| | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
1
|
2
| |
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
| |
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
| |
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
| |
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|  » Stats |
Members: 50,172
Threads: 82,383
Posts: 853,532
Top Poster: glsammy (15,069)
| | Welcome to our newest member, lemajanyvb | |  | | 
10-09-2011, 02:34 PM
|  | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: North London
Posts: 466
| | | Frogs visiting the pond
A few weeks ago we had to finally bite the bullet and dredge the pond... it had progressed beyond disgusting to scary, (I was sure that something huge and weird was mutating down there.  )
It had about 5-6 inches of black water at the top... and about 2 foot of debris and slurry beneath that. The landlord told us that as far as he knew, it hadn't been cleaned in about 15 years.  I won't describe the smell. You might be eating whilst reading this. 
We syphoned off the bit of water at the top slowly, and watched for any signs of life as it receded... I caught 2 very small and slightly misshapen froglets, (one had only three legs, the other couldn't swim very well) and two toadpoles who are now happily (well, I hope they're happy) swimming in a huge glass bowl and eating goldfish food.
It took two days to get it all cleaned out, and I have to confess I felt a bit reluctant to refill it- after the nightmare we had getting it empty.  I was thinking how a sunken garden would be nice! 
It's been refilled about five days now... I wanted to give the chlorine time to dissipate before putting the new plants in, (due to arrive next week- hornwort, Marsh Pennywort, and Water Fringe) and today we had some frogs pay it a visit. I put some rocks back in so that they could find their way back out again, and hopefully they'll come back once the plants arrive and it's a bit more habitable for them.   |
10-09-2011, 05:39 PM
|  | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants.
Posts: 11,628
| | | Re: Frogs visiting the pond
Check the penny wart and it it at all looks like this do NOT put it in your pond I had do dredge my pond last week as the pennywart covered the pond and killed all life beneath I have now removed every little bit of it and now have a healthy pond.. http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=mar...w=1366&bih=592
This stuff should be banned... 
This is my pond now the frogs love it.  |
10-09-2011, 06:07 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Sandbach, Cheshire
Posts: 1,310
| | | Re: Frogs visiting the pond
Well done Jaelen the frogs,newts and toads need all the help they can get, in my road I know of three ponds which have been filled in.
__________________
Tempus fugit - time flies. |
11-09-2011, 05:28 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Sittingbourne, Kent
Posts: 634
| |  Re: Frogs visiting the pond
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaelen  A few weeks ago we had to finally bite the bullet and dredge the pond... it had progressed beyond disgusting to scary, (I was sure that something huge and weird was mutating down there. )
It had about 5-6 inches of black water at the top... and about 2 foot of debris and slurry beneath that. The landlord told us that as far as he knew, it hadn't been cleaned in about 15 years. I won't describe the smell. You might be eating whilst reading this.
We syphoned off the bit of water at the top slowly, and watched for any signs of life as it receded... I caught 2 very small and slightly misshapen froglets, (one had only three legs, the other couldn't swim very well) and two toadpoles who are now happily (well, I hope they're happy) swimming in a huge glass bowl and eating goldfish food.
It took two days to get it all cleaned out, and I have to confess I felt a bit reluctant to refill it- after the nightmare we had getting it empty. I was thinking how a sunken garden would be nice!
It's been refilled about five days now... I wanted to give the chlorine time to dissipate before putting the new plants in, (due to arrive next week- hornwort, Marsh Pennywort, and Water Fringe) and today we had some frogs pay it a visit. I put some rocks back in so that they could find their way back out again, and hopefully they'll come back once the plants arrive and it's a bit more habitable for them. | Awesome im really happy for you!
__________________
http://gardenlife-sittingbourne.blogspot.com/ |
11-09-2011, 06:31 PM
| | Member of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: North London
Posts: 466
| | | Re: Frogs visiting the pond
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayleigh Check the penny wart and it it at all looks like this do NOT put it in your pond I had do dredge my pond last week as the pennywart covered the pond and killed all life beneath I have now removed every little bit of it and now have a healthy pond..
This stuff should be banned... | That's a bit worrying, Kayleigh... I have researched the plant a bit more, (the first search I did was for pond plants native to Britain) and this one was supposed to be- it turns out that there is another variety of pennywort that seems to come from North and South America, and it is invasive. It's Latin name is Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, (Floating Pennywort) while the native one is Hydrocotyle vulgaris, (Marsh Pennywort.)
