Water tank

[RobHed]

I have just rescued a large, round plastic water tank-type thing from a nearby skip and intend to use it as a pond in the garden (to accompany an existing well-established half-barrel I already have which has been home to frogs and tadpoles for years). However, with this new pond, I understand that frogs and fish do not mix but want a water feature so can I :

1. Mix a small fountain and fish
2. Mix a small fountain and frogs/tadpoles
3. Be advised not to have a small fountain at all and just have fish, or
4. Be advised not to have a small fountain at all and just leave it for plants and more frogs, tadpoles, etc

All assistance gratefully received !

Cheers

Rob from Bristol 7

[Big Al]

I have just rescued a large, round plastic water tank-type thing from a nearby skip and intend to use it as a pond in the garden (to accompany an existing well-established half-barrel I already have which has been home to frogs and tadpoles for years). However, with this new pond, I understand that frogs and fish do not mix but want a water feature so can I :

1. Mix a small fountain and fish
2. Mix a small fountain and frogs/tadpoles
3. Be advised not to have a small fountain at all and just have fish, or
4. Be advised not to have a small fountain at all and just leave it for plants and more frogs, tadpoles, etc

All assistance gratefully received !

Cheers

Rob from Bristol 7

You will need to decide yourself really but for me questions I'd ask you are : is your garden a formal affair with manicured lawns, deep flower borders, entertaining areas, used by children etc or is it a wildlife garden with a few flowers, some veg, a not to well kept lawn etc?
I ask these because if you have children, particularly ankle biters in the garden then I wouldn't have any water at all. As for the formal side a fountain would be a nice feature and would agitate / oxegenate the water for fish but would disturb the pond too much for a wildlife pond ( assuming it is not just atrickling water feature)

fish will eat tadpoles by the hundred so they don't go together in one pond but having said that hedgehogs bite the heads off frogs and toads!
personally I'd go the wildlife pond but then I think the best fish are those on a plate these days and my garden has been described as disorganised and more cruelly by my wife as steptoes yard..humfff ( but it's getting better now).

Sorry not much help....

[RobHed]

Thanks for that, Al - no, our garden in no uncertain fashion could be described as 'formal'. LOL There are wild bits everywhere and whilst we grow shrubs and veg, is a pretty loose garden. Our daughter is 11 and we have never had a problem with her being near water. Do fish need much looking after ? Our garden is very much 'low maintenance' and is heavily visited by various animals enjoying the wildness (birds, the occasional hedgehog, butterflies, various insects, etc).

Thanks

Rob

[snapdragon]

water plants, a fountain (solar powered floating ones look good) and fish would work - fish need feeding most of the year, and are entertaining/calming, you'll need to bury most of the tank to avoid them being frozen solid in the winter. You'll need an animal ladder as well in case your wildlife get in, so they can get out again
I have one such round water tank in my garden, but it's awaiting collection for use as a drinking trough for horses

[sortanormalish]

A fountain will aerate the water, making all life in your tub's shallow depths happier and perhaps it would even be necessary for fish. You could just do a pump and stones to create a little waterfall to keep things informal.

[RobHed]

See ? This is why I love this site........all you wonderful people with so much knowledge to share

I do like the idea of solar-powered anything : we have a solar panel on our shed roof that works just fine for the light needed for the shed and I do like the idea of the calming influence of fish in the garden. I have always like the sound of water too for those snatched moments in between the chaos.

Hmmmm......what sort of fish ? I really wouldn't want anything too expensive such as koi or supper for herons ! I guess wire netting across the top would be a good idea since our locale is popular with cats.....

[Millymollymandy]

Small fish. Rob, a little tank like that wouldn't be suitable for big fish like koi.

Good luck with it, I have a half acre pond but don't actually know anything much about ponds and have always wanted a little ornamental (wildlife) one so I could grow marginal plants and the like. Any plants beside my pond just get eaten/ripped up for nesting material by the wildlife or snuffled out by my ducks and the water levels change so much according to the season that no pond plants can grow in it anyway!

[snapdragon]

..Hmmmm......what sort of fish ? I really wouldn't want anything too expensive such as koi or supper for herons !...

Goldfish, (anything dark or something like ghost carp you won't see so easily) some of the slightly fancier types would probably suit eg. comets, shubunkins, or the ones we know from fairgrounds. Get hold of a basic fish keeping book or leaflet? (I'll check the back cupboard in case I still have one). tap water treated and aged to remove chemicals is best to start with if I recall right.

[RobHed]

Thanks to everyone for all your very kind advice...I am just wondering if there is any subject that nobody knows about on this site ? Hmmmmmm......

All I have to do now is to dig a very big hole for the tank.

[Millymollymandy]

Thanks to everyone for all your very kind advice...I am just wondering if there is any subject that nobody knows about on this site ? Hmmmmmm......

I know! We know nothing about designer clothes, shoes and handbags. But we are experts on wellies.

[sortanormalish]

We most certainly do know something about designer clothes and handbags. We know they can be had second hand at thrift stores with the tags still on! And that they don't last long in the garden.

About netting, if you can staple the netting just below the water line it will disappear, but you won't be able to clean the pond easily. BUT if you make a frame of narrow lumber, pipe, etc. to attach the netting to so that it will sit just below the water line, it all disappears and is easy to remove for cleaning, You can make such a frame that only covers part of the pond so that plants can be set in the other side.--I typed while admiring my brand new thrift store silk blouse.

[Millymollymandy]

Darn! OK brain surgery then.

[RobHed]

Oh poo - I have just discovered a hole in the side and whilst I did my best to plug it, means that I can't really use this pot as a pond. I was also thinking of using it as a planter for perhaps a tree but our garden is only a postage stamp-size so there would be no real room. Andy or Dave - any use for it ? Anybody else in the Bristol area ?

[Millymollymandy]

Could you put a mini pond liner in it? Or just line with a bin bag with holes punched in for drainage and make it into a bog garden.