pond without pump or filter

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by bigwig

Hi ..... we have 3 ponds and were thinking of adding fish to only 1 of the ponds. This pond is a terraced pond, so I don't think frogs/toads could climb up the sides to get in. I have been told that fish eat snail eggs and would help to prevent that pond from becoming overrun with snails. Hopefully, the other 2 ponds will find their own balance as regards the snails. have to say that I love the snails, find them very entertaining , but the ponds are not large enough to support hoardes of them.






Hi As the the ponds are basically large, plastic tubs they do not have sloping sides. But they do have baskets of plants sat on breeze blocks to create a sort of double step up out of the pond.

I love the snails, find them very entertaining , but the ponds are not large enough to support hoardes of them.

I leave my snails alone and have never been over run with them..
My pond is 10ft x 3ft, I think the newts and toads must control the snails

[bigwig]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I leave my snails alone and have never been over run with them..
My pond is 10ft x 3ft, I think the newts and toads must control the snails

Our little ponds are about 3ft in diameter and about 18 inches deep. The pond that is closest to the house and is a terraced pond has snails in. I don't think frogs/toads could get into that pond, so thats why I was worried about a large population of snails in a small pond.

The rockery pond does not have any snails yet, but a toad seems to have moved in today ( see my other post. ).

[galanthus]

Originally Posted by shutterbox

Yes Galanthus we created a long slope at one end of the pond with a pebble bottom leading to larger rocks and shallow water with lots of nooks and cranny's for the wildlife leading to a sunken Belfast sink the frogs use to spawn, this is surrounded by log piles that are full of insects.....JIM

I meant bigwig shuttebox Yours sounds fab.

[joey747]

hello everyone i am only 13 and i got board one school holidays so i built a small pond about 2ft wide and about a foot deep, it looks realy nice, i have a barley clump to keep algue away and have put some oxygenators in the pond. I was going to let the pond be for newts and frogs but i love fish so i got some sticklebacks from a nearby stream. i soon got board with them so i put them back.
I got 6 1" goldfish and yes golfish are messy but i just clean my pond out every month.

Is there anyway i can reduce the cleaning e.g put a bottom feeder or plant that eats poo or something?

[IbKaz]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Why put fish in a wildlife pond..They eat all the wildlife and the water will be harder to keep clean..

Its like having a wildlife garden then introducing a cat, top predator.

Hi Kayleigh.

I'm new to forum. It is a beautiful day out side but ive spent most of today browsing through posts. I'd be greatful if you or anyone else could advise me on my first post about my pond.

Though reading your above here has given me a great idea! That is to build a new pond for my fish, and leave my fairly established one as a wildlife pond.

oh also my pond at moment has only a very small pump.

[Kayleigh]

Hi IbKaz and welcome to WAB.....
I have been enjoying the nice weather as well...
Yes go for it a wildlife pond and fish pond the wildlife will use both lol....

[IbKaz]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

Hi IbKaz and welcome to WAB.....
I have been enjoying the nice weather as well...
Yes go for it a wildlife pond and fish pond the wildlife will use both lol....

Thanks for welcome. I did get come off PC and do an hour or so of gardening after I've had a week hols from work, using this time to as much outdoor work as poss, hence coming to this forum too for advice on my pond

This such an interesting forum, I think Im going to learn a lot here and apprieciate wildlife much more too.

Have a good weekend

[froglet]

I'm afraid i must take issue with the poster who stated that fish only grow to the size of their surroundings.This is a myth,fashioned by those who want to justify keeping them in small tanks/bowls etc.Their external skeletal growth may slow down but their internal organs don't so the end result is inevitable....suffering and death because they end up compressed inside the compromised skeleton .Even in a pond fish still need room to grow,as well as good filtration.

The keeping of orfe requires a lot of space.They are quick growing and fast swimmers.They also need to be in a shoal.One orfe on it's own in a small pond will be extremely stressed and won't survive for long.Mine are 18 inches long now.

Goldfish,and just a few, in a small pond will be fine and pretty to look at without causing problems,so long as you have filtration.I am a great believer in amphibians and fish not being suitable companions,not if you want to fulfill the needs of each species properly.