Freshwater ponds - animals in the pond. The one who lives in the pond

Ponds play a significant role among reservoirs. They are created artificially, and usually their area does not exceed one square kilometer. Their purpose is water supply or irrigation, and water can be stored in them for sanitary, fire fighting or sports purposes. In addition, such reservoirs are organized for breeding fish and waterfowl. But besides these animals, there are many who live in the pond.

Fish and birds

An artificially created reservoir needs a deliberate settling of fish in it. At the same time, you need to choose their types that will feel good in the condition of stagnant water. First of all, these include carp. They are perfect for the role of commercial fish and objects of pond farming. Their appearance is varied. Carp vary in color and weight, can reach 40-50 cm in length. Small representatives are also found, they are often used as live bait when catching pike.

Carp are very tenacious and endure even a harsh climate with complete freezing of reservoirs in winter. At this time, they hibernate. In the spring of the 3rd-4th year of life, the fish spawn. Vegetation, detritus, or small organisms are excellent food for them.

In addition to the common crucian, artificially bred goldfish can be brought into the pond.

And also in artificial reservoirs with banks overgrown with reeds, reeds and sedges, tench feels good. It is unpretentious to water quality, and its significant population can be easily grown in a warm-water pond farm. Some individuals will lead a solitary sedentary lifestyle and spend a lot of time at the bottom, extracting invertebrates from the silt there, as well as eating plants and detritus.

In addition to fish, the pond can be chosen by the wild mallard duck, from which most modern domestic breeds originated. Easily recognizable are the males of this bird, which have a green head and neck. The females are less remarkable, as they are almost completely brown in color. Non-freezing artificial reservoirs of large cities are often chosen by mallards for wintering. There they feed on plants and small animals. They dive rarely and only if they are in danger.

What can not be said about another representative of the duck family, the common goldeneye. These birds with contrasting black and white plumage can dive to a depth of 4-10 meters, which they do most of the time, while extracting food - mollusks, larvae, plants.

The pond is characterized by a special animal world.

Inhabitants of fresh water bodies form a food base for a variety of fish, and those, in turn, serve as food for various amphibians, aquatic and near-water animals, reptiles, birds and animals. Some of them are of economic interest to humans, especially fish.

In stagnant water bodies, a number of biotopes are distinguished (territories occupied by a certain plant community and animal population associated with it) and biocenoses characteristic of them are distinguished.

Of the individual groups of organisms living in the pond, it is customary to distinguish plankton (a set of small organisms living in the water column and passively moving in it), nekton (a set of organisms actively moving in the water column), benthos (soil inhabitants at the bottom of the reservoir).

Plankton consists of two main groups of organisms - phytoplankton (bacteria and microscopic small algae) and zooplankton (small roundworms and lower crustaceans). It varies in its composition depending on the type of reservoir, but everywhere it is an essential food source for many freshwater animals, in particular, for various fish and their fry.

Benthos is most richly represented by animals (zoobenthos), among which some worms, shells, water snails, beetles, bugs, dragonflies, mosquitoes and their larvae occupy a prominent place. Benthic organisms are in complex relationships between their constituent parts, as well as with plankton and nekton, and form a powerful food base for fish and other inhabitants of the reservoir.

Nekton is mainly represented by fish and, to a lesser extent, by crustaceans, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

Near the shore, among the surface parts of plants, dragonflies quickly scurry in pursuit of smaller insects. Dragonfly larvae live in the water for many months before they grow up and turn into adult insects that can live on land.

In addition to dragonflies, adult winged insects, caddis flies and mayflies, and somewhat less often nondescript butterflies, whose caterpillars live in the water, are found sitting motionless on plants, emerging from pupae in the water. Swarms of mosquitoes jostle in the air, the development of which also takes place in the water. Among the leaves of water lilies floating on the water, egg capsules and the stems of the above-mentioned plants protruding above the water, large spiders - dolomeds, bordered on the sides of the body by a cream-colored stripe, run. Clinging to the stems of plants with their nails, these spiders climb them well, and sitting on some floating leaf, lie in wait for their prey.

Not far from the coast, flocks of black-colored insects with a metallic sheen attract attention, which swim quickly, making sharp turns, circling and spinning. These are predatory beetles. They prey on small insects that live in the water or that have fallen into the water. Aquatic plants of coastal thickets create a favorable environment for the life of a wide variety of living inhabitants of the pond.

