Are fish bad for a wildlife pond?

[acherontia]

I noticed the other day that my wildlife pond (made last year) had an adult male stickleback in it. I'm not sure that he has a 'friend' but I think not as he's not sitting over eggs/fry and fanning them.

Now - I've heard a few reports that fish in a wildlife pond is bad news and the kiss of death for allsorts of other creatures. My pond is not very large (approx 6 square meters) so I'm not sure whether it would support a diversity of life that includes fish - especially not if a female stickleback arrives by bird!

Do you reckon I should take the little chap to a bigger pond where he can meet a lady stickleback and produce young in a less precarious environment?

Acherontia

[The Woodman]

If the male Stickleback arrived in your pond "naturally" then I would accept it as part of a wildlife pond and see what develops.

When I emptied my small pond early this year after freezing virtually solid, I was amazed to find seven dead frogs and a small number of Sticklebacks decomposing in the mud.

I didn't put the Sticklebacks in there, but occassionally add native plants so can only theorise how they came to be in the pond.

After all, they are a native species adapted to small water bodies and before the mortality, fogs and newts bred successfully in the pond.

Keep the male and watch what happens.

[aeshna5]

It's usually adviced not to have fish in a "wildlife" pond- they will obviously feed on other organisms, but in my experience many ponds with fish still have healthy populations of amphibia, dragonflies + all the other pond life.

I would be tempted to leave him if he turned up without your help.

[acherontia]

I suspect he arrived in a bucket of pond water/weed as fry from a very large pond elsewhere.
Having said that it's highly likely that fish may arrive anyway because we are surrounded by rivers (a confluence)/streams and ditches that are teeming with life.
The main aim of our pond is to provide a 'water corridor' within the village to counteract all the paving etc that's going on where new expensive housing seems to be taking over.
Do you think there should there be some human intervention and management to stop the nymphs etc being eaten by fish? It's a very complex world we live in trying to be green. Cue song......

Acherontia

[froglet]

Yes,fish are bad in a wildlife pond,especially if you are wanting tadpoles and young newts to survive.Also,fish need a pump,amphibians don't.However when it comes to the insect life,the young amphibians will eat a certain amount,that is their dietary requirement to grow big and strong!!

Personally,although the stickleback won't do much damage i would put it back in a stream where it should live,where there are others.

[Cazzie]

I'd leave the stickleback where he is for now. I had a pond a few years back (only 5ft x 4) and the sticklebacks bred successfully and so did the frogs and everything else!

Must admit that I personally wouldn't stock a wildlife pond with fish, but if they 'turn up' then leave it to nature eh I found sticklebacks absolutely fascinating to watch and spent hours watching their mating rituals, nest building and behaviour - loved'em!

[acherontia]

Originally Posted by Cazzie

I'd leave the stickleback where he is for now. I had a pond a few years back (only 5ft x 4) and the sticklebacks bred successfully and so did the frogs and everything else!

Must admit that I personally wouldn't stock a wildlife pond with fish, but if they 'turn up' then leave it to nature eh I found sticklebacks absolutely fascinating to watch and spent hours watching their mating rituals, nest building and behaviour - loved'em!

I'd be tempted to keep it there but as it appears to be on its own I think perhaps it will go back from whence it probably came - if I can catch it!
Quite a few years ago when I had another wildlife pond I spent most of one spring watching the male in his electric courting colours ceaselessly fanning his little nest of eggs and then fry. Fascinating indeed!

Cheers all!

Acherontia