I have fleas!!

[fishlips]

Daphnia or the common water flea is living in large numbers in the surface of my bog. I did not add them to my pond (on purpose), nature found a way. Its always a fun thought of "how did they get in there". They don't jump like a dog flea in fact swimming looks random and haphazard and my bog is about 3" up from any ground. So a fish ate a Daphnia then got ate by a bird that just happed to poo in the pond? No, its more likely it was on a plant I got out of my local river. Goes to show how important doing a quarantine is but on the other hand if I did quarantine and serialize. I would not have a colony of Daphnia filter feeding out organic detritus and bacteria. Salt water reefers already know the benefit of Amphipods & Copepods.

Should we as pond owners try to add more micro diversity?

How risky would it be to collect a bucket of "healthy" looking river mud and water?

Would that risk be worth taking for the reward?

 

[YShahar]

Don't know the answers, but it's a fascinating question.

In the five months or so since filling my pond, I've seen a lot of pond organisms just "showing up" without my doing anything at all: snails, dragon flies, various water bugs... And that's despite the fact that my pond is the only body of fresh water for several kilometers in all directions. These critters pretty much have to have hitchhiked on pond plants or fish that I added early on.

For the most part, I've been hoping that the pond will eventually reach some sort of equilibrium, and so far, it seems to be well on its way. But given its isolation from the surrounding ecosystem, I doubt that it will ever have the biodiversity of a naturally occurring body of water.

 

[addy1]

Lots of stuff shows up, water beetles, water spiders, snakes, frogs (got there before we even had water)
Etc.

 

[Jhn]

I’ve intentionally added amphipods, and ghost shrimp to my ponds. Surprisingly ghost shrimp have survived the winters here. Everything else I figure will find a way into my ponds.

 

[fishlips]

I have heard of the older guys say after 3 years the water is golden. Could we drop that to 3 months by being proactive?

 

[Jhn]

I have heard of the older guys say after 3 years the water is golden. Could we drop that to 3 months by being proactive?

Unlikely, going to be hard to establish a stable population of micro organisms/ biofilm/etc. at the base of the food chain in 3 months. However, I am all about helping diversity in my aquatic environments. Have had ponds and reef tanks on and off my whole life, have applied the techniques/protocols used in reef tanks to my ponds for years. Number one thing is patience and knowledge/mechanics behind what you are trying to accomplish.

 

[GBBUDD]

Daphnia or the common water flea is living in large numbers in the surface of my bog. I did not add them to my pond (on purpose), nature found a way. Its always a fun thought of "how did they get in there". They don't jump like a dog flea in fact swimming looks random and haphazard and my bog is about 3" up from any ground. So a fish ate a Daphnia then got ate by a bird that just happed to poo in the pond? No, its more likely it was on a plant I got out of my local river. Goes to show how important doing a quarantine is but on the other hand if I did quarantine and serialize. I would not have a colony of Daphnia filter feeding out organic detritus and bacteria. Salt water reefers already know the benefit of Amphipods & Copepods.

Should we as pond owners try to add more micro diversity?

How risky would it be to collect a bucket of "healthy" looking river mud and water?

Would that risk be worth taking for the reward?

I WOULD BET they hitched a ride on the leg of a bird or animal and when they paid you a visit they left them behind.

As far as adding water from a natural pond , sure there is always a risk. if the pond looks healthy less risk if it looks nasty id rather not try it . i have added plants and mosses from all over. I have found leaches in store bought plants. SO THERES RISK IN ANYTIME WE ADD SOMETHING TO A CLOSED EVIRONMENT.

VERY COOL THAT YOU HAVE DAPHNIA. But there are other ways like Nualgi which is diatoms and such.