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#1
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Pond - fish - cats
Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote: "BoyPete" wrote in message ... I am in the last stages of finishing a pond, and hopefully will introduce fish this weekend or next. But, lately I have noticed a neighbours cat sitting on my garden wall....................looks like it could be problem. I recall my dad using one of those electronic cat deterrent things......totally useless. Any suggestions for humanely keeping the little beggar away appreciated. -- ßôyþëtë I have a Siamese (tom) that systematically visits a neighbours pond and kills all fish (and probably a few frogs). The pond is now netted. I do not have a lot of sympathy with anyone that imprisons fish in a *small* garden pond. A well designed large pond presents a problem to both cats and herons. Sorry to be such a bitch but a natural wildlife pond is really interesting, whereas a small fish pond must be one of the most boring and tortuous devices ever invented. Blame it on C.Dimock He didn't say it was a small pond, though. We have two large fishponds and the local heron has had a go at one of them. It hasn't discovered the other fishpond yet because it's quite new. The wildlife pond (ex duck pond) is being left that way so that the frogs find it and have a chance to breed without fish eating the eggs and the tads....... there's always something..... -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon |
#2
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Pond - fish - cats
"Sacha" wrote in message ups.com... Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote: "BoyPete" wrote in message ... I am in the last stages of finishing a pond, and hopefully will introduce fish this weekend or next. But, lately I have noticed a neighbours cat sitting on my garden wall....................looks like it could be problem. I recall my dad using one of those electronic cat deterrent things......totally useless. Any suggestions for humanely keeping the little beggar away appreciated. -- ßôyþëtë I have a Siamese (tom) that systematically visits a neighbours pond and kills all fish (and probably a few frogs). The pond is now netted. I do not have a lot of sympathy with anyone that imprisons fish in a *small* garden pond. A well designed large pond presents a problem to both cats and herons. Sorry to be such a bitch but a natural wildlife pond is really interesting, whereas a small fish pond must be one of the most boring and tortuous devices ever invented. Blame it on C.Dimock He didn't say it was a small pond, though. We have two large fishponds and the local heron has had a go at one of them. It hasn't discovered the other fishpond yet because it's quite new. The wildlife pond (ex duck pond) is being left that way so that the frogs find it and have a chance to breed without fish eating the eggs and the tads....... there's always something..... -- Sacha You are of course quite right. I was not trying to annoy Boypete and I am certain he and you know what you are doing. I have a bee in my bonnet at the moment. Last week a neighbour built a small pond for wildlife. He now has tadpoles, large exotic fish, a fountain /uv light, all contained within a black plastic liner, half of which is above water level. The pond is in full sun and as yet contains *no* plants. If the tadpoles make it to froghood they will never be able to get out of the plastic prison. I really hope one of my cats or a Heron eats the lot and puts them out of their misery. www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon |
#3
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Pond - fish - cats
snip
The wildlife pond (ex duck pond) is being left that way so that the frogs find it and have a chance to breed without fish eating the eggs and the tads....... there's always something..... -- Sacha You are of course quite right. I was not trying to annoy Boypete and I am certain he and you know what you are doing. I have a bee in my bonnet at the moment. Last week a neighbour built a small pond for wildlife. He now has tadpoles, large exotic fish, a fountain /uv light, all contained within a black plastic liner, half of which is above water level. The pond is in full sun and as yet contains *no* plants. If the tadpoles make it to froghood they will never be able to get out of the plastic prison. I really hope one of my cats or a Heron eats the lot and puts them out of their misery. Have you tried explaining to him that the frogs need to be able to get out! What a clot - presumably he thinks someone helicopters in and airlifts them out - dragonflies, perhaps! Our fishpond has a little island in one corner and the frogs happily hop in and out using that and the wildlife pond has large, mostly flat stones all around the edge with some of them dipping into the water. In frog season, I've seen people weight one end of a plank and slide it into the water, resting the other end against the edge of the pond, thus making a frog ladder. He really must put in some plants, though. I'm always slightly amazed at people who want to make their pond water absolutely clear because nothing is more unsettling to the fish, apparently. And who wants to stare at a plastic or cement pond shell, anyway? -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon |
