Wildlife-Friendly Water Features for Your Backyard

If you’re looking to upgrade your backyard garden or patio, consider the addition of wildlife-friendly water features. A small or large wildlife-friendly water feature will attract animals that will keep your backyard landscape flourishing. It can also be a delightful and mesmerizing centerpiece for your garden and a source of entertainment for your family and visitors. These water features don’t have to fully replicate a natural one but can be designed and shaped to look modern and contemporary. Most importantly, the water features should aim at attracting wildlife of all varieties, creating food sources, potential shelter, and protection for fauna.

When thinking of backyard water features, many assume that it’s a complicated and expensive affair, but this is far from true. A water feature doesn’t need to be a huge landscaped pond, an overflowing towering fountain, or an expensively constructed wall of water. It can be as simple as filling a small dish sunk into the ground, providing the wildlife animals with the essentials that they need.

Here are some backyard water features that will encourage the presence of wildlife:

Create a Shallow Drinking Hole

All living things need to drink water to survive and the cheapest and most simple option to bring water to the garden is a shallow drinking hole. This provides a vital drinking reservoir for wildlife animals. All that is needed is a little sand, a large plant pot dish, and some inspiration. Use a clay dish because it is more aesthetically pleasing than plastic, though using such a porous material will mean that the dish will require filling more often.

Find a dish approximately 30 to 50cm in diameter and between 5 and 10cm in depth. Then, scoop out an area of soil so that the rim will lie perfectly flush with the soil surface. A tiny amount of sand in the hole will prevent stones or other sharp objects from puncturing the dish. Additionally, planting around the surrounding area will allow creatures to approach the watering hole with the safety of cover. Smaller plants look best due to the dish’s small size. For example, heucheras, hostas, and even small ferns will create a beautiful looking oasis that will instill intrigue and mystery into the garden.

Use Bird Baths to Attract Wildlife

A bird bath is another excellent wildlife-friendly water feature idea. The birds will come in large numbers since they love to splash and play in the water. A bird bath is also easy to install and comes in all sorts of sizes and materials. Bird baths encourage wildlife animals to come to your backyard as well as birds that are native to your region. Stone and concrete baths are the most popular. A visit to a local cement/stone yard provides the best assortment and choice. For the colder climates consider a bird bath heater. This device keeps the temperature of the water just above freezing and gives birds a place to drink when all other water around them is frozen solid

However, a simple and easy bird bath that feathered friends will both drink from and use to keep their plumage in tip-top condition can be made at home.

A shallow dish bird bath can be constructed using only a large clay pot, a metal dustbin lid and a small bag of pebbles. Place the dish away from overshadowing trees and turn the dustbin lid upside down. Then, rest it on the pot so that it’s sturdy and can hold water. After that, tip the pebbles into the dish for both looks and weight before filling with clean water. A bird bath, in particular, will need its water regularly changed. This is because it will not only provide a drinking source for birds but will also help them rid their feathers of oils and dirt. With careful maintenance and the provision of food, all kinds of winged creatures will flock to the garden for food, drink, and bathing.

Create a Backyard Waterfall

A waterfall is a very appropriate feature to include in a wooded, rocky area of your backyard. The waterfall size depends on the scale and space of your garden. It can be built to give quite a realistic effect. By using larger stones and smaller pebbles and rocks of varying size and color, you can create a visually stunning effect. A small water pump, filter, and re-circulating pipes are also required to build the waterfall. Aquatic plants such as lily pads and some koi fish or goldfish can then be introduced to attract more wildlife animals. The water pump helps keep the water circulating and well-aerated for the fish to thrive and multiply.

Waterfalls can be tricky to install as the running water needs a well-designed and watertight path for worry-free, continuous operation. Consulting a professional landscaper with experience is the wisest choice. Waterfalls are wonderful addition to an otherwise simple pond. It can even be an even more fabulous addition to a swimming pool. A wildlife-friendly waterfall significantly contributes to a magnificent landscaping design.

Build a Small Pond with a Fountain

The easiest way to attract wildlife is using a pond. In the wild, the animals all flock to the pond to quench their thirst, so if you have one in your backyard, a small pond with a fountain will give them the same feel.

A simple pond with a fountain can be created by sinking a large plastic tub, available from most garden centers, into the ground. After that fill it with water and seat the solar-powered fountain in a place where it can be energized throughout the day to provide the calming and gentle noise of trickling water. Use sand in the bottom of the hole for the plastic tub to ensure that large stones or sharp objects will not puncture or scratch the surface. This helps avoid leaks that will be difficult to fix later. Meanwhile ensure that the rim of the watertight container sits flush with the soil surface, allowing creatures’ access to drinking water and making it easier to disguise the perimeter.