The trouble is, they are very similar- and pond plant suppliers are selling the N. American one as British native. 
From the photos, I can't tell them apart... I hope I got the right one, but I'll put it in a pond basket and watch it- if it starts to go barmy I'll pull it out.
Thanks for the warning! I had no idea that they were so alike. |
11-09-2011, 07:06 PM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants.
Posts: 11,628
| | | Re: Frogs visiting the pond
Quote:
Originally Posted by jaelen That's a bit worrying, Kayleigh... I have researched the plant a bit more, (the first search I did was for pond plants native to Britain) and this one was supposed to be- it turns out that there is another variety of pennywort that seems to come from North and South America, and it is invasive. It's Latin name is Hydrocotyle ranunculoides, (Floating Pennywort) while the native one is Hydrocotyle vulgaris, (Marsh Pennywort.)
The trouble is, they are very similar- and pond plant suppliers are selling the N. American one as British native.
From the photos, I can't tell them apart... I hope I got the right one, but I'll put it in a pond basket and watch it- if it starts to go barmy I'll pull it out.
Thanks for the warning! I had no idea that they were so alike. | If it was me I would bin it and cut my losses as I never want to see this plant ever again it roots in the sides as it has roots all over the stems one tiny bit will spread.
I still keep pulling it out when I see it..
Hope your pond is dong well and keep taking pics of your frogs and whatever turns up it gives me hours of pleasure.. |
12-09-2011, 10:05 AM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: South East
Posts: 1,169
| | | Re: Frogs visiting the pond
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayleigh Check the penny wart and it it at all looks like this do NOT put it in your pond I had do dredge my pond last week as the pennywart covered the pond and killed all life beneath I have now removed every little bit of it and now have a healthy pond.. marsh pennywort - Google Search
This stuff should be banned...
This is my pond now the frogs love it. | Oh my goodness, I have some leaves that look like that - they appeared in a plant that I was donated from a friend. I will have to take some photos and post them for proper identification. Kayleigh, you have really worried me now!!! |
12-09-2011, 10:10 AM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants.
Posts: 11,628
| | | Re: Frogs visiting the pond
It killed my pond so take every tiny bit out you see..sorry to be an alarmist but its been in my pond for 5 years and the only way I could get rid of it was to drain the pond after it all went black and the tadpoles newtpoles and toadpoles all died. |
12-09-2011, 10:27 AM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: South East
Posts: 1,169
| | | Re: Frogs visiting the pond
That's terrible! Thanks for the warning. Right now there are only about 10 floating leaves, so it should be easy to remove them. But arent there different sorts?? Some are good for the pond and some terribly invasive?? The thing is, the plant that this pennywort appeared with came from a trusted source (a friend and neighbour with a lovely pond), and it does not seem that she is suffering from an invasion... I will try to identify the plant tonight, and if I am not quite sure will take photos and ask for more help tomorrow...
I never realized what DRAMAS can be involved in having a garden pond!!!
Jaeleen, you can be proud of yourself, supporting the toad/frog/newt population; they really need people like you! |
12-09-2011, 10:41 AM
| | Knight Grand Cross of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northants.
Posts: 11,628
| | | Re: Frogs visiting the pond
Quote:
Originally Posted by Billabong Karen That's terrible! Thanks for the warning. Right now there are only about 10 floating leaves, so it should be easy to remove them. But arent there different sorts?? Some are good for the pond and some terribly invasive?? The thing is, the plant that this pennywort appeared with came from a trusted source (a friend and neighbour with a lovely pond), and it does not seem that she is suffering from an invasion... I will try to identify the plant tonight, and if I am not quite sure will take photos and ask for more help tomorrow...
I never realized what DRAMAS can be involved in having a garden pond!!!
Jaeleen, you can be proud of yourself, supporting the toad/frog/newt population; they really need people like you! | If you have had your plant a long time then it might not be the invasive one the floating pennywort wil take over and multiply very quickly sending roots into the water and rooting into the bank I threw some at the side of the pond and it even grew out of the water..
I don't know anything about the native one as I have only come across this awful alien species..
I cant see the native one being invasive or it would be known about as it would contaminate the waterways.. | | | |
| Thread Tools | | | | Display Modes |  Linear Mode |
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
| | |
| » New Wildlife Posts | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | » New Environment Posts | | | | | | | | | » New Activity Posts | | | | | | | | | » New Community Posts | | |  Spammers! Yesterday 01:53 PM 8 Replies, 189 Views | | | | | |