#4
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Pond - fish - cats
"Sacha" wrote in message ups.com... snip The wildlife pond (ex duck pond) is being left that way so that the frogs find it and have a chance to breed without fish eating the eggs and the tads....... there's always something..... -- Sacha You are of course quite right. I was not trying to annoy Boypete and I am certain he and you know what you are doing. I have a bee in my bonnet at the moment. Last week a neighbour built a small pond for wildlife. He now has tadpoles, large exotic fish, a fountain /uv light, all contained within a black plastic liner, half of which is above water level. The pond is in full sun and as yet contains *no* plants. If the tadpoles make it to froghood they will never be able to get out of the plastic prison. I really hope one of my cats or a Heron eats the lot and puts them out of their misery. Have you tried explaining to him that the frogs need to be able to get out! What a clot - presumably he thinks someone helicopters in and airlifts them out - dragonflies, perhaps! Our fishpond has a little island in one corner and the frogs happily hop in and out using that and the wildlife pond has large, mostly flat stones all around the edge with some of them dipping into the water. In frog season, I've seen people weight one end of a plank and slide it into the water, resting the other end against the edge of the pond, thus making a frog ladder. He really must put in some plants, though. I'm always slightly amazed at people who want to make their pond water absolutely clear because nothing is more unsettling to the fish, apparently. And who wants to stare at a plastic or cement pond shell, anyway? -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon He is not the sort of bloke who takes advice. i.e. I suggested he gave the fish a bit of shade and he stated "that will make the water go green". One of the big fish looks distinctly ill and I bet it will be belly up by tomorrow. AFAIK you can't really have a wildlife pond and a fish pond on a small scale. His wife is back tomorrow and he will be away golfing so I will work on her. They are both very nice people but.... |
#5
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Pond - fish - cats
Rupert (W.Yorkshire) wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message ups.com... snip Have you tried explaining to him that the frogs need to be able to get out! What a clot - presumably he thinks someone helicopters in and airlifts them out - dragonflies, perhaps! snip He really must put in some plants, though. snip He is not the sort of bloke who takes advice. i.e. I suggested he gave the fish a bit of shade and he stated "that will make the water go green". One of the big fish looks distinctly ill and I bet it will be belly up by tomorrow. AFAIK you can't really have a wildlife pond and a fish pond on a small scale. His wife is back tomorrow and he will be away golfing so I will work on her. They are both very nice people but.... If the fish dies, he may learn something, though at a cost to the fish, I do agree. In our 'formal' fish pond we just have to let nature take its course. The frogs emerge in their dozens each year to spawn there. Going out on a wet night with a torch is a magical experience because there are toads and frogs coming from all directions, towards that pond. It's been there for over 50 years so must have been home to numberless quantities of them. I've suggested that next year we insert some sort of mesh barrier between the part of the pond they usually lay the eggs in and try to keep the fish away. I particularly want to do this because this year being so dry at the vital time, we have seen many fewer frogs than usual. I'm hoping, too that we'll get lots going to the wildlife pond. We now have 3 ponds in the garden, one of which will remain fish-less. I'm beginning to think of another in an entirely different part of the garden but don't know if the Boss will agree! My problem will be that there is no electricity in that area and no naturally running water so I think it will just end up as a stagnant puddle, which seems a bit self-defeating. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon |
#6
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Pond - fish - cats
Sacha writes
My problem will be that there is no electricity in that area and no naturally running water so I think it will just end up as a stagnant puddle, which seems a bit self-defeating. You may be OK. For various reasons we are not running the pumps in the front garden atm (haven't for at least a couple of years) but the ponds don't seem to be suffering. One has a bit of sun, and the frogs breed in that one (the newts have now found it too). The other gets sun only from the NW or NE, and the frogs move to that to escape the heat of the summer. The third is much tinier, with no amphibians, but still has good insect life and is relatively sweet. Water in all three is clear. I think if you can get the balance right, with sufficient depth of water and good plant growth, you can keep it going without a pump. -- Kay |
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