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Post by kleftiwallah on Aug 21, 2019 17:05:24 GMT
After constructing a temorary aquarium from a large plastic container and a solar powered bubbler to keep daphnia fresh for the newtlets in our pond. It is now vacant until more daphnia are available so I filled it with rainwater, placed it in sunlight and a quantity of stagnant water found in a bucket in the garden and the bubbler is providing oxygen. Finally to the question, do you think I'll find anything swimming around in time and if so, what? Cheers, Tony.  |
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Post by aeshna5 on Aug 21, 2019 17:45:36 GMT
Because ponds naturally dry up, the inhabitants need to be able to disperse to find new ponds, so there's a fair chance something will find it- if only a mosquito!
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Post by rowanberry on Aug 21, 2019 17:59:42 GMT
Tony, have you made any ramps or ways for frogs or newts to get in and out? If the rim is too far above ground-level any wildlife will have a difficult time getting in it. I found this home-made one online...
and don't forget to provide a way out, for any hedgehogs that might fall in!
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Post by kleftiwallah on Aug 22, 2019 10:13:49 GMT
Many thanks for those interesting replies. The possibility of frogs, toads, newts and hedgehogs gaining access to the water is impossible as it is on a short stand. I was thinking along the lines of air bourne yeasts and as aeshna5 mentioned mosquito larva and other beasties. When (and if) green water starts to form, I'll import more daphnia.
Cheers, Tony.
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Post by teasel on Aug 22, 2019 14:32:42 GMT
slugs?  Mayflies, dragonflies, anything like mosquitoes, hover-flies. I don't know about yeasts / fungi but you may get a selection of algae if you have a microscope to look. Rainwater can have a lot of interesting things in it so I've heard.
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Post by kleftiwallah on Aug 23, 2019 9:28:00 GMT
Good morning teasel, your reference to rainwater is what got me curious.
Cheers, Tony.
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Post by Tringa on Aug 23, 2019 13:21:19 GMT
I think you will find quite a few things in the water after a while.
It reminds me of an experiment we did when I was doing A level Biology in the late 1960s. We cleaned a container (if I recall correctly it was an enamel pie dish) and added some distilled water. This was left on the roof of the lab and checked each week.
Most of the things we found were microscopic plants and animals but also we had some larvae of large insects.
As Teasel mentions a bucket of rainwater, especially in warm weather, will have lots of larvae fairly quickly.
Dave
BTW and as an aside I've heard one way to reduce the mosquito(and other insect larvae)in water butts is to put a goldfish in the tub.
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Mayflies, dragonflies, anything like mosquitoes, hover-flies. I don't know about yeasts / fungi but you may get a selection of algae if you have a microscope to look. Rainwater can have a lot of interesting things in it so I've heard.