pond with waterfall

[boltscroft]

We have a pond in our garden that has a pump feeding a waterfall, water then flows as a little stream back to the p;ond.We also have at least one frog. The water fall doesn't run 24/7 simply when we want the 'effect' on a summers day. From a frog's point of view Is this a bad idea? should we have the pump/water fall running constantly which may keep the pond cleaner. I have asked the frog but get little reposnse
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[froglet]

I have never had a pump in my nature pond.They are not compatible with frogs/tadpoles and newts because there is a real risk of them being sucked in(i have seen it myself in my fish pond with a poor newt.)The pond will stay fresh if you have plenty of healthy plant life.So long as you don't have fish in there then you CAN run the pump occasionally when you want,perhaps in a really hot day it would be ok but as i say,i have never had one and my pond is brimming with life.Do you have mud at the bottom of the pond? in which case you will very soon find the pump gets blocked up anyway.

[boltscroft]

Froglet
Thanks for taking the time to reply. The screen on the pump is very fine so I don't think there is much danger of amphibians being sucked into it. The pond does have soil and leaf matter in the bottom, brought in by the 'stream' and yes the filter does get clogged after about 15 mins (even though the pump is sat on rocks some 4" above the pond bottom.) Don't have fish.

We'll probably stick to the current system and leave the frog(s) in as much peace as possible.

[Kayleigh]

I have heard pumps and filters kill wildlife like the small critters you get at the bottom...
I don't think wildlife likes moving water anyway I have just plants in mine no pump or filter..

Welcome to WAB..

[Tursiops2]

I don't know what sort of impact pumps have on wildlife, but there is no particular incompatibility between a waterfall and pondlife in general. On the contrary, a waterfall can be beneficial by oxygenating and cooling the water, and if it's constructed properly will actually increase the range of habitats available.

I doubt if the frog will be bothered whatever you do
T2

[froglet]

A gentle trickle from a waterfall is ok,it is just the pump that can do the damage.When you have a strong fountain from a pump that is in a small pond falling heavily on lily leaves,then that will be detrimental to the plants.If you have an external pump,then no problem.I think the best solution is the solar pump that floats on the surface and just aerates the water on a hot day.

[Bullseye]

My pond is "split level" so I need a pump to move water from lower to upper pond with a small fountain as a bleed off (the Mrs likes it,so it has to be !),I've got Common,Marsh and Edible frogs all quite happy in it,plus hundreds of newt taddies,damselfly and dragonfly larvae ,some dead frog taddies collect near the pump but I'm sure this is the result of the dragonfly larvae eating them,froglets are crawling out now so plenty survive.The fountain also helps to keep the duckweed down a bit.I also put tropical fish in it in a warm summer,to see one inch fish swimming up a six inch weir is quite remarkable !