"Sue & Bob Hobden" wrote:
Hello Sue
Water Snails in a pond have the same effect as normal
Err, not so. They are beneficial animals to have in a
pond.
SBH Err, in what way? I can't think of one. Or do you allow dead
SBH plant material to remain in your pond?
Erm, how can you keep all dead plant material out of a pond?
Maybe a small raised pond with no overhanging branches, but even so
stuff is going to slip in unnoticed.
They will eat the higher order plants in
preference to anything else
Err, not so. They are brilliant at cleaning up algae.
SBH Whilst they will scrape some algae off underwater plants,
SBH they prefer nice soft juicy plants to algae in my experience
SBH and they certainly won't touch "blanket weed".
Unsure. Mine are happiest hoovering the sides of my ponds, both algae
and mud. I've also got quite a few cleaning the small algae off my
oxygenators which otherwise tends to clog them up and eventually kills
them. I think it's like all animals in a pond - the right balance is
beneficial to the overall microcosm. Too much of any one thing (fish,
snails, etc) will result in problems for the other species.
One saving grace is that fish will eat them when small,
and big fish will crunch even large specimens.
Lucky old fish. But if you have fish and no pond snails
you will have a much dirtier pond.
SBH Hardly, I hoover mine out a few times every year with a
SBH 0.75hp pump untill it's spotless. The filters ensure the
SBH water is chemically purer than tap water. Probably why it's
SBH always a haven for healthy frogs, birds,
SBH skaters, Dragonflies/Damosells....as well as our fish.
But... Cleaning all the "muck" can't be good for the wildlife, as that
muck contains a wealth of organisms.
SBH Oh, the "well balanced pond" argument again, and then there
SBH are UFO's and Elves and Fairies....... it's a myth. A pond
SBH is always trying to fill itself in and unless you take steps
SBH to manage it, things will eventually go wrong. To stay a
SBH pond they all have to be cleaned out sometime.
Some times, yes. Obviously depends hugely on position and size.
I guess all this proves nothing other than pond keeping is an art
rather than a science.
--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý
http://www.digdilem.org/