Donate to Remove ads

Got a credit card? use our Credit Card & Finance Calculators

Thanks to johnstevens77,Bhoddhisatva,scotia,Anonymous,Cornytiv34, for Donating to support the site

small pond advice wanted please

wildlife, gardening, environment, Rural living, Pets and Vets
mutantpoodle
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1007
Joined: November 7th, 2016, 4:21 pm
Has thanked: 509 times
Been thanked: 122 times

small pond advice wanted please

#434686

Postby mutantpoodle » August 14th, 2021, 7:45 am

Morning...apologies but a full saga!!

I decided to make a small pond in garden to attarct wildlife etc
i used an old discarded childs 'sand pit'...big enough and solid plastic etc
BUT
BUT
as it was bright sky blue I decided to paint it
the only black to hand was what was left from my shed roof repair...so that runny mastic type stuff
goes dry after a day or so

all looks vey nice...................but having put some tadpoles in....they have not been since!
do tadpoles sink if they die? or do they float?
anyway no sign!!

I later did a 'google' and have discovered that the mastic stuff is not good for fish...........

QUESTION..... with ponds they say you should not use tap water straight from tap but leave a few days to settle and lose the impurities
is there any chance this would apply to my pond/mastic stuff?
ie will it be OK next spring when we expect more wildlife action

or do i start all over again??

bungeejumper
Lemon Half
Posts: 8064
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 2:30 pm
Has thanked: 2845 times
Been thanked: 3938 times

Re: small pond advice wanted please

#434696

Postby bungeejumper » August 14th, 2021, 9:10 am

Mostly guessing, but unfortunately your mastic is probably loaded with petrochemicals of one sort or another. Of course, you might say, so are the butyl liners that many ponds use, but AFAIK the default for solvent paints is to be animal-unfriendly. And pond life tends to be more susceptible to such things. Presumably because it can't fly/crawl away for a refreshing change of scene somewhere else. ;)

Hate to say it, but you may have to dump your sandbox. Or just lay in a butyl liner. It doesn't seem expensive. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tear-Resistant ... 0963FRWD6/

BJ

bungeejumper
Lemon Half
Posts: 8064
Joined: November 8th, 2016, 2:30 pm
Has thanked: 2845 times
Been thanked: 3938 times

Re: small pond advice wanted please

#434699

Postby bungeejumper » August 14th, 2021, 9:40 am

Should have added. If you decide to insert a butyl liner into your sandbox, remember to create a gradual slope at one edge so that frogs etc will have an easy exit onto dry land. Good luck.

BJ

Mike88
Lemon Slice
Posts: 969
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:17 pm
Has thanked: 112 times
Been thanked: 271 times

Re: small pond advice wanted please

#434713

Postby Mike88 » August 14th, 2021, 11:03 am

I've built several ponds in various houses. My advice would be to start again. The paint and mastic you have used is unsuitable. There is special pond paint usually epoxy but I wouldn't use it as a black liner in a dug hole is far better. There's plenty of advice online on how to build a pond using a butyl liner. You have done the hard work already by digging a hole assuming your sandpit is not above ground.

mutantpoodle
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1007
Joined: November 7th, 2016, 4:21 pm
Has thanked: 509 times
Been thanked: 122 times

Re: small pond advice wanted please

#434866

Postby mutantpoodle » August 15th, 2021, 11:32 am

many thanks, you will both be aware that I didnt want to hear that advice!!!

however
will now start over...well almost!!
have ordered 2 pond liners...probably far too big but price difference minimal
better too big than struggle to cover!
I can always make the hole bigger!!

thanks again...I feared as much ...

ps...I did see a tadpole this morning....but not going to risk it longterm

mutantpoodle
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1007
Joined: November 7th, 2016, 4:21 pm
Has thanked: 509 times
Been thanked: 122 times

Re: small pond advice wanted please

#436782

Postby mutantpoodle » August 23rd, 2021, 8:35 am

update

well i bought and had delivered pond liners
not cheap but decent guarantee (I imagine T & Cs will delete most issues)
so I emptied the pond
needless to say
frogs and tadpoles all happy at the bottom!
so my fears were unfounded
however
I pressed on and dug through to Aus
now trying to make it pretty round the top before plants etc and pondlife get back in

fish not expected...but I guess if someone wants rid of a goldfish or other small outside type I would put it in

no matter....no regrets
again my thanks to advisors on this

Mike88
Lemon Slice
Posts: 969
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 6:17 pm
Has thanked: 112 times
Been thanked: 271 times

Re: small pond advice wanted please

#436787

Postby Mike88 » August 23rd, 2021, 9:07 am

You have done the right thing. I doubt whether your child's sandpit would have survived the rigours of frost; the pit would have cracked, water would have leaked everywhere and the chemicals in the paint would have eventually contaminated the water. It's always best to do a job properly in the long term. Good job.

Gengulphus
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 4255
Joined: November 4th, 2016, 1:17 am
Been thanked: 2628 times

Re: small pond advice wanted please

#436844

Postby Gengulphus » August 23rd, 2021, 1:07 pm

mutantpoodle wrote:fish not expected...but I guess if someone wants rid of a goldfish or other small outside type I would put it in

Beware... https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57822715

Gengulphus

mutantpoodle
Lemon Quarter
Posts: 1007
Joined: November 7th, 2016, 4:21 pm
Has thanked: 509 times
Been thanked: 122 times

Re: small pond advice wanted please

#436970

Postby mutantpoodle » August 24th, 2021, 8:11 am

Gengulphus wrote:
mutantpoodle wrote:fish not expected...but I guess if someone wants rid of a goldfish or other small outside type I would put it in

Beware... https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/57822715

Gengulphus


excellent, I look forward to the saving on my cat food bills!!


Return to “The Natural World”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests