My pond has been filled with water for about 3 months. The string algae
is all gone and the water is fairly clear. It is about 15'x45'x3' to 4'
deep with vertical sides. It is spring fed and has no filter. It
filled up in one day. The water temperature is now up to 80F. It has
submerged plants and marginal plants on tables around the sides. It has
water lillies that are doing great. I bought 6 trap door snails to help
with the water quality. Now it is full of small snails and tadpoles. Is
this normal? Even the water thermometer has a snail inside the vial.
There are tadpoles attached to most plant pots, the sides where moss was
growing and swimming everywhere. The tadpoles came from frogs that were
living there before we drained and cleaned the pond. Will the rapid
increase in snail and tadpoles stabilize with no problems or should I be
doing something.

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The 'new' snails also could have come in on the plants that
you put in. And been reproducing.
I'm not sure Japanese trapdoor snails are all that prolific.
I've added them numerous times to my ponds and have never seen them reproduce.
But stranger things have happened...

I would watch the tadpole population. If you find that the pond seems to get
overwhelmed by them you can plan for next year to remove some of the spawn when
you see it and transfer to natural body of water. You can also do that with
some of the tadpoles in the earlier stages when they are easier to catch.

Are you planning to add fish to this pond? They will take care of much of the
snails and tadpoles. Doesn't sound like you'd need to feed them at all. With
this size of pond (15'x45'x3' to 4'
deep) and keeping your stocking level low you'd be okay without a filter as it
sounds like you have a nice assortment of plants.






kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

EROSPAM (Ka30P) wrote:

Are you planning to add fish to this pond? They will take care of much of the
snails and tadpoles. Doesn't sound like you'd need to feed them at all. With
this size of pond (15'x45'x3' to 4'
deep) and keeping your stocking level low you'd be okay without a filter as it
sounds like you have a nice assortment of plants.

I have some Golden Shiner minnows in the pond. Unfortunately I put them
in when string algae was a big problem and lost many of them. Since it
is spring fed and has an overflow into natural drainage, I am not
allowed to use exotic fish, but must follow Fish Commission rules. I am
thinking small now.

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Stephen Henning wrote
Since it
is spring fed and has an overflow into natural drainage, I am not
allowed to use exotic fish, but must follow Fish Commission rules. I am
thinking small now.

Good way to go. I think you'll be fine with the snails and tadpoles in such a
nice large pond.
If any turtles show up they love to eat snails.
And the tadpoles will hop on out eventually.
Along with the usual predators like herons, snakes will also eat tadpoles and
love to hang around looking for new froglets.


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

"Stephen M. Henning" wrote in message
news
My pond has been filled with water for about 3 months. The string algae
is all gone and the water is fairly clear. It is about 15'x45'x3' to 4'
deep with vertical sides. It is spring fed and has no filter. It
filled up in one day. The water temperature is now up to 80F. It has
submerged plants and marginal plants on tables around the sides. It has
water lillies that are doing great. I bought 6 trap door snails to help
with the water quality. Now it is full of small snails and tadpoles. Is
this normal? Even the water thermometer has a snail inside the vial.
There are tadpoles attached to most plant pots, the sides where moss was
growing and swimming everywhere. The tadpoles came from frogs that were
living there before we drained and cleaned the pond. Will the rapid
increase in snail and tadpoles stabilize with no problems or should I be
doing something.

As Costner once said, "If you build it..."

BV.

EROSPAM (Ka30P) wrote:

Stephen Henning wrote
Since it
is spring fed and has an overflow into natural drainage, I am not
allowed to use exotic fish, but must follow Fish Commission rules. I am
thinking small now.

Good way to go. I think you'll be fine with the snails and tadpoles in such a
nice large pond.
If any turtles show up they love to eat snails.
And the tadpoles will hop on out eventually.
Along with the usual predators like herons, snakes will also eat tadpoles and
love to hang around looking for new froglets.

We have had a resident green heron several summers. We have several
heron colonies in the area. We always have a snake; either a black
snake or water snake. I am noticing the larger tadpoles are
disappearing. I am beginning to see frogs everywhere in my yard now.
We do have the box turtles that eat tomatoes. I haven't seen them in
the pond yet.

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http://home.earthlink.net/~rhodyman

Stephen M Henning wrote We do have the box turtles that eat tomatoes. I
haven't seen them in the pond yet.

That's kind of a sweet picture in mine mind's eye but they aren't my tomatoes.
You won't find the box turtles in the pond except to take drink as they are
land critters. Now if you planted some watercress they'd probably add that to
their salad and garlic chives grow real well at the edge of my bog... ;-)





kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

"Stephen M. Henning" wrote in message
news
My pond has been filled with water for about 3 months. The string algae
is all gone and the water is fairly clear. It is about 15'x45'x3' to 4'
deep with vertical sides. It is spring fed and has no filter. It
filled up in one day. The water temperature is now up to 80F. It has
submerged plants and marginal plants on tables around the sides. It has
water lillies that are doing great. I bought 6 trap door snails to help
with the water quality. Now it is full of small snails and tadpoles. Is
this normal? Even the water thermometer has a snail inside the vial.
There are tadpoles attached to most plant pots, the sides where moss was
growing and swimming everywhere. The tadpoles came from frogs that were
living there before we drained and cleaned the pond. Will the rapid
increase in snail and tadpoles stabilize with no problems or should I be
doing something.

As Costner once said, "If you build it..."

BV.

Stephen M Henning wrote We do have the box turtles that eat tomatoes. I
haven't seen them in the pond yet.

That's kind of a sweet picture in mine mind's eye but they aren't my tomatoes.
You won't find the box turtles in the pond except to take drink as they are
land critters. Now if you planted some watercress they'd probably add that to
their salad and garlic chives grow real well at the edge of my bog... ;-)





kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html