Minimal requirements of a water lily pond/tub...

[greenthumbnails]

Hello, I posted this question within another post and felt that it might be better asked outside the post as a new topic.  Hopefully I'll get some more detailed answers...

 Is it necessary to have to have some sort of pump or (electrical) filter in a pond if only water lilies and aquatic plants are in the pond?  Or, are water lilies like lotus plants and can just grow in a tub without any sort of pump device? 


  What changes if I want to add maybe 1 or 2 small goldfish to eat the mosqitoes and constant toad eggs being laid in my pond/tubs?  I have learned that the toadpoles devoured my newly aquired anacharis plants.    Don't know if they would also try to eat any newly formed lily leaflets.  Maybe someone can tell me.

[Vickie]

I have tubs everywhere . Some with lotus some with lilies. They do not have pumps and some have mosquito fish and some have platies and mollies. You don't need a pump with small fish unless you put too many fish in the tub put only maybe 2. It depends how bid your tub is.

[CT]

What changes if I want to add maybe 1 or 2 small goldfish to eat the mosqitoes and constant toad eggs being laid in my pond/tubs?  I have learned that the toadpoles devoured my newly aquired anacharis plants.    Don't know if they would also try to eat any newly formed lily leaflets.  Maybe someone can tell me.

Goldfish won't eat toad eggs, don't know about frog eggs. I love to see toadpoles and just let them morph. I have enough algae for them eat. They won't eat lily leaflets but I know they will eat anacharis, too much like algae. Just get plants that they don't like and enjoy the benefits of toads in your garden

[Kat]

Depending on the size of the tub & how hot the water gets, no need for a pump if you have a few small fish like mosquito fish.  I've had 1 or 2 very small goldfish in small tubs/patio ponds to eat larvae.

[LeeAnne151]

I have five small ponds, two barrel ponds and several bowls. No pumps or fish in any of them. I use Mosquito Dunks to control mosquito larvae.

We love the frog life cycle and have tadpoles in most of these little ponds.

I did not know they would eat anacharis. I have loads of it in the fish pond that I could have been feeding them.

[Bartman]

I did the half-barrel pond with a small tropcial lily (duben), some water lettuce floating plants and some duck weed with no pump.  I did add a small 75w aquarium heater for my climate though.  This was in the shade most of the time and with the water at 80 degrees F the lily usually had multiple blooms.  One year I also put a couple rosy minnows in, but they didn't live.  After that I just used the dunk type stuff.  I think you can make a water garden in just about anything that will hold water and have some surface area.

Bart

[CT]

I have five small ponds, two barrel ponds and several bowls. No pumps or fish in any of them. I use Mosquito Dunks to control mosquito larvae.

We love the frog life cycle and have tadpoles in most of these little ponds.

I did not know they would eat anacharis. I have loads of it in the fish pond that I could have been feeding them.

I don't know that frog tadpoles eat it but toadpoles do.
I love Mosquito Dunks. I also use Giant Salvinia (yeah, I know it's illegal and invasive in places but it never leaves my garden) to control mosquito's. It grows so tightly together I guess they can't find water to lay eggs in. In any case it works. Never had a mosquito problem in those containers.

[Julles]

Try a Siamese fighting fish for mosquito control.  Only ONE per tub, as they fight with one another.  Just remember that they are tropical fish, so they need to come in during the winter.

[greenthumbnails]

Thanks everyone for replying to my post with your suggestions and info. 

Does anyone know if the toadpoles will eat tiny newly forming leaflets?  They don't bother with the mature leaves that are alive, only the decomposing ones, but I am worried about the new ones forming....

[SueSTx]

I've never found a problem with tadpoles and baby lily leaves.  Spawning fish will sometimes break off lily leaves...they grow so thick you won't miss a few anyway.