So, for example, the only one among spiders - the silver spider - arranges a kind of dwelling under water in the form of a web bell.

You can also see here the water strider bug, hunting for flies and mosquito larvae. In addition to water strider bugs living on the surface of the water, many other types of bugs live in fresh water bodies, which stay under water and lead a different lifestyle there. Among them, the original smooth bug deserves attention. He swims unusually: dorsal down, belly up, i.e. in an inverted position. The shape of its body resembles a spoon with well-streamlined smooth sides. The hind legs act as oars, making wide swings, the shorter front and middle legs serve to grasp prey.

Another rower bug is a bit similar to smooth ones, which, however, differs in smaller size, dark body color and manner of swimming with its back up, that is, in the usual way. Unlike smooth ones, the rower feeds on algae and dilapidated plant tissues. He collects this food with the scoops of his front legs from the bottom and from the surface of aquatic plants.

The direct opposite of smoothness is another bug - a water scorpion. In contrast to the smooth fish, it avoids free water, hiding among aquatic plants in the upper layer of coastal algae near the surface of the water. He leads a hidden lifestyle: slowly crawling between branches or sitting motionless in anticipation of prey. In addition to water bugs and spiders, the inhabitants of the pond include various beetles and their larvae. The largest of them are swimmers and water lovers. Swimming larvae are very aggressive and attack all living things that are close to them. An adult swimming beetle feeds on insects, crustaceans, snails, tadpoles, frogs, newts, fish, worms and other inhabitants of the reservoir. The swimmer himself also becomes a victim of waterfowl and predatory fish.

Of greatest interest are fish, which have well-defined food connections both with aquatic organisms and with animals that live out of water, but attack fish. For example, water snakes, gulls, kingfishers, and otters feed on fish.

Fish eggs, juveniles and fry are attacked by swimmers and their larvae, smooth and water scorpions, dragonfly larvae. On the other hand, fish eat land insects falling into the water and even prey on stoneflies and mayflies at the moment they lay their eggs in the water. In the reservoir, fish intensively feed on planktonic organisms, as well as mosquito and caddisfly larvae, mollusks and worms. A lot of fish food is found in coastal thickets. In coastal areas, fish spend most of their lives, not very demanding on the purity of the water and the oxygen content in it, for example, roach, tench, crucian carp. Ruff, bream, perch, carp and pike keep farther from the shore.

Pond dwellers

Toothless Silver Spider Water Strider

Smooth bug Water scorpion bug Swimming beetle

Water beetle Water snake Frog

Dragonfly beetle Prudovik

Fish:

Ruffcarp

TenchBream

PerchRoach

RotanPike

Bioindication of ponds by species composition of living organisms

Note: in the cold season, biological indication systems in hydrobiology cannot be used at all. Therefore, this study was conducted based on the results of summer observations.

Tadpoles swim in the pond. When they grow up, they will have paws. It will take quite a bit of time, and they will become beautiful green frogs.

Beetle - swimmer

These black, yellow-striped insects, similar to May beetles, are called swimming beetles. These are predators that ambush other inhabitants of the pond, attack them and eat them greedily. Equally gluttonous are their larvae hiding in the silt.

Very cute creatures live in the ponds. These are tritons. They are very useful because they eat mosquito larvae and other insects. The back of male newts is decorated with a large crest.

The black water bug is a small water beetle that swims belly up and can stay underwater for a long time. It moves by touching the surface of the water with its antennae, along which the air it needs “flows”.

Attention! Ponds are often inhabited by water snakes. They can reach 1.5 meters in length. Don't be afraid of them, they are not poisonous. Although, at the sight of a person, snakes take a threatening pose, hiss or pretend to be dead. These snakes feed on small fish, insects and frogs.

These small greenish creatures, which seem to be suspended on the "ceiling" of the reservoir, are mosquito larvae. They breathe with the help of a special tube protruding outside.

Garden ponds are becoming more and more popular among lovers of summer vacations. Yes, not simple, but "live" - ​​that is, inhabited by fish.

The inhabitants of such summer cottages and their dwellings require close attention and careful care so that the owner can proudly talk about his experience in fish farming. Let's talk about who, how and why lives in a garden pond.

