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wild life pond
ivy tree
Posts: 26
I have a small garden and would love a small wildlife pond favourably one I don't have to dig out. Do wild life ponds have to have still water or could there be a small trickle or fountain? would this upset things like frogs or dragonfly's doing their thing and living happily. I do know not to put fish in, also is it to late to do one now?
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Hi Ivytree - no, you can have moving water, but in a small space that can be tricky to accomodate. It might be better to have two separate things if you'd like a fountain or stream. If you were clever - you could have a little rill or stream going in and out of the pond, with the water being circulated, but it depends on how good you are at construction!
You can use a container of some kind - wooden barrels are popular- but for wildlife, you need access for them, so it's good to site it next to something like a pile of logs, or rocks, or similar. Even a bed or border with a raised area would do, but it all needs to blend in nicely so that it doesn't look odd. Planting nearby is necessary anyway, so that any creatures feel safe going back and forth. You'd also need something in the pond for them to get back out.
You can make your pond at any time - the birds will use it very quickly for bathing and drinking, and insects of all kinds will also appear. All ready for next year's wildlife invasion
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Now is a good time to put in a pond, because you can let it fill with rainwater over the autumn/winter (especially if you have clean water from the roof you can collect). You can always add plants later (doesn't have to be planted immediately). Stillwater is generally best, in part because small creatures are at risk of being sucked up into pumps.
I am always recommending that people don't dig ponds too deep - about 12" maximum depth plus a range of shallower areas is perfectly fine. I think it's better to put digging out effort into making a pond wider rather than deeper, plus you don't need quite so much pond liner.
You wouldn't want fish in a very small or shallow pond but I can assure you that they will not affect wildlife in a pond that is big enough for them.
You're right Posy - in a big pond, there's room for everyone. Including people!
I speak from experience....my daughter had a swim in our previous one
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Last edited: 27 September 2017 10:27:23
This just isn't true at all. Fish can have a considerable effect on other pond wildlife - for instance, great crested newts are particularly affected because the larvae swim in open water and are very vulnerable to fish predation. Frog tadpoles are also readily eaten, and a lot of invertebrates are also badly affected by the presence of fish.
Goldfish and carp (both non-native) also have a big effect by rooting in the mud, which can have a big effect on water quality. Stickleback do very well in even small ponds, but breed up to very high population densities and eat a lot of invertebrates. Ponds without fish are generally a lot more interesting and diverse.
Take into consideration that most small natural ponds (i.e. up to the size of even pretty large garden ponds) will not have fish, and are important for a lot of species that are intolerant of fish. Fish-tolerant species tend to be more associated with larger ponds, lakes, streams and rivers, rather than small ponds.
Better not to import anything deliberately, except plants, since they can't make their own way in. Wildlife gardening is about supporting wildlife, not forcing it to live in a man-made environment for our entertainment.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. The OP (ivy tree) said - 'I do know not to put fish in', and also made it clear she/he doesn't want to dig one out.
It was Posy and me who mentioned fish. For the record, the previous pond we had was so deep and large, that there was enough wildlife to fill several 'standard sized' ponds. The fish were fed (we inherited them all) and they included a trout which had 'found it's way in' - how, we don't know. Couldn't move for frogs, toads, dragonflies etc. I think we had a very good balance in it. Or perhaps we should just have caught the fish and dispatched them....
Of course, the local foxes, buzzards, sparrowhawks etc, not to mention the speeding drivers, also accounted for the death of quite a lot of wildlife where we lived.
What I'm trying to say is - ponds bring a lot of pleasure, (don't see how that could be an issue anyway) as well as being helpful, so maybe it would be more helpful to encourage people to create one, no matter what size, shape or type.
Good luck with it ivy. Let us know how you get on, or if you need any other help
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Last edited: 27 September 2017 18:56:15
Thank you all I will let you know how it goes, I haven't made up my mind yet if its a dig out pond or barrel, my husband is hoping a barrel less work on his part lol But I now have your help folks to guided me in the right direction, Here's to the wild life!!
Last edited: 27 September 2017 19:05:37