moving newts to new pond

yeharrr · #1 (**permalink**) 13-05-2011, 04:45 PM

Hi, I have an established newt colony of about 27. They have been there for about 20 years. Anyway, the pond has been on its last legs for a while and now is loosing water at a rate of knots via may small holes. Old age and U.V. degradation. I am going to replace the rubber sheet liner with a rigid pond liner and give them all a nice new home, but when is best to do it. I think they have been breading recently and don't want to do them harm. Advice would be most appreciated.
Jamie.

dampflippers · #2 (**permalink**) 13-05-2011, 04:53 PM

The best time is late summer or autumn (eg October) when the efts have left the pond.
At the moment there may still be egss and will definitely be tiny newly hatched efts.
Until then, just make sure there is some water in and top up if necessary.

yeharrr · #3 (**permalink**) 13-05-2011, 05:00 PM

Thanks. October LOL, guess I am getting a new pond for my birthday then.

King Edward · #4 (**permalink**) 13-05-2011, 05:26 PM

If the pond is really falling apart too fast to keep topping up them you could relocate as much of the plants and water into temporary storage containers, buckets etc. while you redo the pond.

yeharrr · #5 (**permalink**) 13-05-2011, 06:49 PM

I have to top it up every two days, takes about an hour with a hose. I don't like using tap water, but the water butt just doesn't hold enough. I have had the newts out a few times in the past to dredge the bottom - that's how I know how many there are. The lillie roots just take up so much room they have to be excavated every three years. I'll leave it as long as I can.
NB. used to have frogs too, but the newts ate the tadpoles and the frogs died off of old age.

Shawit · #6 (**permalink**) 13-05-2011, 10:47 PM

I completely emptied my pond over Easter storing all plants, water and over 100 palmate newts in 2 children's paddling pools for 10 days. The newts carried on as normal in the paddling pools. With the ground so dry I don't think they were keen to go walkabouts outside the pond anyway.Undoubtedly I probably lost some efts.

I felt I had to empty the pond.My pond was in meltdown as a result, I believe, of being too deep.

My pond is not for fish. After reading advice on various sites I made my pond much shallower with shallow gently sloping shelves and a maximum depth of 42 cms. I wish I'd done it before. I haven't seen any preformed ponds that have the profile recommended by the advice I trusted.

Just don't use pond planting socks if you like the newts.

Kayleigh · #7 (**permalink**) 14-05-2011, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawit

I completely emptied my pond over Easter storing all plants, water and over 100 palmate newts in 2 children's paddling pools for 10 days. The newts carried on as normal in the paddling pools. With the ground so dry I don't think they were keen to go walkabouts outside the pond anyway.Undoubtedly I probably lost some efts.

I felt I had to empty the pond.My pond was in meltdown as a result, I believe, of being too deep.

My pond is not for fish. After reading advice on various sites I made my pond much shallower with shallow gently sloping shelves and a maximum depth of 42 cms. I wish I'd done it before. I haven't seen any preformed ponds that have the profile recommended by the advice I trusted.

Just don't use pond planting socks if you like the newts.

The best time to do any major work on ponds ideally is Oct.

dampflippers · #8 (**permalink**) 15-05-2011, 10:57 AM

What depth does it settle at when you don't top it up?
You could just leave it at this depth until you replace it.

yeharrr · #9 (**permalink**) 16-05-2011, 01:07 PM

Thanks, just read about planting socks! Will steer clear. Pond settles at about a foot. One end has a shallow sloping away from marginals, so yes, I will need to consider that. If I can't find a suitable rigid liner than I guess I will re-line with a membrane. Anyone know if there is a make that stands out from the rest?