POND help

alexandra_mar

Hi everyone, garden newbie here!

So I moved into a property fairly recently and have a small, shallow, artificial pond at the end of the garden. It's currently full of algae and leaf litter as aswell as what I think is midge larvae. I assumed because I sieved out thet layer of algae and saw nothing swimming about and because I thought it was too deoxygenated of an environment no amphibians could be living in it BUT I've just seen a frog come out of it(which I am thrilled about!) but I was going to drain the pond and put some oxygenating plants in it and something to kill of the midge larvae but now I know there is at least one frog about in there I don't know what to do, I don't want to kill any amphibians by trying to get rid of the midge larvae and obviously don't want to drain it and make it an uninhabitable environment for it. All I've done so far is sieve out the algae to try and see to the bottom. Guide me please! (I've attached photos of the pond and the frog below)
!

pansyface

Well, the frog obviously likes the pond as it is, otherwise it wouldn’t have gone in there.

If you clean the pond up, it will be more to your liking.

You can choose, whose going to enjoy it more, the frog or you?

Dovefromabove

I would get some oxygenating plants in there, the native hornwort is a good one to start with ... and a few pond snails, they’ll start to eat the algae and then a few more creatures will find  the pond an attractive home and start to eat the midge larvae. 

https://www.puddleplants.co.uk/
are a good source of plants and are very helpful

i found a supplier of native pond snails online too but I’m sorry I can’t remember who they were 

Dovefromabove

Further to my post above, I meant to say that we’ve used this in our wildlife pond 

https://www.blagdonwatergardening.co.uk/Products/Test-Kits-Treatments/Green-Water,-Dirt-Algae/Sludge-Buster-4-Pack

to very good effect ... it’s not upset the countless frogs, toads, newts, grass snakes, dragonflies, damselflies and pond snails who call our pond home. 

We’ve also used the Blagdon Barley Straw extract 

https://www.blagdonwatergardening.co.uk/Products/Test-Kits-Treatments/Green-Water,-Dirt-Algae/Barley-Straw-Extract-
250ml

to deal with the green blanketweed that sometimes forms. 

Highly recommended ...  👍 

mrtjforman

I think it looks lovely as it is, the frog likes it . Please don't poisen the frogs. Birds might use it as a bird bath too. The mosquito larvae are everywhere atm, even in my water butt - no idea how they even got in there.

I would just get the oxygenating plants and the best thing to keep it from stagnating and attracting mosqitos is to get a solar powered water fountain.

Also cut down all the plants around the pond hard. They are all hanging in the water and will rot and make the water go smelly. If you don't cut them back they will keep growing into the water

Dovefromabove

Im afraid I disagree about cutting greenery back
... wildlife ponds need lots of foliage cover around the ‘banks’ so that small amphibians can come and  go safely without interference from cats, beds etc. Lots of plants around our pond  😊