Pond = ?????

We've just bought our first house, and it has a pond in the garden. Now, ordinary plants I can (more or less) manage not to kill. But I have never in my life had to worry about a pond before now. So....

Can anyone recommend a good book on "how to look after your pre-existing pond"?

It's a reasonable size (maybe about 6 to 10 m^2) and looks moderately deep. Some kind of pump is installed (actually there are two black boxes, one of which has a hose pipe connector on it that glows blue after dark). There are some irises at one end and some fish. A couple of frogs had a LOT of fun at the weekend and left mounds of frogspawn (I know newts = healthy pond, are frogs a similar indicator?). There are some other plants, some of which look healthier than others, but I've yet to work out what most of them are. We've got duckweed, but not in obscene amounts yet. The water is fairly clear around the irises, but gets a bit murky in the middle.

So, after all that, can anyone offer any advice? Anything that sounds absolutely urgent?

Oh - and Hello

 

Hi Tangle,
welcome.
the following website will be fo help.
www.hintsandthings.co.uk

on home page click on the right of the plan GARDEN

then click SEARCH

type in LOOKING AFTER PONDS
info should come up

hope this helps

 

Rossco knows what he's talking about!! Follow his advice, and if there are any specific questions. ask them! We love answering questions!!

 

The blue glow after dark is a UV filter to stop the water turning green.

The duckweed may be controlled by the fish, mine love it.

If you are able to post any pictures I am sure most will be identified by the people here, but bear in mind many plants may not make a show until late spring or summer.

I wouldn't touch it at this time of year. Leave it, enjoy it and see what grows.

If you see fish and want them identified post pictures or descriptions. I'm sure identifying them wont be a problem for some people here.

 

Wow - there's so much on that site. Should keep me quiet for a while

I'm a little worried about the murkiness, though. If the "glowing box" is a UV filter, shouldn't that be killing the algae? Why is the water still so murky?

Oh - and I've seen it suggested that frogspawn + filters don't mix. Any thoughts? I'm kind of looking forward to tadpoles....

(When they start coming up I'll try and get picks of the fish. At the moment all I know is they're about 6 inches long and orange!)

 

YOU COULD TRY SOME bARLEY STRAW MATS, JUST THROW THEM ON THE POND AND THEY HELP TO CLEAR THE WATER. AVAILABLE AT MOST GARDEN CENTRES...
RE: THE FILTER/FROGSPAWN. YOU COULD LEAVE RUNNING THE PUMP FOR A WHILE, AND WHEN YOU DO JUST RUN IT FOR AN HOUR, UNTIL THE SPAWN HAS DONE IT JOB. YOU MAY FIND THAT THE SPAWN HAS ATTACHED ITSELF TO THE SIDE OF THE POND OR PLANT, SO SHOULD IN THEORY NOT BE BOTHERED BY THE PUMP, YOU COULD ALSO MOVE THE FILTER AWAY FROM THE SPAWN

 

Rosco - did you have your "caps lock" on? All caps is known as SHOUTING in forum speak!!!!!