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Bryn
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« Reply #120 on: 21:58:46, 07-05-2008 » |
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Richard, herpetologists are being driven to distraction by the high mortality level among the common frogs at the moment. Not sure whether the disease can transfer to newts though. Sounds like your pond needs a pretty good clean out though. Have you been using any naughty chemicals (including nitrogen fertilizers) on the surrouding area? No, you'd know better than that, wouldn't you? See, for instance, http://www.grownupgreen.org.uk/features/?id=618 and http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/urbanwt/WIS_pages/Frog%20Mortality.htm |
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« Last Edit: 22:03:06, 07-05-2008 by Bryn »
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richard barrett
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« Reply #121 on: 22:01:35, 07-05-2008 » |
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Have you been using any naughty chemicals (including nitrogen fertilizers) on the surrouding area? dear dear dear dear no dear dear dear dear no dear dear oh dear no Now, a pretty good clean out, you say. How might the beginner go about doing that? |
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Bryn
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« Reply #122 on: 22:12:10, 07-05-2008 » |
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I have no pond here, but have taken part in a few conservation exercises to rescue moribund ponds in the past. What sort of trees overhang the pond? I'm sure you can find someone at your place of work to do BOD and COD assessments on the water samples from the pond. If you were getting extensive surface pond weed last year, you could try dumping a bale of barley straw in the pond, once you have given it (the pond) a good skimming). How big is the pond, and what, if any filtering system do you have installed and running in it? Oh, and have a read of this. |
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« Last Edit: 22:16:00, 07-05-2008 by Bryn »
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perfect wagnerite
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« Reply #123 on: 22:12:53, 07-05-2008 » |
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The water in my (small) pond is very dark at the moment, but we have a good crop of tadpoles this year.
We top the pond up regularly with fresh water, and remove pondweed from the surface (placing it carefully by the side of the pond so that small creatures caught up in the weed can get back into the pond. We have flag irises growing in the pond; these are a bit rampant and once every couple of years or so we have to take them all out, divide them and give away about two thirds of them - a particularly messy and smelly job, but necessary.
You might also want to look out for some oxygenating plants to put in the pond, which help freshen the pond nature's way.
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At every one of these [classical] concerts in England you will find rows of weary people who are there, not because they really like classical music, but because they think they ought to like it. (Shaw, Don Juan in Hell)
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John W
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« Reply #124 on: 22:15:27, 07-05-2008 » |
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this year the water seems to have turned dark, very few lilypads have come out, and not a tadpole in sight Could be filling up with algae, and all your oxygenating plants (like mine) may have been killed in the frost. The only chemical I ever add to my pond is the one to reduce algae. Two days of sunshine can algae-infest a pond seriously badly if it's not protected by shade, floating plants, lilies and a spot of the algae-killing chemical. I snaffled some surface cover floating plants from a good natural pond last week (ok that's not always a good idea, can spread disease, but as I say the natural pond I use seems to be good and healthy. though plenty of newts and dead frogs, a variety I don't much like to meet. Newts actually spend most of their time OUT of the pond, as do frogs. Don't know why the frogs are dying, but I'll read the article Bryn recommended. I'm a member of the Warwickcshire Wildlife Trust so I have the magazine on the desk right here. I also have a Pond Book which I haven't referred to for years, so I'll look for that (in depths of garage behind kids' stuff.....) John W |
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thompson1780
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« Reply #125 on: 23:02:06, 07-05-2008 » |
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You can get sachets of stuff that should help clear up pond water, but I don't really trust them with animals about. Good old fashioned method of catch everything in a net, stick them in buckets of clean water, and then drain the pond. Then get mucky by dredging out the guck at the bottom. Then refill.
An afternoon's work, for a small pond.
Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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John W
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« Reply #126 on: 08:37:44, 08-05-2008 » |
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You can get sachets of stuff that should help clear up pond water, but I don't really trust them with animals about. I use TetraPond Algofin, it's in a bottle, you measure out quantities using the lid. I shake the bottle well (the stuff settles) and mix 10ml in a bucket of water and add to pond (~500litres). It clears blanket weed algae effectively if the pond is protected aso by some floating plant. Good old fashioned method of catch everything in a net, stick them in buckets of clean water, and then drain the pond. Then get mucky by dredging out the guck at the bottom. Then refill.
