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Wildlife pond colour

lindamarygraylindamarygray Posts: 3
in Problem solving
My pond is situated in a bed that I have covered in wood chip. Surrounding the pond are large stones.  The water is brown, it must be leaching out of the wood. The pond has been in existence for about 2 months and so far no pond skaters or anything - there has been a black bird bathing in there though. I happened to read somewhere that woodchip turns the soil a tiny bit acidic, now I’m wondering if this is happening to the water? Does anyone have any idea? I’d have expected at least pond skaters by now! 
I’d appreciate any input. Thank you. 

Posts

  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    I have read before and applied myself the practice of seeding a new pond with a bunch of healthy pond ecosystem by adding to the pond I built a bucket of water that I collected from an established little pond I found nearby. The pond skaters and water beetles were visible in the new pond after a couple of weeks. The colour was something that I did not worry too much about but the water has become much clearer since some plants have established in the pond and are likely to be absorbing nutrients out of the pond water to make it less supportive of various algae that will naturally find there way into the water.

    Happy gardening!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    If you made it two months ago, assuming you’re in the UK, it’s been very cold. 

    The insects will come. 

    Have you put plants in the pond yet? 

    Do you have a pic? 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think you're trying to run before you can walk if you only put it in two months ago @lindamarygray - ie February. Nothing much happens at that time of year.  :)
    Give it a couple more months and you'll start to see wildlife activity, and pond life appearing. As @TheGreenMan says, you need plants in, and around, the pond to get the balance. Around the pond is just as important as in it, because wildlife needs nearby cover to feel safe using it. If you have shallow areas birds will use it a lot for bathing, and bees/wasps etc will drink there  :)
    Yes, you might get leaching from the woodchip, but there would need to be a huge amount of it, and it would also need to be a very small pond for it to make any great difference.
    It would make very little difference to the soil either unless you were adding it all the time, and even then it would be minimal. It would take tons of it to change the pH to any extent for any length of time.  :)
    A photo will certainly help.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    My pond is long established,  no green algae in the water, some filamentaceous algae in the early season, usually a clear brown colour.  No wood, no leaching, no problems.

    The pond skaters are waiting for a bit of warmth.

    All you need is patience.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • lindamarygraylindamarygray Posts: 3

  • lindamarygraylindamarygray Posts: 3
    There are about 6 plants in there which includes an oxygenater, 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    You can collect seeds from your Marsh Marigold and grow some more. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957
    Looks fine to me. I can only really see to the bottom of mine if the sun is blazing. 

    I would cover more of the liner around the sides when you get chance/can afford to as the sun slowly degrades it. 

    Also more plants around the edges (in the ground or in pots); that’s what I’m doing with mine this year. 

    If it helps, I only did mine last summer and I have seven newts in it already. Where the heck did they come from? 😂
  • TheGreenManTheGreenMan Posts: 1,957

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