Topic: Do i need a filter?

[Growing4twins]

Hey guys,
Im looking to build a raised pond in my garden.  Its nopt gonna b huge, about a meter square & 50cm at its deepest point.  I want to attract as much wildlife as possible to it, we have already found newts & frogs in the garden so we r hoping they will make use of the pond aswell.  Do i need a filter?? How much should i spend on pond liner? how many plants do i need in it & what types of plants???  Any help or advice is gratefully recieved.  Cheers every1!

[goodlife]

For small wildlife pond you don't need filter, but you need to keep well planted. Newts like to lay their eggs into really fine leaf plants. If you get starter bundle of aerating plants those will suit them fine. You don't need any 'fancy' sort of plants neither. But as you pond is quite small side be prepared to thin out some of the plants couple of times a year or it will be swamped. You propably only need couple of plants..one underwater type and other above sort. Iris of small grass/rush type.
I would not spend any more than £20 for the liner..that should be plenty enough.. ;)
If others don't come back with plant names I'll get back to you later on when I've woken up properly..brain is not functioning as I'm still waiting my morning cuppa to cool down.. ;D

[macmac]

Oh goodlife I wish I'd spoken to you before we built our wildlife pond.
The OH had a huge koi pond built and the trade off was a small wildlife pond (he hates frogs )
Well after 4 yrs we've got huge kingcups and a couple of other enormous whatevers sitting in a puddle  :(
On a serious note when would be the best time to set about it ? We had lots of taddies etc so it's not entirely useless.

[picman]

Your 1m sq pond is a bit small it will get too hot in the summer and plants will not thrive, unless it is well shaded but then the plants will struggle , I would suggest 2 ponds at different height one in shade with a pump, and a channel to the lower 1sqm one with all your plants etc and a pipe with small mesh guard feeding the top pump . no need to filter just unclog the pump filter every week ! ( don't ever use water straight from the tap )

[goodlife]

I've got small pond that used to have pump with a filter..but because of the constant water movement plants didn't grow that well. ..no the pump wasnt too powerful.
After our last 'old' goldfish died we left it to the nature and never used the pump anymore..and soon the plants started grow like mad. We keep the pond slightly on the 'full' side..planting wise and we've got no end of frogs and newts.  Because of the plants there is plenty of oxygen in water and it stays really clear. Couple of times during summer I pull excess plants off..otherwise there is little maintenance involved. Our pond is most of the day in full sun...but does get partial shading from tree for a while. If you don't have any fish in pond it is much easier to keep natural balance in the pond...so the plants provide oxygen and all little things create food chain where there is little waist left to deal with..what there is feeds plants. Our pond is been 8 yrs "wild" but unfortunately this summer we need to start again..give it a good clean up and reduce majority of the bottom mud down to 2". Dirty job but it have to be done.
I've had sunken buckets in allotment serving wild life as a 'pond' without any pumps and they've been fine..not over heating..after all you do see in nature all kind of puddles and they've got tadpoles in them.

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when would be the best time to set about it ? We had lots of taddies etc so it's not entirely uselessI would wait for while now until tad poles have come out of water. If you start sometime during July/August..then majority of the creatures would have 'matured' and left the pond and it still leaves plenty of growing season to any new plants to get themself established before autumn.. ;)