An afternoon's work, for a small pond.
Yes, a good bit of messy smelly fun, make sure you never splash gunge ito your mouth or eyes. I do a clean every two years. Gives you a chance to look at any fish or frogs and visually check for nasty diseases. John W |
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thompson1780
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« Reply #127 on: 08:55:56, 08-05-2008 » |
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Oh, when refilling try to use as much water from your butt as possible (martle minor! Corner, now!). Rainwater is much better than tap.
Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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martle
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« Reply #128 on: 08:57:28, 08-05-2008 » |
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Green. Always green.
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richard barrett
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« Reply #129 on: 10:00:16, 08-05-2008 » |
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I don't really have a butt to speak of.
I think (having read around a bit in the meantime) the problem is that the pond got covered in fallen leaves last autumn, and they all eventually sank to the bottom and rotted. There doesn't seem to be any significant algal growth or pondweed.
Now, catching the aminals and putting them in buckets I understand, but how do you then go about draining the pond (more buckets?), and where do you put the cruddy water?
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Jonathan
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« Reply #130 on: 10:19:25, 08-05-2008 » |
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Just buy lots of Ramshorn snails from your local garden centre - they are good at keeping pondweed down (as are Great Pond Snails (Lymnaea stagnalis for those who are interested...))
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Best regards,
Jonathan
*********************************************
"as the housefly of destiny collides with the windscreen of fate..."
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John W
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« Reply #131 on: 14:25:30, 08-05-2008 » |
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I don't really have a butt to speak of.
I think (having read around a bit in the meantime) the problem is that the pond got covered in fallen leaves last autumn, and they all eventually sank to the bottom and rotted. There doesn't seem to be any significant algal growth or pondweed.
Now, catching the aminals and putting them in buckets I understand, but how do you then go about draining the pond (more buckets?), and where do you put the cruddy water?
Yeah, my missus says I haven't got an arse butt. Rich, I don't have a leaves problem, but that good natural pond I sample from does and I think the Wildlife Trust dredge it occassionally. If your pond is on slightly higher ground than elsewhere in your garden, a length of hosepipe can be fashioned as a siphon and the water can run to a drain. My pond is on the lowest level so I just have to bail it out. When you empty your pond don't pour it all away, I keep about 50litres in anold bath (and put fish and frogs in it while cleaning out). That 50 litres houses many important micro-organisms for a balanced pond ecology, though I realise in the case of your pond the ecology seems well out of balance somewhere. You're lucky if you don't have a blanket-weed problem, and maybe the leaves are the only problem you have, they might just be creating toxins on their own. John W |
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richard barrett
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« Reply #132 on: 14:51:14, 08-05-2008 » |
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Thank you all for your suggestions.
I shall be buying a new pair of wellies and some big buckets and getting down to work on Sunday, putting the creatures in an inflatable pool while they get their home makeover. I think there might be one point in the garden slightly lower than the pond which will enable siphoning.
... more news next week...
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thompson1780
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« Reply #133 on: 09:51:16, 09-05-2008 » |
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Richard - you also need a clothes peg for your nose. "Stinkyville here we come" when you clean out a pond.
Tommo
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Made by Thompson & son, at the Violin & c. the West end of St. Paul's Churchyard, LONDON
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John W
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« Reply #134 on: 15:19:39, 09-05-2008 » |
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Richard,
Regarding your 'lack of a butt', when you refill your pond you can use tap water, and you will significantly reduce the chlorine in the pond by sprinkling the water in - if you get a hose attachment, one of those directional sprinkler ends that gardeners use to direct water spray at flower-beds, and direct it at the pond. It takes longer to fill the pond but the spray evaporates much of the chlorine and the splashing also oxygenates the water by dissolving air, so it's healthy water.
I always have to top up the summer pond every week with tap water and use the sprinkler.
John W
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« Last Edit: 19:16:40, 09-05-2008 by John W »
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