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Small wildlife pond

Finished the new wildlife pond on Friday and filled it with tap water to check the level, intending to empty it and let it fill with rainwater over the next few weeks.  Next day my helpful OH acquired some frog spawn leaving me in a quandary.  They have tails already and have a temporary home in a bucket of rainwater but I feel I want to get them into the pond ASAP.  Our water in Glasgow is soft, with no added fluoride.  How long does it take for chlorine to dissipate?  Can I have a successful pond if I start with tap water and if so how long do I need to let it stand?  All advice gratefully appreciated.

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  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    Thank you Tetley, you encouraged me to have a pond in a previous post so I'm delighted to get advice from you.  Which plants would you recommend for the pond and for around it to have it looking as natural as possible but pretty as well?  

  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    Thank you Lantana, the tadpoles will be moving home tomorrow!  I am hoping they will turn into huge frogs with a taste for slugs and snails!

  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    image

  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    Thank you pansyface I'll keep a note of that.  I intend to decant half the tadpoles today, then if they are still showing signs of life tomorrow their brothers and sisters will follow.  Hope the mud has settled, bit too cold to check right now.

  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,012

    Every pond I've had has been filled with tap water at the beginning and topped up with tap water thereafter with no ill effects.  I certainly wouldn't pay for anything to add to the pond to "make it safe", it's simply not necessary.

    Many moons ago I worked at a Garden Centre, in their pond and fish department.  The large holding tanks there were constantly fed with tap water.

  • darren636darren636 Posts: 666
    Tap water will contain chlorine or possibly ammonium.

    Chlorine will dissipate after 48 hours

    Ammonium will hang around in the pond water for weeks and like chlorine, is toxic to bacteria and critters.



    Unless you regularly top up the water in the pond, you'll be fine.

    If you need to frequently add tap water to a pond, get a bottle of dechlorinator from Maidenhead aquatics or order seachem prime online.
  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    Thanks KT53. Good to know my tadpoles stand a fighting chance.

  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    Thanks Darren.  This being the west of Scotland lack of rain is going to be the least of my problems.  I intend to collect rainwater from the greenhouse roof should top ups be necessary but I will certainly make a note of Maidenhead aquatics for possible future use should the tadpoles not survive. 

  • EsspeeEsspee Posts: 274

    Thanks Tetley, I expect the staff will keep me right.  Will research a bit as I don't want any non natives. (Sounds a bit BNP image)  

    The pond that the tadpoles came from is shortly going to be bulldozed by developers.  Would it be OK to rescue some plants from there do you think?

  • darren636darren636 Posts: 666
    Puddleplants sell a range of young native pond and big plants.

    Well worth looking at for inspiration.



    But every pond should have at least one of these 3



    Veronica beccabunga

    Botumus umbellatus

    Baldelia ranunculoides
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