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

[MitchM]

With the surrounding vegetation, you're going to have a fair amount of organic material falling into the pond so if you don't want to provide water movement, you'll need a substrate with a submerged plant population that can help process those organics.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

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

Or smaller!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000QFSTF...t=&hvlocphy=9040382&hvtargid=pla-312567543057

 

[Mmathis]

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

From this article:
"FROGS, TOADS AND TADPOLES
Adult toads and frogs will consume the adult mosquitoes, but they are not a major part of their diets. Tadpoles of some frog species will eat the larvae if nothing else is available. Tadpoles will also compete with the larvae for food. The competition makes it difficult for the larvae to consume enough nutrients to mature."

Granted, tadpoles are herbivores and only start eating "bugs" as they get close to emerging as toads/frogs.

The article also said that certain water beetles and dragonfly larvae [among others] would prey on mosquitoes and the larvae.

With the surrounding vegetation, you're going to have a fair amount of organic material falling into the pond so if you don't want to provide water movement, you'll need a substrate with a submerged plant population that can help process those organics.

Submerged plant population, like what we put in our ponds? Hornwort, stuff like that?

OK, I'm starting to see a pattern here......
To combine what @Meyer Jordan's article said about predator insects, and what @MitchM said about the organic material..... This is what I've noticed when I leave containers out that contain [pulled or left-over] pond/bog plants: there is a good amt. of organic matter on the bottom, but the water on top is clear. Clear, until I stir it up, that is. And I will find all kinds of critters that have called the organic matter home. This water never has an odor, even when disturbed. Usually there will be bits & pieces of maybe some hornwort or anacharis floating around in the water -- that had maybe gotten stuck in the plant roots, or tossed in because they were too small to put back in the pond.

And while I'm constantly emptying pots and things in the yard that are filled with rainwater AND which DO contain mosquito larvae, the "accidental bogs" that are left unattended never do have skeeter larvae..... Hmmmm.......

Keep the suggestions and comments coming! I will look at all possibilities.

 

[MitchM]

At the end of the day, the aquatic ecosystem you set up will adjust to the conditions that are allowed to develop.
Pump or no, airstone or no, circulation or no, plants, no plants, the water, plants and the creatures that inhabit that ecosystem will adapt.
I would set up something that you find interesting and go with it.
As far as plants, if you have something that's already growing in your existing pond, and it is an appropriate size, yes it will work. If you're so inclined, try a few plants that are not so common but appropriate for the water conditions.
Any excess growth that you trim off and dispose of, you can consider to be excess nutrients that you are exporting out of your pond.

 

[Mmathis]

I may have made a liar out of myself, LOL! I started to remove plants from the cement mixing tray, in the area I showed in the pics. There WERE some mosquito larvae in the water, but not many. This particular stagnant tub gets very little, if any direct sunlight, but gets a lot of indirect sunlight. Then I went to check on the other tub that's in full sunlight. That tub did not have larvae [and never has -- I check often]. Any clues as to what the difference could be as far as the skeeters go?

 

[sissy]

They are picky about where they live

 

[Mmathis]

They are picky about where they live

Ha! Wish that was true!

 

[Nyboy]

Romantic candle light ?

 

[Mmathis]

Romantic candle light ?

LOL!

 

[Lisak1]

and also form a ramp for the frogs & toads to have access.

My patio pond is 2 feet high - the frogs make it in and out with no help at all. We routinely watch them leap from the ground to the top of our retaining wall in a single bound which is almost three feet high. Where there is water they will find a way!