Newt in my small garden pond

[Mercury00]

I had tadpoles in my small pond a while back, so I switched the filter off to stop them being sucked in. Every few days I'd fish some out with a net to see how they were doing, and in doing so I one day caught a really healthy-looking newt. I don't want to disturb it, but the pond is getting a bit manky now and could do with cleaning out, or at the very least switching the filter on. Is it safe to do so?

Thanks.

[Simon_GH]

Newts are lovely little creatures. At risk of being completely unhelpful, it all depends on how strong the suction is on the pump for your filter. I suspect the newt will be fine because most filters must be compatible with fish.

[tvrolet]

This is Newton from our pond. We also have Canewt and many others. No idea how they got there as we’re miles away from any natural pond.

[hidetheelephants]

Any pumps I've seen have strainer/filters that are fine enough to stop tadpoles getting minced unless they've literally just hatched, the flow rate is usually low to prevent it clogging quickly anyway.

[Mercury00]

Thanks for the advice, I did switch the filter back on after checking the pump inlet. It was completely covered with a fine grate, so no chance of him being sucked in

Edited by Mercury00 on Sunday 3rd May 15:57

[hidetheelephants]

Remembering this from last week; you're sure it's definitely a newt and not something more exotic?

[Smint]

Gussie Fink-Nottle is the chap to ask.

One of the 3 large ponds on the estate my father worked at was stocked with newts, they didn't look quite like that little chap though a somewhat lighter in colour.

[Mercury00]

Just to update: I cleaned the pond out and switched the pump back on. It obviously didn't disturb them - I now have three adult newts, plus some tiny baby newts



The pic was taken when I emptied the pond.

[Mr Squarekins]

tvrolet said:

This is Newton from our pond. We also have Canewt and many others. No idea how they got there as we re miles away from any natural pond.

The Newt in our garden is called Issac (Newton).

[hidetheelephants]

Next door's pond is full of newt tadpoles some way behind yours in development, presumably because we're in the frozen north.

[Huzzah]

We had loads last year, not so many this. Many dragonflies though............

[Mercury00]

hidetheelephants said:

Next door's pond is full of newt tadpoles some way behind yours in development, presumably because we're in the frozen north.

Oh, the little fella in the photo wasn't one of the babies. The babies are currently still brown tadpoles with googly eyes