As a pond owner, expect to have much more company than that
of your pet fish. There’s an entire
eco-system of amphibians, reptiles and birds, many of which may visit your
pond-some welcome and some not so much.
Due to the growth of urbanization and increase of pollution
in natural ponds, amphibians in the recent years have needed to leave their
natural habitats and search for new homes, your backyard possibly being
one. Although some ponds may serve as a
bed and breakfast without the necessity to do so, some ponds still require a
little help in creating a community for amphibians.
Introducing adult frogs or toads into your pond is not a
wise idea. Because frogs/toads become
accustomed with their “home” pond, they will generally leave in search of the place
in which they came from. However, if you
have a large backyard oasis, you have a better luck of the frog/toad to stick
around. The best way to introduce
frogs/toads into your pond is to obtain tadpoles or baby frogs so that they
will associate themselves with your pond as home base.
Like frogs, introducing newts into your pond while they’re
still very young is an effective way to keep them around. However, newts don’t have quite the urge to
leave as frogs do. Because frogs don’t
have the itch to leave, it’s just as effective to introduce a small number of
adult newts to the pond in the early spring. Newts have a long breeding season and will stay under water for many
weeks. After the breeding season is
over, the newts will have been acclimated with your pond and will feel a lesser
need to leave.
Salamanders, which are mostly land walkers, are much harder
to keep around. The best way to
establish a salamander colony is to introduce either spawn or larvae to your
pond and allow them to mature in and around your water garden after they leave
the water.
Adult frogs, salamanders and newts all eventually spend a
little or much of their time outside of the water. It is important to create places of shade and
shelter for them out and around your pond.
During the time in which they’re under water, frog/toad
tadpoles, newt larvae and young salamanders usually have adequate food
available to them in a well-kept pond. However, if you suspect there will be a shortage of nourishment, flaked
or pellet fish food and ideally a supply of live critters such as water fleas
is a good idea in order to keep your new colony growing.
While birds can be very enjoyable in your backyard, they can
also be pests to you and definitely a worry for your fish and other various
visitors. Herons will generally wait on
dry land or in shallow water very still until they can snatch up their
victim. Kingfishers on the other hand,
will find a perch where they can watch over your pond until they find a
suitable time to dive and, if successful, catch lunch. Ducks are not going to prey on your fish but
they will most definitely stir up sediment and use your pond as their personal
bathroom, and often.
There are no fool-proof ways of protecting your fish from
ever being in danger of birds but there are some things you can do. Standing bird decoys in the shape of a heron
or owl for example, can be placed near your pond to discourage other birds from
landing in your yard. Sensor-alarms can
also be set up, but be aware of your surroundings and make sure to consider
your neighbors or consider a timer in which the alarm can be controlled by so
as to avoid any other unnecessary problems. Placing a full-sized pond net over your pond at night, each night, will
annoy predators and if done daily, will eventually discourage birds from
returning to your site.