Usually, enthusiastic summer residents who are not afraid of "neither rain nor slush" take on such a responsible task as the construction of a pond for breeding fish. In our case - year-round care of the reservoir and its residents. Especially - for the tenants ... But that's all later. At first, the thought appears: I want a pond. Then the second one: why not put some fish in there... A start has been made! Now it's a matter of technique.

How to set up a fish pond

You can make an artificial reservoir for breeding fish with your own hands. But for everything to function properly, you need to follow some mandatory rules when arranging and choosing the location of the pond.

Location Requirements

When choosing a place for a pond, you definitely need to think about lighting. Best of all, if it will be most of the day in partial shade or in the shade. It is permissible if the reservoir is under the rays of the sun for no more than six hours. If there is too much sun, algae, bacteria and other microorganisms begin to actively multiply in the reservoir, but not fish.

If, taking into account the peculiarities of the landscape of our site, we understand that there is no nook for a pond, it is worthwhile to specially shade the area around it - for example, plant small trees. Too wide and tall will not work: they pollute the water with fallen leaves, and powerful roots will destroy the banks over time.

Decide on the parameters

The latter option, perhaps, looks the most organic and is more suitable for breeding fish and planting plants (both aquatic and coastal). Otherwise, when choosing a form, you can rely on your imagination and taste.

The size of the pond varies from 5 to 50 sq.m. Depends, again, on personal preferences and the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe site. You should not chase after the size: if the pond is used for decorative purposes and breeding fish for morning fishing, then it should be small. Which, oddly enough, requires more care. If you need to create a fish farm, then 5 sq.m. not enough. But this is no longer a summer story.

Depth the reservoir depends on who will settle in it, and whether it will winter. The standard depth is 1-1.5 meters. It is optimal for different types of fish.

For the wintering of the inhabitants in the pond, wintering pits are equipped. These are specially deepened sections of the reservoir up to 1.7 meters. We will talk more about the conditions for a successful wintering later, but for now the pond continues to prepare for settlement.

What will we build from?

Much more reliable is another option, which is advised to beginners by experienced builders or summer residents who have gone through the construction of a pond: either concrete, or liquid rubber or butyl rubber film.

In order for the fish to feel comfortable when they go to the bottom, it is necessary to fill this very bottom with pebbles or sand.

Settlement of tenants

A pond, albeit a garden one, is an ecosystem. It takes time for it to fully develop. Two weeks after the first start of water, aquatic plants can be planted - they are necessary. Then observe the state of the water. If everything is in order, then the plants remain in their places. Over time, they will grow, organisms necessary for the nutrition and existence of fish will start in the reservoir. Only after that the pond is ready for “delivery” and settling with fish.

What types of fish are best kept in a garden pond

Koi or Japanese carps

Another favorite activity of theirs (by the way, like other carp breeds) is to raise mud from the bottom. Therefore, you should not run them into a large pond - there they will quickly grow and begin to muddy the water even more. Behind the mixture of water and mud from the bottom, it will become very difficult to see the fish themselves. But having settled koi in a small pond, you can at least enjoy their unhurried “fuss” at the surface of the water all day long or “catch” them during sleep. And koi sleep on their side.

Important! Keeping koi requires a filtration system, as they only live in oxygenated water.

Such carp hibernates either in a deeper reservoir (if possible), or in an aquarium with special conditions. Otherwise, the Japanese carp is a very undemanding tenant.

The length of a sexually mature individual can reach 70 cm. Of course, it is worth releasing into the pond not such giants, but babies 15 cm or even 5 cm each. For example, three fish of 15 cm or nine fish of 5 cm. When buying, it will not be superfluous to pay attention to the fact that all individuals were the same size so as not to disturb the natural nutritional balance. Large specimens will quickly eat all plants and algae, depriving the small ones of nutrition. After all, in addition to food, they also eat plants in the pond. Yes, and it will simply become too crowded for too large fish in a modest country pond.

gold fish

Goldfish of various varieties are not inferior in popularity to koi carps. They have been known for more than a thousand years, since it was then that they were bred in ancient China, and decorated the imperial ponds.

Goldfish are also for the most part unpretentious. Required for their existence only three conditions:

• water temperature from +10 to +28 degrees
• acidity from 5 to 8 ph
• hardness from 6 to 28

A happy and contented fish can reach a weight of 1.5 kg, its length reaches 45 cm. Goldfish quickly get used to the pond, they are not afraid of people. They swim in small flocks.

