Wildlife Pond

[Tiggsy]

Got a corner of the garden wifey says i can put a pond in - for wildlife only .... frogs, etc. NO FISH!

SO - anyone done one and any tips? Hope is that it can be super low maintenace and self filtering via heavy planting.

[Simpo Two]

It needs to be a certain size before it will be anything like a self-sustaining ecosystem.

So you may as well just chuck a supermarket trolley in it now and have done

[Tiggsy]

why? if excess nutrients are absorbed by plants it should self filter.

[cerbfan]

Does not need to be that big, Dad has one that is about 3m dia and is completely self sustaining. He has Frogs and Newts in his.

Good mate also has one less that half the size of this and he has Frogs, Newts, Toads and Ducks try and lay eggs beside it every year but he always tries to dissuade them, no filters or pumps for either of them.

[Tiggsy]

cerbfan said:

Does not need to be that big, Dad has one that is about 3m dia and is completely self sustaining. He has Frogs and Newts in his.

Good mate also has one less that half the size of this and he has Frogs, Newts, Toads and Ducks try and lay eggs beside it every year but he always tries to dissuade them, no filters or pumps for either of them.

And how does the water look - if well balanced is it nice and clear or dark gloop?

[cerbfan]

My Dads is nice and clear, was pond dipping in it at the weekend. Not sure about my mates as not been there for a while but I know the Newts have recently moved in and he has 3 or 4 of them now, water looked nice when I was there last year.

I think the water in my forthcoming ponds should look after themselves as they will be a good but larger.

[richyb]

I would say avoid any spots with lots of overhanging vegetation. Consider have a 'step' with one shelf about 30cm deep then the other a metre+ deep (will help over wildlife over winter. Not too many plants in the pond and leave an area of long grass around it. Maybe some thin mesh over the shallows.

[otolith]

One thing to consider is that most natural ponds will not have clear water all summer long - the ideal we have of permanently clear ornamental ponds is pretty unnatural.

[Tiggsy]

otolith said:

One thing to consider is that most natural ponds will not have clear water all summer long - the ideal we have of permanently clear ornamental ponds is pretty unnatural.

Sure, I'm after wild nt fancy.....just want to make rue wild isn't rank!