Comments on: How to make a really good wildlife pond (3): the pictures

By: Elaine Kneller

Elaine Kneller — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:14:32 +0000

Hello Pat, sorry I missed your post earlier, i hope some of the “experts” can give you advice, I am a new pond owner, so cannot really advise, other than the pre-formed ponds seem to be fairly deep and do not have graduated edges, which the wildlife seems to prefer. We have one very small preformed pond, which is nearly 2 years old, had frogs in last summer but nothing since. Our newly built pond (using liners) is more graduated depth wise and will, hopefully, be better for any frogs/toads/newts that visit next spring.

Sorry I cannot be of more help though. I do hope you get response from lots of the posters who were about here last year, but seem to have disappeared now.

By: Elaine Kneller

Elaine Kneller — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:54:54 +0000

Hi Rachel, that is good and I hope all your tadpoles survive. I was feeling very envious of your frogspawn, with it being a new pond. I would have done the same thing too, rescuing the spawn. So exciting to hear. Has your pond still got green algae in? Ours has, but hope it clears soon. Fortunately we have had some rain recently and it has topped it up nicely. Good luck with yours, hope we can keep in touch and compare notes. x

By: Rachel

Rachel — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:17:20 +0000

Well we walk our dog up the back of a small mountain sometimes and we noted a small pond had appeared but as the days went by it was getting drier and drier until it was a tiny puddle (with tractor wheel marks throught it!) and there was a clump of frog spawn in it which looked a bit worse for wear. Also a number of dead frogs. So we scooped up the bit of frog spawn and dumped it in our pond, didnt think it would do well but now there are thousands of tiny tadpoles! When we went back a few days later the puddle had gone. I dont know if the tadpoles will all survive but if they do we will have an infestation!

By: Elaine Kneller

Elaine Kneller — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:25:00 +0000

Wow, I envy you your tadpoles, did you put the spawn in yourselves, or did the frogs find it. We have not had any spawn. All we put in was oxygenating plants, an iris and junca something or other. We did put some oxygenating grassy plant in, but the birds kept taking it all out to use for their nests, so we put those in water and kept it in the greenhouse until the birds have finished. We will buy some more plants in May.

Keep us informed as to your progress. (we seem to be the only two active participants here). Hope we get others soon, as it is good to compare notes.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:08:17 +0000

Hi Elaine,

Thanks so much for your reply. We have loads of tadpoles in it now and we will put in some more plants when the weather is a bit warmer soon. Thanks again for the information.

By: Elaine Kneller

Elaine Kneller — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:26:22 +0000

Hi Rachel, we have had one small pond for nearly 2 years, no pumps or electric in that, it was a bit murky to start off with, but once the oxygenating plants start working, I am sure yours will clear. You will probably get some sort of algae in there,but get a long cane and put a nail in the end, then just twirl it amongst the algae and it should be easy to remove.

We have also just started off another larger pond (see questions above). Still awaiting some answers, but ours is now getting a bit green in parts, the algae is attaching itself to the plants and planters, but we got some ramshorn snails from the aquatic centre, These should help to control algae too. If you are wanting to keep your pond purely as a wildlife pond, then it should be great to leave without any water movement. I think it is only people with fish, that need some sort of fountain/water movement.

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:20:24 +0000

Great to see such info in one place! I have a boggy area in the corner of a paddock and a rill running across it to an old well on the other side of the paddock. Puddling in left a great deal of grass growing up through. A liner just floated up as there is a spring in the neighbouring field feeding my boggy bit. I have made a shape, about 5m by 4m which has filled nicely, had newts etc. last year, but the grass is impossible (for me) to pull out completely so it has taken over. Any suggestions other than putting a preformed pond on top of the lot, which doesn’t seem very ‘wildlife’. Advice would be really appreciated.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 14:08:44 +0000

HI,

We just built a pond – it doesnt get a lot of sun and it has only been filled with water for about 6 weeks. It is already looking a bit murky (which I dont mind) but people keep commenting that I need movement in the water (waterfall or feature) or a pump or it will get stagnant. Is this true? I dont know what to do _ dont want it to be smelly and stagnant but I dont want to run electricity to it either.

By: Elaine Kneller

Elaine Kneller — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 15:41:56 +0000

Hi Jeremy, we have just made a garden pond, (last week) and have not added any subsoil of any kind, so hope the planting of things willbe successful. It would be lovely to see your pond in further stages, from the ones above. Any chance of you putting new pictures up, so that we can all be encouraged by your progress?

By: Elaine Kneller.

Elaine Kneller. — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 14:08:27 +0000

We are just in the early stages of planning our wildlife pond, only going to be small, but love all he ideas here. I would also love to see a photograph of your pond as it is now. That would be brilliant.