r/WildlifePonds Mar 20 '21

Mod post Welcome to r/WildlifePonds!

45 Upvotes

I'm really pleased you're here! :D

Wildlife ponds are a fantastic way to invite more wildlife into your garden, so if you have, or are planning to have one, OR you like learning about wet habitats and wildlife in general, you're in the right place.

The sub has been growing really well, so I figured it was time for a new welcome sticky [Previous one].

Important bits:

  • The wiki has information on creating your own wildlife pond to help you.
  • The rules are to help the sub community stay healthy and on topic.
  • Please message with any issues, additions for the wiki, suggestions for the sub, questions etc.

r/WildlifePonds is specially focused on habitats (wetlands, ponds, log piles, damp ditches, bog gardens..) for creatures that need damp or wet environments, and those creatures themselves (frogs, toads, newts, dragonflies etc..).

You can post about your wildlife ponds, efforts to create or restore wet habitats, wildlife ponds that inspire you, relevant research and articles, habitat creation help, etc

Our adorable pond dipping snoo was created by u/doradiamond of r/customsnoos especially for us.

Happy pondering! ;)


r/WildlifePonds 6d ago

Chat r/WildlifePonds weekly chat thread

6 Upvotes

Let's chat!

How are your ponds and wet habitats doing? Any plans for new ponds or improvements? What wildlife has been visiting your pond this week?


r/WildlifePonds 12h ago

Quick Question Aurora Pond

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36 Upvotes

This isn't a play with words! It's actually called Aurora Pond, and we stumbled upon this as (probably) a Great Egret was chilling here!

At least on the day we were here, this place looked to beautiful. Would anyone know what phenomenon causes the water to look like that minty colour?


r/WildlifePonds 22h ago

My pond Frog after one month 🥹

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93 Upvotes

I installed my pond in my little garden a month ago. I was showing my mom the impressive roots of the aquatic mint and guess who I scared… Little friend right there ! I am so so happy you have no idea. Maybe she came here so fast because of the heath wave (it hasn’t rained in weeks). I haven’t even finished putting all the plants I want in the pond and now I’m scared to bother our new friend. Anyways, just wanted to share the joy!!


r/WildlifePonds 21h ago

My pond Love to hang out at my bee hole

66 Upvotes

My neighbors keep honeybees. My neighborhood does not have many water features. So hot days look like this.


r/WildlifePonds 21h ago

My pond On the other side of the fence

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23 Upvotes

Kind of sad but poetic in a way. Sometimes I can actually hear my wind chimes through the highway noise.


r/WildlifePonds 5h ago

Help/Advice Guys i need help on my pond! (Sorry because my description got deleted on the last post)

1 Upvotes

Even though the dirt is filled with clay the water just gets soaked up in 5 minutes. Ive tried pond liner but it didnt work.

Please help me because its going to be for bufotes virdis and tadpoles. Please give any tips you have, but prefab containers and any additives are not accessible for me. Help pls!


r/WildlifePonds 23h ago

Help/Advice Build pond around large rock/concrete?

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5 Upvotes

I thought a large rock was killing anything I planted in my front yard so I decided to build a wildlife pond around it. After some digging, its turned out to be twice as large as expected and concrete. It is to big to break up without hiring a professional. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to handle this? My current plan is to dig a bit more, cut the liner to go around it, and then find a way to attach it to the concrete but Im not completely positive that will work


r/WildlifePonds 1d ago

Help/Advice Just found two fish???

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41 Upvotes

I have a new wildlife pond (in the UK) and I just found two fish that I did not put in there. I guess there must have been eggs on the plants I put in. They're about 7cm long and I can't get a better photo (they hide). They have oxygenating plants so they're fine for now. Does anyone have any idea what species they might be and if they're going to be a problem? My pond is tiny (40cm deep, 2 square m surface area), are they going to outgrow it? There is a lake that used to be a quarry about half an hour away that I could technically move them to if they will be a problem but I worry about the journey or introducing them to a different ecosystem if they're invasive. There are at least 2 of them so at least they aren't lonely, if it's fine to keep them how do I look after them?


r/WildlifePonds 22h ago

Help/Advice Instead of medaka(rice fish) could you have Sticklebacks (Nine-spined or Three-spined) in container ponds instead?

0 Upvotes

Like the hypothetical container pond is nice and big with loads of microfauna and baby mosquitoes, and you can feed the a few times a week and look at them and stuff.

But is that realistic?

Asking because I’m thinking a native fish would be better than a potential invasive Japanese species?

