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Adding "other" critters to my pond?
I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some additional
interest. I have koi and I like them but I would like some other interesting critters as well. Frogs are an obvious choice but I am interested in knowing what other critters I can add that are not harmful plus will stay around. I live in Oklahoma. Pond is large enough with waterfall that it does not freeze over. Turtles (small) - any problem? Where do I get the "right" kind? Any suggestions or definite no-no's. Paul |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
On Fri, 13 Feb 2004 00:55:22 GMT, "ppdavid"
wrote: I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some additional interest. I have koi and I like them but I would like some other interesting critters as well. Frogs are an obvious choice but I am interested in knowing what other critters I can add that are not harmful plus will stay around. I live in Oklahoma. Pond is large enough with waterfall that it does not freeze over. Turtles (small) - any problem? Where do I get the "right" kind? Any suggestions or definite no-no's. I am no expert but it seems to me there are two kinds of turtles: those that eat fish and those that eat anything. We have loads of volunteer frogs that show up and try to take over the pond. Then in the fall they try to bury their noses in the bottom but cannot because there is no mud there. I scoop them out in the spring and put them on the compost pile. JMHO John |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
ppdavid wrote I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some
additional interest. Turtles and frogs will come and go as their interests dictate. Frogs to breed, bullfrogs to eat fish and turtles to move in. You can make it an attractive place for them to want to stay. Lots of plants around the pond will help frogs and turtles feel safe and protected. Isolated rocks and a floating log will give them a safe place to bask in the sun and feel relatively safe from being snuck up on. Lots of food :-) Frogs and toads like lots of insects, slugs and worms. Insects are attracted to flowering plants, water and not tidied up area. Bullfrogs like lots of fish, which canoodling rosie reds or goldfish will provide for them. Turtles, depending on the species, like small fish, snails, aquatic plants like water hyacinth and a few offerings of fruit. You can also offer turtle chow to any turtles that show up. A possible no-no turtle, especially if you wade in your pond, is the snapping turtle. Many people don't even know that a snapper has moved in until they notice water lily pads floating around that have been severed at the base. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
ppdavid wrote I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some
additional interest. Turtles and frogs will come and go as their interests dictate. Frogs to breed, bullfrogs to eat fish and turtles to move in. You can make it an attractive place for them to want to stay. Lots of plants around the pond will help frogs and turtles feel safe and protected. Isolated rocks and a floating log will give them a safe place to bask in the sun and feel relatively safe from being snuck up on. Lots of food :-) Frogs and toads like lots of insects, slugs and worms. Insects are attracted to flowering plants, water and not tidied up area. Bullfrogs like lots of fish, which canoodling rosie reds or goldfish will provide for them. Turtles, depending on the species, like small fish, snails, aquatic plants like water hyacinth and a few offerings of fruit. You can also offer turtle chow to any turtles that show up. A possible no-no turtle, especially if you wade in your pond, is the snapping turtle. Many people don't even know that a snapper has moved in until they notice water lily pads floating around that have been severed at the base. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
ppdavid wrote I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some
additional interest. Turtles and frogs will come and go as their interests dictate. Frogs to breed, bullfrogs to eat fish and turtles to move in. You can make it an attractive place for them to want to stay. Lots of plants around the pond will help frogs and turtles feel safe and protected. Isolated rocks and a floating log will give them a safe place to bask in the sun and feel relatively safe from being snuck up on. Lots of food :-) Frogs and toads like lots of insects, slugs and worms. Insects are attracted to flowering plants, water and not tidied up area. Bullfrogs like lots of fish, which canoodling rosie reds or goldfish will provide for them. Turtles, depending on the species, like small fish, snails, aquatic plants like water hyacinth and a few offerings of fruit. You can also offer turtle chow to any turtles that show up. A possible no-no turtle, especially if you wade in your pond, is the snapping turtle. Many people don't even know that a snapper has moved in until they notice water lily pads floating around that have been severed at the base. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
ppdavid wrote I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some
additional interest. Turtles and frogs will come and go as their interests dictate. Frogs to breed, bullfrogs to eat fish and turtles to move in. You can make it an attractive place for them to want to stay. Lots of plants around the pond will help frogs and turtles feel safe and protected. Isolated rocks and a floating log will give them a safe place to bask in the sun and feel relatively safe from being snuck up on. Lots of food :-) Frogs and toads like lots of insects, slugs and worms. Insects are attracted to flowering plants, water and not tidied up area. Bullfrogs like lots of fish, which canoodling rosie reds or goldfish will provide for them. Turtles, depending on the species, like small fish, snails, aquatic plants like water hyacinth and a few offerings of fruit. You can also offer turtle chow to any turtles that show up. A possible no-no turtle, especially if you wade in your pond, is the snapping turtle. Many people don't even know that a snapper has moved in until they notice water lily pads floating around that have been severed at the base. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
