Pond Ecology and what to put in

[inastate]

I have had a nature pond in the UK for years now. The frogs are currently spawning and I think I'm going to clean it out (for the first time in a long time) before the tadpoles come out.

However, all that I've ever really put in there is frogspawn/snails and a couple of plants. I've got a few questions.

1. How extensive is the ecosystem of my pond likely to be. Will there really be anything in there apart from the frogs/snails? What?

2. What type of animal (not plant) species could I add to a UK pond to give it more life. I'd also want them to feed on plants/microbes/algae or whatever and NOT other creatures in the pond. Are there any shrimps or anything else that you could add to give it a bit life?

[Kayleigh]

The wildlife should find you without you putting any thing in there. We have dragonfly larvae water boatmen, leeches, shrimp things, frogs, Toads, water snails, Newts they all came of their own free will and in the plant roots from the garden centre.
There must lots of things in the bottom you don't know you have got.

[Gill Catton]

Absolutely can only repeat what has been said the wildlife will find you!! You'll be amazed at what turns up year upon year, you could possibly kick start the process if your pond is quite new, by asking your local wildlife trust of you can take a bucket of water from a pond they recommended, this will be full of microbes and in the summer possibly invertebrate larvae too and would quickly give your pond a good sound base to it's food web - I'm advising that you consult the wildlife trust so they can direct you to a pond that doesn't hold invasive species....

[inastate]

I'm sure it's full of microbes, had fish, snails and tadpoles surviving in there for years. Plan to put some of the old water back in to keep things going.

Would wonder how things could just appear in there mind, although we managed to get duckweed from somewhere after a couple of years. Also seen some kind of weird, grey flat worm in there.

I seem to remember looking in rivers when I was younger and finding small shrimps under rocks, are there any shrimps that I could add that wouldn't end up mauling tadpoles.

[Kayleigh]

I have shrimps things like water wood lice I don't know where they came from or how they got in there.

[Paul mabbott]

Water slaters, the only freshwater crustaceans - Amphipoda, sort of sideways woodlice!
It is fascinating how anything gets into a pond which, by definition, is an isolated small body of water.
One obvious way is that they come in on the roots of plants when people introduce these. The other common way is that they come in on the feet of birds - transferred from other water bodies.
But somethings appear in ponds which are a total mystery!

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

I have shrimps things like water wood lice I don't know where they came from or how they got in there.

[Lords and Ladies]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Water slaters, the only freshwater crustaceans - Amphipoda, sort of sideways woodlice!
It is fascinating how anything gets into a pond which, by definition, is an isolated small body of water.
One obvious way is that they come in on the roots of plants when people introduce these. The other common way is that they come in on the feet of birds - transferred from other water bodies.
But somethings appear in ponds which are a total mystery!

Coincidentally, last week I bought a pot of cotton grass for my bog garden and left it on a wall as I thought of where to put it. After a while I spotted something moving, presumably it didn't like being out of water, and it was a water slatter/water louse. Found three in total and put them in the pond.

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Water slaters, the only freshwater crustaceans - Amphipoda, sort of sideways woodlice!

I always thought water slaters were sort of right ways aquatic woodlice and the sort of sideways woodlice were freshwater shrimps! (the only freshwater crustaceans? what about crayfish )

Also has anyone ever had caddis flies (trichoptera (I think!)) in a garden pond. Dragonflies, mayflies and midges allways seem to turn up but never caddis flies.

Andy

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by AndyC

I always thought water slaters were sort of right ways aquatic woodlice and the sort of sideways woodlice were freshwater shrimps! (the only freshwater crustaceans? what about crayfish )

Also has anyone ever had caddis flies (trichoptera (I think!)) in a garden pond. Dragonflies, mayflies and midges allways seem to turn up but never caddis flies.

Andy

Andy you're right about the Water Slaters, Asellus, are Isopods (woodlice class), the others that are shrimp like are Gammarus type genera in another crustacean class. I was mystified by Paul's comment about being only freshwater crustacea, as there are many from planktonic types such as cladocera + ostracods, stuff like Daphnia for feeding fish up to crayfish you mentioned.