suitable container for pond

kay62jj · #1 (**permalink**) 01-05-2010, 01:22 PM

Hi - I'm new here and have just rescued some tadpoles that were trapped in a rapidly drying muddy puddle and want to provide a home. Is a plastic 'builders' type bucket a suitable container for starting a wildlife pond?

shenk1 · #2 (**permalink**) 02-05-2010, 09:46 AM

Anything can be ok I believe but if you are stuck for room try a half barrel,there have been a few threads on here about them (Kayleighs in particular) and you can buy sets of native plants specifically for them.
I'm sure someone will be along soon with a bit more advice

Good luck and well done for rescuing them.

Welcome to WAB

shenk1

Kayleigh · #3 (**permalink**) 02-05-2010, 04:45 PM

Blimey Im famous

Yes, make sure you put lots of oxygenating plants and make sure you put some bricks or a planter to the water level to create a shallow bit to allow them access out of the water and to stop them from drowning in deep water.

Kayleigh · #4 (**permalink**) 02-05-2010, 04:47 PM

I tried to edit to welcome you WAB but got page not found..
I see there are still issues..

kay62jj · #5 (**permalink**) 03-05-2010, 06:39 AM

Many thanks for all your advice. Have done as you suggested, especially providing an escape route as we have a large and long-established hedgehog population at the end of the garden and think their piglets are due soon! I'm hoping to attract all sorts of visitors to our little pond and maybe some of my taddies will return next year to lay the next generation!?! What a wonderful resource this site is - filled with kind and knowledgable people.

domiles1 · #6 (**permalink**) 07-05-2010, 01:23 PM

Its a bit late for me to reply now, sorry, but - make sure any container that has been used for anything before is CLEAN. Specially builders container where there might have been chemicals. Just to pass on mistakes I made as a child - make sure there is an easy exit for animals such as hedgehogs that might fall in (and, as mentioned, the froglets need to get out too), and make sure the volume and depth of water is great enough so it won't warm up in the sun and kill everything.

Kayleigh · #7 (**permalink**) 07-05-2010, 02:43 PM

When the tadpoles start to get bigger they will need feeding, the plants should be enough to start with but then feed with dried fish food flakes or better still try to get dried bloodworm as they will start to eat each other if you dont.

frogplate · #8 (**permalink**) 09-05-2010, 12:55 PM

We used a trug sunk into the ground with a pile of bricks at one side with flat stones on top to form a platform for sun-bathing / climbing out. The trug pond has its own blog here with photos of how we built it.

We were worried about chemicals leaching from the plastic, but we are on our second generation of tadpoles with no apparent ill effects. Its in a shaded corner of the garden so doesn't get too hot.

Given the small water volume we do a daily water change of 8 litres with water from the main pond. This stops nitrate build up, stops the water stagnating and transfers suitable prey for when the tadpoles become carnivorous. We then top up the main pond. This means that any chlorine from the tap water evaporates before it goes in the trug pond and upsets the tadpoles.

Kayleigh · #9 (**permalink**) 09-05-2010, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frogplate

We used a trug sunk into the ground with a pile of bricks at one side with flat stones on top to form a platform for sun-bathing / climbing out. The trug pond has its own blog here with photos of how we built it.

We were worried about chemicals leaching from the plastic, but we are on our second generation of tadpoles with no apparent ill effects. Its in a shaded corner of the garden so doesn't get too hot.

Given the small water volume we do a daily water change of 8 litres with water from the main pond. This stops nitrate build up, stops the water stagnating and transfers suitable prey for when the tadpoles become carnivorous. We then top up the main pond. This means that any chlorine from the tap water evaporates before it goes in the trug pond and upsets the tadpoles.

That looks really pretty and the frogs look happy too...

frogplate · #10 (**permalink**) 09-05-2010, 06:52 PM

Yup, the frogs seem to like it. We've had a 1,000 litre pond for about 15 years, but it has a relatively high wall around it and it was only a couple of years ago that the first frogs (a couple of juveniles) turned up to investigate.

This year we have counted three adults, three juveniles and at least seven of last year's froglets around the garden. But we still haven't worked out how they get in and out of the main pond with apparent ease!

Beginning to worry now whether this small garden will be able to provide enough food for our growing frog population... Might have to start borrowing slugs from our neighbours!