ppdavid wrote I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some
additional interest. Turtles and frogs will come and go as their interests dictate. Frogs to breed, bullfrogs to eat fish and turtles to move in. You can make it an attractive place for them to want to stay. Lots of plants around the pond will help frogs and turtles feel safe and protected. Isolated rocks and a floating log will give them a safe place to bask in the sun and feel relatively safe from being snuck up on. Lots of food :-) Frogs and toads like lots of insects, slugs and worms. Insects are attracted to flowering plants, water and not tidied up area. Bullfrogs like lots of fish, which canoodling rosie reds or goldfish will provide for them. Turtles, depending on the species, like small fish, snails, aquatic plants like water hyacinth and a few offerings of fruit. You can also offer turtle chow to any turtles that show up. A possible no-no turtle, especially if you wade in your pond, is the snapping turtle. Many people don't even know that a snapper has moved in until they notice water lily pads floating around that have been severed at the base. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
ppdavid wrote I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some
additional interest. Turtles and frogs will come and go as their interests dictate. Frogs to breed, bullfrogs to eat fish and turtles to move in. You can make it an attractive place for them to want to stay. Lots of plants around the pond will help frogs and turtles feel safe and protected. Isolated rocks and a floating log will give them a safe place to bask in the sun and feel relatively safe from being snuck up on. Lots of food :-) Frogs and toads like lots of insects, slugs and worms. Insects are attracted to flowering plants, water and not tidied up area. Bullfrogs like lots of fish, which canoodling rosie reds or goldfish will provide for them. Turtles, depending on the species, like small fish, snails, aquatic plants like water hyacinth and a few offerings of fruit. You can also offer turtle chow to any turtles that show up. A possible no-no turtle, especially if you wade in your pond, is the snapping turtle. Many people don't even know that a snapper has moved in until they notice water lily pads floating around that have been severed at the base. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
ppdavid wrote I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some
additional interest. Turtles and frogs will come and go as their interests dictate. Frogs to breed, bullfrogs to eat fish and turtles to move in. You can make it an attractive place for them to want to stay. Lots of plants around the pond will help frogs and turtles feel safe and protected. Isolated rocks and a floating log will give them a safe place to bask in the sun and feel relatively safe from being snuck up on. Lots of food :-) Frogs and toads like lots of insects, slugs and worms. Insects are attracted to flowering plants, water and not tidied up area. Bullfrogs like lots of fish, which canoodling rosie reds or goldfish will provide for them. Turtles, depending on the species, like small fish, snails, aquatic plants like water hyacinth and a few offerings of fruit. You can also offer turtle chow to any turtles that show up. A possible no-no turtle, especially if you wade in your pond, is the snapping turtle. Many people don't even know that a snapper has moved in until they notice water lily pads floating around that have been severed at the base. kathy :-) A HREF="http://www.onceuponapond.com/"Once upon a pond/A |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
Paul,
I don't know about turtles, but the frogs & toads will find you! The surest sign that it is really spring here in NC is when I hear the toads calling from the edge of the pond (they don't spend much time actually in the pond, but some of them seem quite happy in the "singles bar"). I try to make sure that there is always some way for the critters to get out, too! Frogs are great jumpers, but toads, well........... I put bricks on the plant shelves, so that even the "littlest lover boy toad" can get out of the pond. Anne Lurie Raleigh, NC "ppdavid" wrote in message om... I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some additional interest. I have koi and I like them but I would like some other interesting critters as well. Frogs are an obvious choice but I am interested in knowing what other critters I can add that are not harmful plus will stay around. I live in Oklahoma. Pond is large enough with waterfall that it does not freeze over. Turtles (small) - any problem? Where do I get the "right" kind? Any suggestions or definite no-no's. Paul |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
My pond was built for my RES (red-eared slider turtles). It's also home
to 10 GF and assorted rosy red minnows plus a huge catfish. If you get turtles, RES are inexpensive and fairly hardy. They will eat tiny fish, though -- the GF & minnows were originally bought as food. The survivors grew and the turtles lost interest in them. Gabrielle ppdavid wrote: I am interested in adding some critters to my pond to add some additional interest. I have koi and I like them but I would like some other interesting critters as well. Frogs are an obvious choice but I am interested in knowing what other critters I can add that are not harmful plus will stay around. I live in Oklahoma. Pond is large enough with waterfall that it does not freeze over. Turtles (small) - any problem? Where do I get the "right" kind? Any suggestions or definite no-no's. Paul |
Adding "other" critters to my pond?
