Advice wanted: how to make a small, "wildlife" pond -- a very small one

[Mmathis]

For years I have been "rescuing" the frogs & toads that hatch in the pond by putting them inside the turtle habitat, where there is a bog. Nice, until it dawned on me that......wait for it......amphibians eat the same bugs and critters that my turtles eat.....so I've been deliberately, but unintentionally compromising the live "snack food" available to my turts! Duh! And how many years did it take for that realization to hit!!!!!

I have a patial shade garden at the end of the driveway. Right now, there is a concrete mixing pan there that has a few bog plants I was saving, and it's filled with water. No skeeters in the water, as far as I can tell. I put 2 little frog-lets there [on the plant leaves] yesterday, then it dawned on me that I could maybe sink a small "pond" in that spot that could be just for the frogs, toads, and any other little critters. But not sure if it should be just water with plants, or do a "peat" type thing.....

I'm only talking about something maybe 2' x 2', or 3' x 3'. Shallow. And I would have to fill it manually as it wouldn't be connected to the pond.

What do you guys think? How could I carry this out? Something practical that would look nice stuck in with the shrubs and ferns.......

 

[j.w]

Couldn't you just take a leftover piece of liner and dig hole place it in and just top it off now and then w/water when needed? Place rocks, plants, driftwood, whatever in and around it. Let the frogs, tadpoles eat the skeeters hopefully or stick in a couple tiny little fish to take care of that. Well the frogs may eat the fish so maybe ix-nay on that idea.

 

[mrsclem]

How about a concrete mixing tub? Lowes have these, 26"x20". I actually used one to make a spillway.
MacCourt Drywall Mud Pans


Item # 19251 Model # AT2606

 

[Meyer Jordan]

You can use most anything that will hold water but you will need electrical to provide water circulation otherwise the wildlife that you attract will be the biting kind (Skeeters).

 

[sissy]

that or add mosquito dunks all the time and they are not cheap anymore .

 

[j.w]

I like the moving water idea w/a pump hooked up to a small fountain or anything that keeps the water circulating.

 

[j.w]

I see they make solar pumps and I see some sun nearby so maybe that would work depending on how long the cord is to the solar panel?

 

[bettasngoldfish]

They sell small preform ponds at Home Depot and Lowe's. You might find one the size and shape you like. Here are a few examples:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Beckett-35-gal-Plastic-Pond-Liner-PP1035/202206168

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Algreen-Avonlea-33-Gal-Rigid-Preformed-Pond-Liner-91901/206704125

 

[bettasngoldfish]

I second the idea about needing some kind of pump.

Can't wait to see what you come up with

 

[MitchM]

A basic air stone on the bottom for aeration could also be a source of water circulation.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

A basic air stone on the bottom for aeration could also be a source of water circulation.

And in a small amount of water it won't be overkill.

 

[Mmathis]

But what if I treated it like a nature bog/watering hole? I like the idea of moving water, but not sure how practical it would be. I'll have to find some old articles I've read (this was back before I knew what a bog was), and reread them. I have noticed that when I have a container of bog or water-loving plants, and it gets neglected (not uncommon), the water stays clear and I've never seen mosquito larvae -- the frogs & toads must eat them.

@mrsclem What I have sitting there now, what sparked my idea, is a concrete mixing tub -- great minds.....

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Frogs and toads do not normally eat mosquito larvae, neither do their tadpoles.
http://sciencing.com/eats-mosquito-larvae-8156460.html

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I like the moving water idea w/a pump hooked up to a small fountain or anything that keeps the water circulating.

Yes. Fountain pumps are available with flow rates as low as 50gph.

 

[Mmathis]

Grrrrr! Hate when that happens! I hit "post reply" when I meant to.....well, never mind.

I do have some EPDM liner left over, but not sure how deep I can dig there due to the shrubs and their roots. So, maybe a small pre-form that I can partially bury would work better. Or, the concrete mixing pan! It doesn't have to be deep....just deep enough to sink a plant or 2 in it. I can build up around the edges to disguise it and also form a ramp for the frogs & toads to have access.

I currently have one of these "wigglers" in my bird bath. It doesn't move a lot of water, and it can't be placed deep, but maybe a shelf of bricks would keep it at the proper level for it to function properly . This one is battery operated. If I used it, I could get a solar-powered one to replace it in the bird bath. It's supposed to create enough movement to keep the skeeters from laying their eggs -- and so far, no skeeters are using the bird bath.