When choosing, please note that under the common name "goldfish" two varieties of fish are hidden: pond and decorative. Pond fish (ordinary goldfish with golden-red scales, shubunkin with transparent scales and comet with an undivided tail fin) can easily overwinter in the pond and acclimatize easily.

Decorative ones (veiltail, fantail, oranda, skyeye and others) can also survive in a garden pond. But the costs and attention will require more. For the winter, they should be placed in a special aquarium with aeration and a water temperature of no more than +5 degrees.

Therefore, professionals advise to pay attention to the tail. The smaller it is, the more likely it is that the individual will winter well and adapt.

Hard plant roots or ledges in the pond itself can injure fish. Therefore, it is worth considering whether the planted plants are suitable for living goldfish. The disadvantages of the species include gluttony. These fish sweep away everything that suits them for food. They show their character by muddying the water and raising silt from the bottom. It is most logical to place goldfish in a medium-sized pond, otherwise the water will be completely cloudy and polluted by their waste products. If the fish still live in a small pond, you will have to carefully clean it.

Orff

Orff is best kept in flocks, as single individuals do not seek to show themselves to humans and simply hide under snags or plants. By the way, orphs are very fond of eating aquatic insects and plants.

Important! Orffs only live in water with a high oxygen content. They are reluctant to breed in an artificial environment, so you should not expect abundant offspring.

Verkhovka and silver carp

Important! Verkhovka loves ponds with abundant vegetation and stones.

Heavily overgrown ponds are loved and silver carp with white carp. They destroy almost everything - from tender plants to nymphs. It is almost impossible to watch them. Fish are constantly "encrypted", letting you know that they are still in place, only with splashes of water.

Carp, crucian and company

Carps are not afraid of pollution, lack of oxygen and food. With a minimum of costs - the pleasure of watching, fishing and fish soup on the table.

Shares the royal first place in unpretentiousness with carp crucian carp. For garden ponds, they usually purchase either silver or golden carp.

Illusions about observing them near the surface should not be nourished. Carp are bottom fish, they are looking for food that has landed there. They are fearful and very cautious. it is not always possible to understand whether they are alive at all. Although crucian carp is very tenacious and winters well, buried in silt.

But minnow lives only 3-4 years. The fish is small, nimble, very nice brownish color. Feels good in water with a high oxygen content, but absolutely does not tolerate warm water.

In one reservoir with carp, but not with crucian carp, you can populate a couple of lines. - bottom fish. Carp will not compete in terms of food source, but crucian carp can deprive food.

Usually tench is not very fond of taking in garden ponds. It does not appear on the surface, spends almost all the time burrowing into the silt in search of food. No aesthetic pleasure.

Suitable for large pond bleak. Although the fish itself is small, it needs a lot of space.

Bleaks live in packs. At first they are afraid of people, but quickly get used to it. Therefore, they float freely on the surface.

Ide is also ideal for a large pond. Ide- sociable fish. So mobile that at first he strives to jump out of the pond. Therefore, the water level will have to be lowered. An adult ide reaches 50 cm in length.

True connoisseurs and specialists can afford such infrequent guests of garden ponds as sturgeons, pikes and perches.

Several important nuances of choice

• You need to choose the fish taking into account the depth and size of the reservoir.
• fish color: bright colors will look best - yellow, white, red and so on. Spectacular and silvery or golden schooling fish, whose scales glisten at the surface of the water in the sun.
• Aquarium fish, even if they survive in a pond, can get lost among others. Their place in the aquarium.
• When purchasing fish, you need to check the integrity of the scales, mobility, brightness of the eye color and the shape of the fin (it must be standing). Never take the fish is lethargic, with whitish spots on the scales and cloudy eyes.

Feeding garden fish

What to feed

But in certain periods, the fish need more food. They are not always able to find it at the bottom of a garden pond. Then supplemental feeding comes to the rescue. It can be purchased in granular form at any pet store. There are both regular and fortified top dressings to choose from.

You can make top dressing yourself from "human" products. Carp and crucian carp will be happy with slightly steamed barley or oatmeal, bread, boiled potatoes and even peas, passed through a meat grinder.