Like the shallow dish, planting should complement the surroundings. Use small plants that will provide cover for animals yet not hide the feature from view. For example, towering irises are ideal.

Create a Free-standing Statuary Fountains

A free-standing statuary fountain is an eye-catching feature and can create a focal point in your backyard. However, the fountain does more than simply provide beauty. Many songbirds, butterflies and other wildlife are drawn to the fresh, clean water gracefully flowing from the fountain. Some fountains are constructed with a traditional birdbath design, while others offer cascading water through naturalistic rocks, ceramic pots, or Old World sculpture. Wildlife animals seek out these sources of flowing water, boosting the visual beauty and appearance of your garden space.

Installing a backyard fountain with multiple levels and cascading streams of water is an optimum choice as animals are attracted to running water and won’t be able to resist this sanctuary you have designed for them.

A fountain works in a natural way to maintain the levels of humidity, without creating mildew or condensation. The humid micro-environment surrounding your garden fountain will be an oasis for the wild animals, particularly if you live somewhere with dry summers, like Santa Barbara.

Build a Stream

Incorporate a stream in your backyard which flows into ponds. The stream will be a rich source of water for creatures that may live in the area. Therefore, it will attract bees, butterflies, moths, and other insects as well as birds and reptiles. The advantage of having a stream as a water feature in your garden is that the water is always in motion. This means it will cleanse itself in the normal course, keeping cleaning costs are low. Additionally, keeping the stream stocked with fish will help keep the mosquito population manageable.

There are also beautiful water plants that can be grown around the stream. Some can be in pots or planted directly into the bank. Planting some flowering shrubs will attract bees and wasps, which all can drink from the stream. The stream may be built up into mounds on the sides, making it appear deeper than it is. Mounds make good homes for lizards and beneficial snakes.

Remember, though, to choose the right wildlife-friendly water feature for your backyard. Consider the kind of garden you have. The water feature should blend in with your entire yard. Choose a style and design that would enhance rather than overpower the other elements in your backyard. Do your research. Consult an expert landscaper who has the skill and eye for a well-balanced design before you make a decision.

Finally, reflect on your budget. You want your wildlife-friendly water feature to be beautiful, maybe grand, but you don’t want it to put holes in your pockets. Overall, wildlife-friendly water features are such a great asset that enhances the appearance of your backyard.

Originally published on Redfin

How Stress Makes A Fish Vulnerable To Infections & How To Treat Them

Fish diseases and infections are very hard for the common pond owner to understand without prior research. There are more than 100 known fish diseases and parasites that can form because of microorganisms or environmental situations your fish are living in. However, many owners don't know STRESS can cause a healthy fish to be highly susceptible to disease and parasites. We'll discuss how stress contributes to common ways fish get diseases or parasites and how to prevent them from getting any infection.

Common Causes & Methods to Prevent Fish Diseases or Parasites

Pond fish can either get infectious diseases or noninfectious diseases. Infectious diseases are caused by microorganisms that challenge the fish’s defense mechanisms by invading, infecting, and disrupting the normal functions of the host. Noninfectious diseases are caused by factors such as environmental conditions, nutritional deficiencies, or toxins. Understanding the two classes of diseases will make it easier to access what needs to fixed.

You may think to yourself, "fish have no reason to be stressed." Below we'll have a list of problems fish can encounter that will mold your opinion on stress. Stress is natural for fish in the wild, it stimulates physical changes for fish to survive and overcome a natural situation. When fish are stuck in a confined pond, they are unable to escape the situation that is making them stressed. Understanding how fish may come across a situation with an uncertainty of survival can help you identify a potential stressor.

Some of the most common stressors caused by an artificial ecosystem are fish dealing with an ecosystem that has no natural way to filter itself, a lack of hiding places from predators, excess toxins or chemicals, overcrowding and lack of food or oxygen. If you find your fish has a parasite or disease, it is better to pinpoint the source of a stressor before treating the infection to avoid chronic infections down the road. Below we'll look more in depth about common stressor:

• Artificial Ecosystem: As stated earlier artificial ecosystems usually have no way to filter themselves naturally, especially if they are badly designed. Nitrogen compounds such as Nitrite, Nitrate, and Ammonia are always present in ponds. Although, it is important to keep these levels as low as possible, proper filtration is what breaks down Nitrite and Ammonia, while small levels of Nitrate are absorbed by plants. Rapid change in water temperature also causes pond fish to become stressed. Small or shallow ponds are easier to see rapid change in temperature, adding enough surface coverage to the pond will make water temperature more stable. Introducing new fish to a pond will shock and cause stress to the fish if there is a sudden change in water temperature for them.

