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Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
21–30 of 55 posts
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#22The article is correct in my experience. If you build a pond, wildlife will come. I would only add that having a simple pump to create a little flow and oxygenation really helps reduce algae and mosquitoes. If the pond is deep enough (18"/50cm), it will frustrate raccoons. I've done two small fish ponds using heavy duty rigid plastic liners expecting only the fish (koi and shubunkin) would enjoy it. We live less than…
Here's a video I did three years ago showing how the small pond is set up. It's probably about 4 feet long (~130 cm) and with a deep spot of about 2 feet (~60 cm) ... if it's too shallow the fish would die, either from racoons getting them in the summer or deep freeze in the winter stopping the pump and possibly freezing the water all the way through.
https://youtu.be/8ExfrhjpMp4?si=dJ1pOaw-zLA-Rvk2
FWIW we are only using tap water (which comes all the way from the Quabbin reservoir in western mass) and rain water. I think at the beginning we used some sort of algae treatment once or twice during the summer but in the past 5 years it hasn't been necessary as long as the pump is creating a bubbling flow and there aren't too many fish, usually no more than 3 or 4 small to medium goldfish/carp varieties ... koi, shibunkin, and comets.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#23Almost 20 years ago I helped my mom make a hole for a deep pond in her backyard—a previous occupant had a concrete shallow pond, and her attempts to add goldfish only resulted in turning it into a buffet for the raccoons. The deeper one just needed pond liner and a pump, and it was good to go. Now the only thing that can get to the goldfish is an occasional heron, which is far more enchanting than raccoons. Also the gulf coast toads make for a wonderful spring/early summer soundtrack.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#24Been looking recently at some of the sad, under used pocket parks in my city that are mostly scrubby grass fields of no interest to anyone but dogs, with a few scattered trees at the edge and been wondering: could this be better as a pond?
Seems like it would be better for insects and birds.
This seems like a pretty small thing that municipalities could do that would create a lot of visual interest and help birds.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#25The article is correct in my experience. If you build a pond, wildlife will come. I would only add that having a simple pump to create a little flow and oxygenation really helps reduce algae and mosquitoes. If the pond is deep enough (18"/50cm), it will frustrate raccoons. I've done two small fish ponds using heavy duty rigid plastic liners expecting only the fish (koi and shubunkin) would enjoy it. We live less than…
From what I've read, winterizing your pond and making it healthy enough for fish to survive the winter is difficult. Did you find it challenging? Many failures?
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#26The article is correct in my experience. If you build a pond, wildlife will come. I would only add that having a simple pump to create a little flow and oxygenation really helps reduce algae and mosquitoes. If the pond is deep enough (18"/50cm), it will frustrate raccoons. I've done two small fish ponds using heavy duty rigid plastic liners expecting only the fish (koi and shubunkin) would enjoy it. We live less than…
From what I've read, winterizing your pond and making it healthy enough for fish to survive the winter is difficult. Did you find it challenging? Many failures?
It wasn't hard at all as long as the pond is deep enough per my earlier comments and the fish are not freshwater tropicals (we've had comets, shibunkin, and koi make it through without any issue, including deep freezes of 10F/-10C lasting a week or two). Keep the pump on all winter for oxygen. Remove the taro to a filled bucket and stick it on a sunny shelf inside.
Once the temp drops below 40 degrees F (~5C) the fish go dormant, usually under some dead leaves at the bottom or in the cinderblock we have at the deep end. When ice forms they will be fine, as the bubbling pump keeps an open spot for oxygen (it should be bubbling about 1 inch above the water line and not splashing outside the pond liner). If it's a deep freeze and the pump forms an ice bubble, break it open with a hammer. The rest of the ice can stay on the pond surface.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#27If you don't have the space for a pond, you can grow interesting critters in a jar on the windowsill. And if you don't have time for that, you can veg out to the Life In Jars channel: https://youtube.com/@LifeinJars
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#28The article is correct in my experience. If you build a pond, wildlife will come. I would only add that having a simple pump to create a little flow and oxygenation really helps reduce algae and mosquitoes. If the pond is deep enough (18"/50cm), it will frustrate raccoons. I've done two small fish ponds using heavy duty rigid plastic liners expecting only the fish (koi and shubunkin) would enjoy it. We live less than…
No problems with Herons? Here in suburban Atlanta I have several different kinds visit our big pond daily, including Great Blue. Fun to watch them fish.
Your pond looks lovely.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#29The article is correct in my experience. If you build a pond, wildlife will come. I would only add that having a simple pump to create a little flow and oxygenation really helps reduce algae and mosquitoes. If the pond is deep enough (18"/50cm), it will frustrate raccoons. I've done two small fish ponds using heavy duty rigid plastic liners expecting only the fish (koi and shubunkin) would enjoy it. We live less than…
No problems with Herons? Here in suburban Atlanta I have several different kinds visit our big pond daily, including Great Blue. Fun to watch them fish. Your pond looks lovely.
Thanks! The pond is next to a house and there is tree cover, which I think deters herons. But the Charles River is just a few hundred yards away, and the herons are very active there in the shallows and swampy coves.
Our main problem is racoons. At night they come to fish with their claws in the shallow areas of the pond.
Re: Mini ponds are 'tiny universes' of biodiversity for gardens and windowsills
#30I really want to make a tiny pond at my house, but I'm afraid of the mosquitoes. My native plant supplier encouraged tiny ponds, saying that while you may need mosquito dunks to kill the larva at first, once wildlife is established in your pond e.g. dragonflies will control the mosquitos just fine. I believe him (or at least that it worked for him), but I feel like I would need to do more research before putting it t…
Gambusia to the rescue! Might need some cover to reduce the predator problem. Experimenting would be part of the fun.