"With a bang" are home-made compound feeds. The most popular recipe: steam 50 g of oatmeal in water, then pour a glass of cold water and leave for 20 minutes. Mix the resulting slurry with 15 g of peas, passed through a meat grinder or chopped in a blender. Next, add 10 g of herbaceous mixture (chopped dandelion or lettuce, spinach is possible). As a mineral additive to the mixture, chalk is used (quite a bit) and crushed multivitamins (1 dragee). Then lay 10 g of semolina, boiled potatoes and bloodworms. Everything is thoroughly mixed in a blender and packaged in a bag. This compound feed can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week.

If the fish does not grow well, herbal paste will become a “growth vitamin” for it. This is a mixture prepared from any aquatic and terrestrial plants. Contains the necessary proteins, proteins and trace elements for active growth. For example, mix dandelions, plantain, nettle and lettuce. Paste is added to compound feed in the ratio of 30% paste and 70% compound feed.

How to feed

Feeders can be made by yourself by adapting, for example, an old basin or a large bowl. A fishing line is tied to the dishes for lowering to the bottom. Now it remains to lay the food and gently lower the fish. No need to pour a new one until the old one is eaten. If the fish dragged it all over the pond and did not eat it, then the remnants floating on the water must be removed.

Once or twice a week, it is better to clean the feeder to prevent the development of microorganisms harmful to the fish. In general, water should always be free from food debris. It is very important. Otherwise, decay will begin, which takes away valuable oxygen.

If the fish have suffered stress or are in the process of adaptation, you do not need to give them a lot of food, since all their natural processes are inhibited. It goes without saying that the food must be fresh. You don’t have to worry about the quality of what you have done yourself, but the purchased one is worth checking by putting it a little to start.

Any food will benefit if it retains the taste and vitamins and minerals necessary for life. Do not neglect the issue of fish nutrition. Yes, we do not see them as often as cats or dogs - they swim and swim. However, they too can develop gastrointestinal diseases due to excessive or improper nutrition. Then, for sure, the pleasure of breeding your own fish will turn into a permanent problem.

Wintering garden fish

We will talk about unpretentious fish species that do not leave the reservoir for the winter. Exotic fish are rarely bred, and if they are bred, they are moved to aquariums with a full set of conditions for the winter. Those who remain may freeze and die. Properly planned wintering will help prevent a sad ending.

When the reservoir is covered with the first ice, life inside it freezes, and the fish sink to the bottom. There they look for the deepest and warmest places to survive until spring. But the owner should not relax yet.

After waiting until the thickness of the ice is about 2.5 cm, you need to cut a hole and pump out the water so that an air "cushion" 15-20 cm high is formed between the water and ice. This is enough for oxygen to enter. In severe frosts, the holes are wrapped with straw, saving from freezing.

A folk way of supplying oxygen to a pond is bundles of reeds frozen into ice. The tubular structure is highly breathable. Experts advise purchasing a foam float or a professional aerator for this purpose.

The float is a construction of a ring and a cap. The water under the ring does not freeze if its lower part is submerged to a depth. The ring has special chambers into which sand or pebbles are poured. If at temperatures below -8 degrees the water under the ring freezes, you will have to insert a special heater.

• Fish are bought late spring - early summer when the water warms up to at least +8...+10 degrees.
• Don't buy small copies. Much easier to move in medium - 10-12 cm long. They will get used to the new conditions better and faster.
• A single individual of any breed will feel uncomfortable among others. Will have to buy several pieces of the same type.
• Do not seek to overpopulate the pond. Like herring in a barrel, the fish will not be able to live. If there are not enough of them for a reservoir of a certain size, then you can always buy more.
• From shops fish are transported in a bag preferably in the dark and cool. Then the bag is lowered into the pond, after a couple of hours they are taken out and a little pond water is added. After 10-20 minutes, the fish are carefully released.
• Do not interfere with the settlement of frogs, tadpoles and dragonflies. But snails and pond snails are best avoided.
• Do not feed the fish that it grew faster. This the process takes 1-2 years. Carp and tench may need up to three years.

The main thing is that if the idea to start a fish has already come up, enthusiasm has appeared, not to be lazy, to have patience and knowledge. Then, without fail, the garden pond will come to life and sparkle with the colors of scales shimmering in the sun.