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New pond: |
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Kato Member Joined: 14 Sep 2006 No. of posts: 6  View other posts by Kato |
Posted: 14 Sep 2006 I have just found and joined this site in the hope that someone can give me some good advice. I have a couple of fairly small ponds in my back garden. I don't keep fish in them and indeed only installed them (approx 20 years ago) for the local wildlife. Over the years I have noticed that the slightly larger pond seems to attract many more newts and frogs than the smaller one, I guess that could be to do with the postions of the ponds. Anyway, recently I decided to dig a much larger pond in place of the existing largest pond. The current pond is a fibreglass moulded unit but the new pond will be formed with a butyl liner. I have dug out all around the existing pond and was about ready to drain the existing pond and remove it when I noticed a few small newts swimming about. Most of the newts are at various stages of the larval cycle although some have progressed a little further and have ingested their gills. So far I have captured about twenty of these and put them in a spare fish tank - my question to all is - how long can I keep them in the tank, is freeze dried bloodworm and Tubifex sufficient to feed them, should the water be changed frequently, do they have any special requirements ?? My new pond will be a fishpond and although fairly large may not be suitable to accommodate breeding newts and frogs (the toads seem to have disappeared over the past few years) so I intend to re-site this displaced pond (much to my wifes depair). What with all this back breaking digging etc it will probably be quite some time before I can reintroduce these tiny newts back into a pond, hence my questions. Sorry to be so long winded .... Kato |
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Vicar Senior Member Joined: 02 Sep 2004 No. of posts: 1181 View other posts by Vicar |
Posted: 14 Sep 2006 My first thought would be to relocate them to your smaller pond, but I'll let more expert members than I, offer better suggestions  .Steve Langham - Chairman 
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG). |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369  View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 15 Sep 2006
I would say that steve is right if you have lots of the newts - but I would also say that a few could be maintained in a fish tank - My dad has for a while kept newts in the shed with shallow filled fish tanks - he feeds them with live bloodworms, daphina, and tubifex which you should be able to get from local petshops or aquatic centres. The tanks are on a shelf near a window to allow sunlight to penetrate the tank to provide warmth. It is great to see them develop into metamorphs which can then be released near the ponds in suitable habitats. Dad also has a terrestrial tank which he places metamorphs - he feeds these on small worms, slugs from the compost heap and gut loaded meal worms etc. The tank is shallow filled with soil and compost with a small water dish. So there are ways to maintain animals until the new pond is ready - What sort of fish are you going to put into the new pond? Jon
Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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Kato Member Joined: 14 Sep 2006 No. of posts: 6 View other posts by Kato |
Posted: 15 Sep 2006
Thanks for the replies Steve and Jon, I had considered putting the the young newts into the other pond but as I said previously, the other pond seems to be less siutable habitat as evidenced by the very small number of newts using it compared to the pond I am removing. Also, there are at least 70 + frogs and the odd toad who could potentially use it and Im a bit worried that they may eat these tiny newts (maybe I'm wrong and frogs/toads don't prey on newt larvae). I suspect that I'll have to put some in though as I am now up to about 35 newts and still puling more out as I find them. At the moment these disposessed creatures are housed in a fish tank with about 3 inches of water, rocks to enable them to get out of the water and some floating weed. I have put in some freeze dried bloodworm and tubifex is this ok or do they need live food. Also, how often should I change the water and would aeriation via an air line help. Jon - I have inherited 18 goldfish - currently housed in a temporary pond complete with pump, filter and airline so I intend to start with these and see how things progress. thanks
Kato |
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herpetologic2 Senior Member Joined: 15 Jun 2004 No. of posts: 1369 View other posts by herpetologic2 |
Posted: 15 Sep 2006
They may not take the frozen worms as they are not wriggling - so live ones would be best - you can change the water around 20 to 30% with rainwater or pond water Pumps and filters would not normally be needed as long as you keep any food (dead worms etc) to a minimum Plant up your new pond with plenty of weeds and other shading plants such as lilies - this will eventually keep the water clear and would provide cover for the newts
Regards
Jon Vice Chair of ARG UK - self employed consultant - visit ARG UK & Alresford Wildlife |
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Kato Member Joined: 14 Sep 2006 No. of posts: 6 View other posts by Kato |
Posted: 16 Sep 2006 Thanks again for your response. I have now emptied the pond and the grand total of young newts came to approx 50. Only two were completely developed so I have transferred them to my other smaller pond, if they want to get out they can. So, at present I'm left with lots of newts in various stages of their larval development, some are really tiny and others are almost fully developed. I managed to get hold of some live Daphnia today - that alongside the freeze dried stuff mentioned previously should keep them going for a few days. Will the larger, more advanced newts prey on their tiny tadpole like bretheren ? I think I have too many to keep together so should I sort them by size. thanks again ........... Kato |
- New pond |