Heya pond people

[randyh]

This looks like a good place to compare notes about ponds with a bunch of knowledgeable folks. I'm in central Michigan. Dug a hole in the front yard garden 10-12 years ago and dropped in a 165-gal hardshell liner. It didn't take long before the green frogs moved in. I added a half dozen 2-inch panfish and they prospered (and reproduced) for a long time. Haven't had fish for a while but the frog population is going strong. Right now we have a dozen or so hibernating in the muck, lilypad roots and leaf litter at the bottom. I've been pretty amazed that the pond has more or less self-maintained a stable and balanced ecosystem that doesn't require much intervention from me. I scoop out excess leaves in the fall and change the filter pads every now and then on the 550-gal pump that's housed in a box at the bottom of the pond. In the summer it feeds a waterfall. In the winter, I convert it to a fountain to keep the pond from freezing over and keep up the oxygen levels. So that's my story. Nice to be here!

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Stephen Noble]

Welcome to the forum @randyh! Sounds like you have a well-established pond with a happy owner. Just doesn't get better than that!

 

[j.w]

and welcome @randyh

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

Love my frogs! Sounds like a neat stable pond.

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome! We watched a big old bullfrog burrow himself between some rocks in the pond last week on the pond cam. We’ll be curious to see if he makes it through the winter. He seemed to know what he was doing!

 

[Guestie]

Hello ... relatively new here myself.

It sounds as though your pond is now a bog, which is great. Frogs are wonderful.

I cannot house frogs in my pond ... it is an elevated construction on my terrace.

Welcome!

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

 

[CometKeith]

This looks like a good place to compare notes about ponds with a bunch of knowledgeable folks. I'm in central Michigan. Dug a hole in the front yard garden 10-12 years ago and dropped in a 165-gal hardshell liner. It didn't take long before the green frogs moved in. I added a half dozen 2-inch panfish and they prospered (and reproduced) for a long time. Haven't had fish for a while but the frog population is going strong. Right now we have a dozen or so hibernating in the muck, lilypad roots and leaf litter at the bottom. I've been pretty amazed that the pond has more or less self-maintained a stable and balanced ecosystem that doesn't require much intervention from me. I scoop out excess leaves in the fall and change the filter pads every now and then on the 550-gal pump that's housed in a box at the bottom of the pond. In the summer it feeds a waterfall. In the winter, I convert it to a fountain to keep the pond from freezing over and keep up the oxygen levels. So that's my story. Nice to be here!

Hi Randy. Welcome! Please post some pictures of your pond when you can!

 

[YShahar]

Hello Randy, and welcome! I'm also fairly new here. I joined two years ago or so when I first got started turning my whole yard into a big hole in the ground.

I wish we had frogs were I live. I love their elaborate songs, and would love to give them a stage on which to sing.

As others have said: Photos please!

-Yael

 

[j.w]

Hello Randy, and welcome! I'm also fairly new here. I joined two years ago or so when I first got started turning my whole yard into a big hole in the ground.

I wish we had frogs were I live. I love their elaborate songs, and would love to give them a stage on which to sing.

As others have said: Photos please!

-Yael

What the heck, no frogs? Guess too dry for them, they would prune up

 

[sissy]

welcome and I have 3 of those preformed ponds sitting in my shed along with watefall add ons . I got them free . Plus I have the one I started with in my other shed . Now sad to say i am sorry that I went bigger and then bigger and then bigger . I am 70 it has become alot of work for me .I have over 3 acres and the house to maintain . Besides that my koi kill frogs and leave me with the mess that is left to scoop out

 

[j.w]

welcome and I have 3 of those preformed ponds sitting in my shed along with watefall add ons . I got them free . Plus I have the one I started with in my other shed . Now sad to say i am sorry that I went bigger and then bigger and then bigger . I am 70 it has become alot of work for me .I have over 3 acres and the house to maintain . Besides that my koi kill frogs and leave me with the mess that is left to scoop out

If you decide to stop your big pond you can always install those small ones just so you have some nice ones to enjoy. Darn dogs are still there I suppose tho? Maybe easier to protect the little one from the dogs?

 

[GBBUDD]

Welcome, I have said time and again we set the stage and given mother nature time to create the show no one is better. Some times the less we fuss the better off the pond will be

 

[sissy]

yep dogs here are the big problem since there are no leash laws in the count ( they say because of farm dogs ) . UPS drive got bit on the leg the other day OH HOW TRUE GBBUDD . I never fuss with my pod and water is clear and fish are happy .Lava rock filters and pumps and aerator and add koi clay once in awhile . I feed then but not much and they clean their own room as I put it