• Insufficient Coverage: Introduce more plants into your pond. See our water garden restoration service for a good representation of what sufficient coverage is, without compromising aesthetics. Fish feel unsafe and anxious when they are exposed in an open pond with little coverage. In the wild, being exposed is a sure way of being lunch for a predator. Having no way to find coverage in an enclosed pond is a sure way to keep a fish anxious.

• Toxins and Chemicals: There are numerous chemicals that are harmful to fish, such as excess chlorine, lawn fertilizer, and pesticides. Chlorine is commonly found in tap water, be aware of the chlorine balance when adding new water to your pond, it can severely harm and even kill your fish. This is a common mistake pond owners make whenever they notice their ponds water level has dropped. be very cautious of this mistake. Lawn fertilizer and pesticides are not purposefully added to your pond of course. Instead, they can unintentionally be washed into your pond by rainwater. It is important to check for any signs of toxins or chemicals after heavy rainfall.

• Overcrowding: Having too many fish in an ecosystem that is unfit to sustain them will lead to the fish becoming stressed. Small ponds with overcrowding, experience a buildup of nitrogen compounds and low oxygen levels. Think of yourself in a small, overcrowded room with no ventilation, that's how a fish feels in an oxygen depleted pond. A lack of oxygen may also be caused by a sudden disappearance of algae in the pond since algae's main by-product is oxygen.

     Hopefully you found some valueable information about your fish and ponds from this post. If you have any questions, concerns or ideas on topics we should cover, feel free to email us. We'd be happy to help out.

Common Algae Found In Ponds and Tips For Treatment

There are two common forms of algae that can occur in a koi pond, planktonic algae (green water algae) and filamentous algae (string algae). Best practices to control algae is to use a combination of chemical and natural methods to create a natural balance. There will be a quick bullet point summary at the end of the article to recap the information written below.

Planktonic Algae (Green Water Algae)

Planktonic algae, commonly known as green water algae, is a single cell microscopic algae which can engulf an entire pond very quickly. Turning the water into a thick green and sometimes brown color. This type of algae is very common in new ponds, ponds hit with constant sunlight and ponds with poor filtration.

New ponds can solve their green water algae problem by investing in aquatic plants. You should see clear water results with an appropriate amount of plants, enough to cover 20%-50% of your ponds surface, and a proper amount of time for your plants to grow. The plants will provide shade to the pond, resulting in less sunlight hitting the water. Since algae needs sunlight to grow, blocking off the light will make it easier to control. Poor filtration problems can also be fixed with the proper filters. Your filter should be large enough to handle the buildup of solid waste and be of sufficient size to grow a large colony of beneficial bacteria. Using a proper filter in combination with a UV light will give you the best result. Once you have established the natural methods to control algae, the chemical methods will be able to work efficiently. Algaecides are chemicals which kill or prevent all types of algae growth. These chemicals include chelated copper, simazine and potassium permanganate. It is important to understand how to use these chemical properly as too much can kill fish and plants, a proper way to use these chemicals will be posted on a later date.

Filamentous Algae (String Algae)

Filamentous algae, commonly known as string algae, can grow in clear water. That’s because it competes with green water algae for nutrients in the water, thus it acts like a filter against green water algae. There are many causes for string algae, all mostly dealing with the bio-filter of the pond. The bio-filter may be too cold to function properly or too small, an inadequate cleaning cycle may cause a development of algae, thus the formation of string algae to compensate for the lack of filtration. Over application of antibiotics, parasite medicine or other chemicals commonly used in ponds may also contribute to the algae growth.

String algae does have some filtration and organic waste benefits. String algae acts as a filter by consuming the fishes waste. Also, removing all the string algae at once may be harmful to your fish, since oxygen levels will decrease. Before you decide to remove or kill all the string algae at once, think if they contribute to your pond in any way. With a proper plan in place to get the satisfactory filtration system installed, the string algae can be removed over the course of few weeks.

·      Having shade will make algae easier to control

·      All waste and nutrients settling on the pond's floor must be properly maintained

·      Use a combination of natural filtration and algaecide methods

·      Filtration must be on 24 hours a day

·      String algae is healthy in proportion to the pond