How to Stock a Wildlife Pond
A self-sustaining pond does not require constant maintenance and needs to be as big as possible. To stock a pond that attracts wildlife you need to choose the right blend of aquatic plants to create a natural balance. You will need to select the right plants, fish and design to make your pond attractive to birds and animal life. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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How to Stock a Wildlife Pond
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Build the pond base. You will either need to buy a pre-formed pond liner or a flexible liner. Dig the pond and place the liner. The base of the wildlife pond needs a sloping edge to allow birds and animals access to the water but protection from drowning.
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2
Choose water plants. Choose from three types of water plants: deep water plants, submerged plants, and free floating plants. Free floating plants discourage the growth of algae and should cover about a third of the pond. Submerged plants are important for the pond because they use up excess nutrients and oxygenate the water for fish and other aquatic life. Deep water plants are where the lily species come into play, protecting the fish from the sun and predators.
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Choose marginal plants. The roots of marginal plants are in the water but the stems, leaves and flowers are above the surface. Marginal plants draw more plant life than any other pond plants, providing shelters for frogs and insects and perches for birds.
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4
Plant an oxygenator. Submerged aquatic plants are called oxygenators and are essential to the health of the pond. Choose a plant like curly water thyme, tie the plant to a stone and drop it in a deeper section of the pond. The plant will root in the sediment at the bottom.
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Introduce fish. Never place fish directly in the pond. Allow them to acclimate by floating the plastic bag that you transported them in on the surface of the water for an hour. This will allow water temperatures to equalize gradually. Then gently open the bag and allow the fish to swim out of the bag.
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Place bird feeders. To attract birds, place bird feeders or containers with bird seed, unobtrusively near the pond, but make sure that they are easy to reach.
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Tips & Warnings
The pond area may be inhabited by snakes and spiders, so be careful.
