pondnewbe

[jerryd463]

Hello to all you pond and aquarium owners at this site!Yes I am a newbe in the pond field and do have a few questions on how to proceed with protecting the livestock when I get them. The first concern has to do with introducing some sort of stone bottom filler for looks.I would like to get some 3/4" multi-color marble chips but am leary about them since the fish can rub against or careen into them which may cause injury. What do you think would be the best type of filler that will also contrast with the plain black color of the pond form to help bring out the colors of the fish and plants when introduced ?
Secondly, I am also thinking about getting a couple of Mantle turtles to keep the fish company. Will these turtles have a negitive effect on the fishes general well being.if so, which type would be the best choice and why?
Lastly,I would like this to be a community pond with frogs and snails and even a couple blue skinks too, as well as other fish that will live in harmony with each other if that can happen with no ill effects.Anything you can add as info to my cause,please let me know.:c3:

[sandy_n]

Unfortunately I don't know that much about what you are asking but there will be people here that do. I'd just like to say hi and welcome to AC.

[snipers_den]

Hello and welcome aboard to the AC...good luck on you pond endevors..any pics of your pond...

[angelcakes]

are you having koi or goldfish?..........i base my answer on both types of fish just incase its either, they possibly might eat the snails,mantle turtles i dont know about,frogs depending on size may also get eaten by koi or goldfish,either keep the bottom of your pond clear or use rounded stonework,chips might be a little to rough as you point out fish rub,try and get a filter+pump+uv and get a pump that is a higher output such as if your pond is 500g(for example) then get a pump that is suited for a 750g pond(again example) as fish such as goldfish and especially koi are messy,if you want lillies or plants make sure there mature as koi and goldfish trash them,as for protecting the livestock just be careful with koi ive had few suicidle ones that jump out the pond,normally some netting is a good idea to go over the pond,good luck:19:
ps forgot to mention hello and welcom

[smaug]

welcome,my answer will be in a few parts because at the moment Im at work.
1.size, go no less the 150 gallons,smaller ponds are too unstable
2 if you go with the smallest version dont put koi in it unless you plan to go 3 times bigger in the future [near]
3 get a pump that moves 5 times your pond size in water every hour.
4 no turtles with fish,they will be food.
5frogs are good and if you live close to any bodys of water they will find your pond by themselves.
6. lilys are your best bet for a pond plant as they are neccesary to shade the water and limit green water.
more to come

[smaug]

7.no marble chips as they will cause you to have very high alkalinity and ph leading to an even higher occurance of algae,in a smaller pond no substrate is better if you choose bigger [250gal] use small flat flagstone piece laid flat and smooth to avoid sharp fin catching edges.
8.where geologically are you located?warm climate or cool.Will your pond freeze in the winter?

[houie925]

What's a mantle turtle? I've never heard of one and when I searched it all I found were decorations and video games.

As was stated earlier fish and turtles can be hard to mix but if the fish are large enough many turtle species will basically leave them alone, I would avoid anything with very long fins, though. Additionally many turtle species require warm water year round so be careful about selecting a suitable species,.

Frogs and turtles could also cause problems because most if not all turtles are omnivores or carnivores and will eat anything they can. As with the fish, if the frogs are large enough they should be pretty safe.

As for a good mix, I would say wood turtles, they max out at about 8" and hibernate in the winter, koi, and bullfrogs but the turtles and frogs must be able to get out of the water.