FROGS & MINNOWS

[donny young]

How would I go about spring cleaning my pond without disturbing the frogs hibernation & spawning?
I got rid of my goldfish this year and put more plants in the pond. my grandkids put some minnows in there and out of no where 3 frogs showed up and stayed. I'd like to keep the frogs permanently and need tips how to do so.
THANK YOU

 

[j.w]

@donny young

Do you have a filter? We don't usually empty our ponds to clean them. We leave the water alone and rely on plants or a filter to clean it enough. No need to change your water or scrub the pond. Best to leave the nice carpet algae on the sides and bottom as it is beneficial to creatures and the water. If the water gets low in the pond you can of course add more water. You can use a net on a pole to clean out leaves etc. Tell us more about your setup and why you want to clean it.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Welcome Donny! Is your goal to keep natural wildlife rather than ornamental fish? If so, a pond with lots of plants like you have will be a magnet for frogs and toads to breed. How large is your pond? Is it filtered or natural?

 

[donny young]

hello stephen, my pond is a 220 gal preformed liner with a 180 gph pump feeding 2 small streams & no filter. heres a pic from earlier this year. my goal for this year was to have a few plants to add dimension & depth when you were looking at the pond. now that the frogs & minnows are there I'd just like to keep the sediment to a minimum and not disturb the frogs hibernation & spawning in the spring.
id love to have more frogs hanging around.
Thank you for your advise!!!

 

[Stephen Noble]

Wow, that is really pretty! I can see why your grandkids love it. I wouldn't disturb anything unless you have a thick layer of leaves that are fouling the pump or staying in suspension. Probably best to just try to keep leaves from falling into the pond. Are you in a location that freezes or are your winter temperatures mild? You have a goldmine for those grandkids to learn and explore the world of nature.

 

[donny young]

I'm in N.E. Ohio. I put netting over the pond to fend off the leaves but a lot find there way in. I do have aeriation & a heater. Thanks again for your insight.

 

[donny young]

View attachment 135124@donny young

Do you have a filter? We don't usually empty our ponds to clean them. We leave the water alone and rely on plants or a filter to clean it enough. No need to change your water or scrub the pond. Best to leave the nice carpet algae on the sides and bottom as it is beneficial to creatures and the water. If the water gets low in the pond you can of course add more water. You can use a net on a pole to clean out leaves etc. Tell us more about your setup and why you want to clean it.

thank you JW

 

[Lisak1]

I honestly don't worry a whole lot about the wildlife that finds their way to the pond - they got there without my help, I'm pretty confident they can manage to figure it out if I go poking around down there. I just don't disturb the pond too early - I wait until I start to see frogs around the pond, then I know I won't wake anyone up too soon!

And just one caveat - you can't really "keep" frogs in your pond. They will come and go as they please. But once they find you, it's a guarantee you will always have a few!

Welcome to the GPF! You have a pretty pond in a very lovely setting!