old unused swimming pool turned into a pond?

[cateyes221981]

Hello

The ancient swimming pool in my yard turned itself into a pond over the years. Ducks visit it daily and a frog lives in it came by himself from somewhere? its about a meter deep in the deepend?

I was thinking is there anything i can put in the pond to make it nicer? i was thinking some giant snails to eat the algea and maybe soem tadpoles minnows etc.. Id like to attract herons maybe?

Let me know! Thanks

 

[koikeepr]

you'd LIKE to attract herons? LOL! That would be the first time I heard a pond keeper say THAT! LOL!

Give us some photos, dimensions and such.

 

[cateyes221981]

its a total normal backyard cement pool hmm maybe i can take some pictures but ive seen these pools are pretty standard look alike for pools all over the country? rounded has a deep end and a shallow end?

I thought herons in the pond would be beautiful i see them nesting near by i wish they would land in my yard? The ducks spend the whole day here every day and just leave at night. I actually just moved int this house so i wonder if the pond will dry up in the summer? its a meter deep now!

 

[koiguy1969]

HERONS better your yard than mine!! EVERYONE on this forum would gladly send their local herons your way!!

 

[cateyes221981]

how do u guys get them? only ducks land in my pond the herons fly by but never land
i wish they would

 

[koiguy1969]

let them see a $100.00 koi in the pond ...they'll stop!

 

[koikeepr]

let them see a $100.00 koi in the pond ...they'll stop!

LOL!!! yes, just leave the koi's price tag firmly around it's neck and the heron will undoubtedly come!

Seriously, these birds are considered the ultimate nightmare pest for us fishkeepers. The minute you put one single fish in the pond, they will be guaranteed to find you.

They may be majestic birds, yes, but boy do they wreak havoc on pond life.

 

[cateyes221981]

well i do not think i will get something as expensive as a koi what about minnows and tadpoles? would that be a better choice? How do the herons know i dont have any fish in there? do they need a brightly colored fish like a koi to realize that they should stop?

 

[cateyes221981]

ok someone wants to sell me tree frog tadpoles says they are native is that a good choice? I just want to buy some giant snails also to help with algea and mybe get some native plants ? floating lillies?

 

[koikeepr]

the heron will sit above your pond and see what's in there and just go fishing. Of course, goldfish and koi are brightly colored and certainly attract them.

I don't buy tadpoles, the frogs just come each spring and a few weeks later I have hundreds and hundreds of tadpoles. I don't personally like snails in a pond because if any of them die, they just pollute the pond.

Do you have any filtration on this pond and do partial water changes every week or two? If not, the algae won't go away...

 

[cateyes221981]

would goldfish or koi survive in a pond like this? no filter? its just a bunch of deep standing rain water?

I was thinking of maybe adding a type of native turtle?

 

[DrDave]

If you don't circulate the water, you will have a health hazard and more mosquito than you want. Adding a bio filter is cheap and can be inline with the pump.

 

[koikeepr]

would goldfish or koi survive in a pond like this? no filter? its just a bunch of deep standing rain water?

I was thinking of maybe adding a type of native turtle?

The short anser is no. No animal would survive in water like that. This is why you have water ridden with algae.

It's a captured body of water, and water in those conditions will just go stale. Think of it as a dog in a kennel which you never clean because the dog is pooping in it. You may be doing the right thing and feeding him, but the dog would soon be in peril sitting in it's own filth.

If you want animals in that pond, you need to maintain it. Otherwise fill it with dirt and turn it into a planter.

 

[anubias]

In West KY we call Herons "Swamp Chickens" and they are quite skittish. My pond is close to the house and I've never had a problem. The hawks on the other hand are absolutely brazen.

 

[cateyes221981]

so is there any way to maintain the pond (circulate the water)and make it live able other then using a filter? LIke adding plants maybe? I just wanted a natural looking pond with a few animals i guess just like those small ponds with still standing water u see out in the woods sometimes.


what about using pond algea remover?