At a tiny hatchling size freshwater turtles are quite a treat on ponds
where there are a lot of aquatic plants, they don't seem to show any significant interest in plants, they seem happy to peck away at snails, small bugs that fall in and trying to compete for meat treats intended for the koi... On the other hand, when turtles are getting beyond 6" shell length, they are getting toward a size where they can cause a bit of damage, their mouths are big enough to dent whatever they take a shine to pecking at. To find a few some long walks around popular fishing spots will probably get a few tips as to where hatchling turtles might be found, fishing folk might well notice where the turtles are busy A decent size garden pond, say over 10' in size, well planted with a few fish in it has no problem coping with a few modest sized turtles. Quite the opposite, so far turtles seem to be far more interesting and beneficial on a pond, than pricey finnicky fish... While they are at the tiny stage freshwater turtles are fabulous residents in all but the smallest pond. Between the snails, tadpoles, worms, crickets that can crowd a pond they will 'even out' the excesses that nature provides and do it with great appeal, a regular tidbit of chicken, beef or worm might even get them to be quite tame, take care to only put in what the turtle can finish so no scraps end up going off. After about the 6" stage, the turtle is getting up to a size which can ding things a bit much, when your favorite waterlily is starting to suffer, you may want to think in terms of sending them for a long holiday on your favorite local lake, assuming its a native species The stage at which the turtle becomes a problem depends mostly on the size of your pond and how vulnerable your plants are. If you have heavily planted ponds twenty foot or so in size you would hardly be bothered by a one foot long turtle, while a little preformed tub would soon show signs of plants being pecked at and the water going a bit 'niffy' I get turtles turning up here, whether I like it or not. I hardly got a glimpse of the snapper that levelled two baskets of water lilies last year, I saw it once and never again until the big fella was safely enticed into a humane trap for relocation, shell length 12" its head maybe 2" wide. I ended up making a turtle trap with a one way gate so I can catch the turtles easy now and relocate them to quiet state park lakes in good condition. First time out, it caught a 9" x 6.5" yellow bellied turtle, next, four or five snapping turtles were fished out... Little hatchling turtles have been quite a pleasant surprise, they have turned up on three ponds here, so far... on one pond which has a couple of small kois in it. They might be very useful at cutting the snail numbers down so that's definitely a plus, most of the ponds here have no fish and large snail numbers would damage small crowns of water lilies for sure Some turtles I'd go out of my way to introduce, the Eastern Painted turtle is a small turtle, that would be very suitable for a pond larger than 10' or so, the Eastern mud turtle is already ambling around. All rather more interesting than kois and goldfish, for sure and a lot less bother to maintain... There's a wide range of habit between turtles and within the same variety, box turtles are terrestrial critters really, visiting ponds for a drink and a soak on a hot day, while snapping turtles are entirely aquatic most of the time, they seem to take to going walkabouts on occasion, floods and droughts seem to be the time when rascals such as the fella at the url below turn up. (12' shell length, chobbles a waterlily to destruction easy peasy) http://community.webshots.com/photo/...95342971FZvpuH A snapping turtle like that you will never see on a largish pond, just the evidence of orphaned lily pads drifting about will hint at the presence of those fellas Basking turtles by comparison are quite easy to spot, usually scuttling into hiding the moment they see you. Some folk see them become fairly tame on a pond with fish. In a well planted largish pond where there is regular food they seem to 'get along' with the other critters, up to about 6" length turtles don't seem to put too much pressure on a diverse healthy pond. In a competition for tid bits your average healthy goldfish or koi usually scoots off with the goodies... Regards, andy http://www.members.aol.com/abdavisnc/swglist.html http://community.webshots.com/user/adavisus "ppdavid" wrote in message . com... Turtles (small) - any problem? Where do I get the "right" kind? Any suggestions or definite no-no's. Paul |
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