ponds

[bran goesgoch]

Apologies if I come across as sounding contrary, but isn’t the very existence of fish in ponds supposed to be there as if to play their part in nature? I was always led to believe that a healthy pond needs fish, even if it’s simply for the purpose of balancing things out. For instance, as fish eat the grubs etc that you are referring to, then in turn the fish themselves become prey to the likes of herons etc. Just my thought on the matter.

[tom00_uk]

most fish ponds are stocked with the non natives and man made strains of carp etc

some fish have either a big appetite for the invertebrate life that makes the pond diverse or in the case of carp can stir up the silt in the pond and create a high level of turbidity that limits the amount of light getting through and so reducing the potentiating range of species through shortages of plankton algae at the base of the food chain

[Cowgirl]

I have two new ponds built last spring, one for koi & one wildlife, well until I saw some tiny little minnow type things & sticklebacks in it in the summer, not sure how they got in there! It's only shallow (72cm deep), would the 'natural' fish survive, plenty rocks & mud in it? Haven't seen anything from my Koi pond yet but I wouldn't expect to see any activity yet anyway,it's freezing up here! My water's rather silty anyway.

[tom00_uk]

for me if they were not added by your self then they should be left to their own devises

fish eggs will often be moved on plants and the feet of visiting water birds

ice cleared here a few days back though still got piles of snow that have been there since a week before xmas, though there are a number of frogs moving about the garden and making way to the pond

[Dogghound]

Its also worth noting that fish dont often live naturally in the size of pond we have in gardens. More so in lakes and rivers.

[RED]

The large (Approx 60x70 metre) lake at my local nature reserve is still predominantly frozen over. I couldn't believe it !!



No snow anywhere near here (Except the odd bit left in carparks where it's been ploughed in a big pile) so was very suprised to see it.
The only visible casualties were worms and leeches around the thawed edges of the lake but nothing much else to see there except a small mammal I caught a glimpse of as it ran into the undergrowth.