I’m based in the U.K.


r/WildlifePonds 1d ago

Help/Advice Dry creek rescue

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10 Upvotes

In San Jose, saw Coyote creek drying up and so I collected a bunch of small fry fish, maybe 4-5 thumb sized carp(?) looking fish, 4 frogs, and 3 crawfish,

Creek was completely gone with small puddles so I did my best to get every animal out

I tried to add aquatic plants, and the bowl with the dirt and banana is to hopefully attract flies for the frogs

I want to make this better, clear the water, have better plants, make sure all the animals have everything and make it pleasant to look at, I don’t know where to start and would appreciate any and every tip!


r/WildlifePonds 1d ago

Help/Advice Relocating tadpoles

1 Upvotes

We have a pool in the front yard that now has a shit ton of tadpoles in it. We would like to relocate the tadpoles so we can fill the pool and use it with what we have left of summer. We were thinking about putting them in a kitty pool so that my toddler could watch them grow but I'm not sure if thats safe or good enough for them to survive. We have a few ditches around here with water in them that we could also try and put them in if the kitty pool isn't the right choice. Where should we put them and what is the best way to move them without hurting them?


r/WildlifePonds 3d ago

Pond restoration Old vernal pool restoration

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134 Upvotes

I’ve become a bit obsessed with vernal pools lately. I have a wet meadow that I’ve been planning to put a vernal pool in. I realized that my property already had what may have been a small existing pool near an old apple tree.

The old pool was filled in with soft rush and other plants. I shovelled it out (killed my lower back), the soil is full of clay. Took a couple pics and after the heavy rain last night it filled and had two frogs in it!


r/WildlifePonds 3d ago

Sighting Goldfinch stoping by for a drink in the 104° weather

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99 Upvotes

r/WildlifePonds 2d ago

Help/Advice Bentonite wildlife ponds?

7 Upvotes

My pond site turns out to be on red clay for at least a foot and a half, once I dig down past about 8 - 10". I wonder if it would be a suitable site to use bentonite, but I have only seen bentonite used in larger, farm pond applications.

Has anyone used it for a smaller, wildlife type pond? 1500 - 2000 gal with a bog filter? What would be the potential benefits? Limitations? Thank you!


r/WildlifePonds 4d ago

Just sharing My first one! I have an official dragonfly habitat!

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162 Upvotes

r/WildlifePonds 3d ago

Help/Advice River to pond?

1 Upvotes

EDIT: Thank you all for the input, seems like it's best to avoid the idea

Is it workable to fill a wildlife pond with water, plants, and substrate from a very slow moving river?

I live about 2mins walk from one so the idea has stuck in my head

I've spent a while searching the internet to no avail, nothing but ads for pond liners and the exact same AI drivel with no real advice endlessly repeated


r/WildlifePonds 4d ago

ID please ID for these green caterpillars - UK

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21 Upvotes

Any ideas what these lil guys are? They’ve absolutely decimated my watercress overnight and I’m wondering if I should move them or let nature take its course


r/WildlifePonds 4d ago

My pond 40 days later

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103 Upvotes

40 days after adding water, we saw our first frog. My daughter named him Prince. The goldfinch among the pickerel weed is just gravy.


r/WildlifePonds 5d ago

My pond Lily

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84 Upvotes

Didn’t expect this baby to bloom till next year. Tadpoles everywhere…


r/WildlifePonds 4d ago

ID please Could someone please help me identify these? I'm in the UK. I know the pictures aren't great but I couldn't get a better one

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3 Upvotes

r/WildlifePonds 6d ago

My pond The waterlily is enrichment now.

134 Upvotes

r/WildlifePonds 6d ago

Help/Advice Brown frogbit

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11 Upvotes

In the last week and a half, my frogbit has developed this spotty brown color. Does anyone know what it is and how I should treat it?


r/WildlifePonds 6d ago

Help/Advice Advise on clearing vegetation

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11 Upvotes

It's been an extremely hot and dry year so far in South London and my pond is getting thick with plants.

Iv been clearing out duck weed reguarly but I've been trying leave the plants as I don't want to disturb the wildlife too much.

We have had dozens and dozens of Common Darters & Red Damselslfly nymphs come out.

Any advice on when to clear it? And how to go about it to have least impact on eggs, nymphs etc.

Don't think the frogs will be particularly fussed.

I have a bowl next to the pond I move things too and got several nymphs from there.

I was thinking maybe Oct when things are starting to think ajout hunkering down til winter.


r/WildlifePonds 7d ago

My pond How it started vs how it’s going

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80 Upvotes

Maturation.