a greater pond beetle will nip a larger fish and possibly infection will set in, don't take this as gospel but.

Max.

[welshie]

could it be a Dragon fly nymph?

[Gill Catton]

there are lots and lots of different water beetles, many of these are black and shiny with longer hing legs used for propulsion. These are unlikely to be any risk to your fish.

Your larva could be a greater diving beetle and this species is only any kind of serious risk if your fish is a baby - sort of stickleback size.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by m1.carson

Hi,

I've read that a greater pond beetle will nip a larger fish and possibly infection will set in, don't take this as gospel but.

Max.

Ive never herd of this type of behaviour before, i carnt see any reason why this would be done, if anything it is just attracting a larger predator to the beetle.

[werdnal]

Originally Posted by welshie

could it be a Dragon fly nymph?

I was just about to post the same. Dragon fly nymphs are grey brown and raise their tails. They eat other waterlife, sometimes small tadpoles and would possibly take goldfish fry when they are really small, but shouldn't really harm larger fish.

I would say your goldfish is more likely a threat to the other water life in the pond!

[tara-pepe]

Thanks everyone for you advice. The goldfish is about 7" long so sounds like she will be ok whilst she recovers. She does seem to have developed a taste for the smaller beetles as there are fewer about. I have had a look on different sites and it does appear to be a diving beetle nymph that we found, grey coloured, and there are more of them in the ditch. Hopefully the goldfish will return to the other pond soon as it is fascinating to see what arrives and survives in the wildlife pond, frogs and a blue dragonfly. First I have ever seen a dragonfly on our land.
Thanks again
Tara-Pepe

[naturelover]

Originally Posted by tara-pepe

Thanks everyone for you advice. The goldfish is about 7" long so sounds like she will be ok whilst she recovers. She does seem to have developed a taste for the smaller beetles as there are fewer about. I have had a look on different sites and it does appear to be a diving beetle nymph that we found, grey coloured, and there are more of them in the ditch. Hopefully the goldfish will return to the other pond soon as it is fascinating to see what arrives and survives in the wildlife pond, frogs and a blue dragonfly. First I have ever seen a dragonfly on our land.
Thanks again
Tara-Pepe

hi while on the subject of wildlife ponds,i have a wildlife water feature has millions of creepy cralies in it,trouble is i get so much algi growing in it,is there any thing out there that will get rid without killing the water life,i have barley straw in it but it dosnt seem to do much.