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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

In Europe sturgeon are popular for koi ponds. In your area the shovelnos
sturgeon would be the best choice. They stay small (less that 30" usually
around 24") and they are native and captive bred.Really smal ones might need to
be grown up some adn gotton used to eating [pellets beofre releasing into a koi
pond so the koi don't starve them to death.

Moon
I breed dwarf crayfish for planted aquariums and grow trees in aquariums.
My groups

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

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

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