Wildlife Pond help!

[MLife]

Hey guys.

Me and a few friends built a wildlife pond a few months ago, with the goal to create a stable, self-sustaining, ecossystem.

Initially, we tried to let the pond develop by itself. But seeing as we had no results, we decided to add plants by ourselves.

A few weeks later, frogs appeared! We were really happy, but, unfortunately, they left the pond...

Still, we can see quite a few tadpoles swimming in the water, and some other insects. The problem is that the water is run over by what I think are mosquito larvae.

My question is: why did the frogs left, knowing that they were in the pond 1-2 weeks? What can we do to control the mosquito larvae?

Here is a photo of the pond, if it helps:



Here's a photo of one of the frogs:



Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of the mosquito larvae. However, they arr about 1 cm long, black, and have that "wriggling" motion.

Thanks for the help guys!

[Ukwildlifeo]

do you have a bigger pic of the frog?

Looks almost like one of the water frogs, but I can't be sure from that pic.

The mosquito larvae will be reduced in number as other creatures colonise and start to eat them

[MLife]

Originally Posted by Ukwildlifeo

do you have a bigger pic of the frog?

Looks almost like one of the water frogs, but I can't be sure from that pic.

The mosquito larvae will be reduced in number as other creatures colonise and start to eat them

Unortunately, that's the only photo I've got : \

What surprises me is that the frogs ran off to another pond in the area (an artificial one), with a water filter and a "ceiling" to cover the pond with a big shadow. Could this be the reason they left?

Another thing: is it bad if, after all this time, the water is still a murky-brown?

Any suggestions to improve the pond will be really appreciated

[GCN lova]

Originally Posted by MLife

Unortunately, that's the only photo I've got : \

What surprises me is that the frogs ran off to another pond in the area (an artificial one), with a water filter and a "ceiling" to cover the pond with a big shadow. Could this be the reason they left?

Another thing: is it bad if, after all this time, the water is still a murky-brown?

Any suggestions to improve the pond will be really appreciated

when a pond is built the water colours usually murky. it should settle though i have seen ponds with clayish mud having the colour of your pond's water. it didnt settle but still there were newts and frogs and dragonfly nymphs. PS: your frog looks like a water frog as previously mentioned, pool, edible or marsh frogs.

[dampflippers]

Wow! a great project and a grea pond.
Don't worry, it will clear soon.
Mosquito larvae aren't a problem. They are the creatures at the bottom of the food chain and will encourage more exciting things like newts, dragonfly larvae and water beetles.

I thought the frog looked something different from a common frog. I'm glad you got some spawn and tadpoles.
Next year, if there is more pondweed they are more likely to spawn.
Otherwise frogs and toads only tend to stay in the water fro breeding, although male common frogs may hang a round.
Newts will stay in the water longer, so when it clears, go out at night with a torch.

Personally I wouldn't add any fish at all as they will reduce amphibian populations by eating spawn and tadpoles/larvae.

Good luck with it. Try to just add native plant species.

[MLife]

Thanks for the help guys!

I'm glad that the water color and the mosquito larvae aren't a problem. Can you see the water plant on the right corner of the pond? We brought that from the place we think the frogs came. As soon as we planted it, it grew al over the place, which attracted lots more wildlife.

There's just one (actually, two) things that worry me: this past week I've seen lots of tadpoles in the water, some (10 maybe?) already with legs. But yesterday I went to the pond and I couldn't see ANY of them. Normally, if I stirred the water just a little, they would turn up. But now, I can't find them. Is it possible that they are just hiding or did something else happen?

The other thing that worries me is that summer is coming up and the pond will dry up, which is a shame, seeing as it was just starting do develop naturally

[dampflippers]

How big is it? It's quite difficult to tell the scale.

You can top it up from a water butt if there is one available. I have attached a length of hose from the tap on mine. Is it a clay lined pond, or a liner covered with clay?

[MLife]

Right now, it's still raining as hell down here, so I think the pond will survive at least one or two months more. Should I look for a water butt already?

Another option I've discussed is filling the pond with water from a well in the nearby area but in the summer the well will also start to dry up..

The dimensions of the pond are about 5x2.5m

[Kayleigh]

It looks like you need a lot of oxygenating plants in it to help keep the water fresh and clear..
I threw about 10 bunches into my small 10ft x 3ft pond.
then had marginals and some deep water plants..
3 marsh marigolds and some yellow flag iris..

[King Edward]

I don't think submerged aquatics will do very well with so much clay suspended in the water. There's a lot of bare clay around the pond which doesn't look great and will presumably get washed in when it rains. You could sow/plant it up with grass, perhaps with various grassland wildflowers added? That would stabilise the soil and also provide a good wildlife habitat around the pond, especially if left uncut for most of the year and allowed to grow out from the edges into the water.

How deep is the pond? Drying up isn't necessarily a problem, especially if it's later in the year when the tadpoles have grown up and left. Many animals/plants can either survive in the mud or migrate elsewhere until it fills again. Some species actually benefit from this, although it does depend on how quickly it dries up and for how long.

I wouldn't worry too much about the mosquito larvae - their numbers should reduce in future years as the pond develops and acquires a greater number of predators that will control their numbers.