Pond ecosystem

[Introvertebrate]

Yea it might just be that its to early here in maryland for bugs to be coming. I dont even see any land bugs out around.

It’s not too early, my climate is similar to yours, and small protected bodies of water are already teeming with life.

 

[schmiggle]

I see alot of you talking about how insects move out of their aquatic stages, but im not planning on making this fully self sustaining. I was thinking predatory and non predatory diving beetles, back swimmers, creeping water bugs and water scorpions. Maybe a few microscopic creatures, a water hyacinth and duckweed. Would that work? I would drop a few tadpoles a few days a week to feed the predatory insects, and add more live plants to keep the vegans at bay.

I was going to suggest exactly these insects. Water scorpions might eat everything else, though. You could also add water striders and whirligig beetles.

 

[DreadMan]

I was going to suggest exactly these insects. Water scorpions might eat everything else, though. You could also add water striders and whirligig beetles.

Maybe not the water scorpions, but yea thats good. I forgot to suggest water boatmen. Water striders seem to be hard to transport though.

 

[Postmalone35]

Amano from ADA in Japan did this in one of the exhibits. I think he had an article on his website.

 

[schmiggle]

Maybe not the water scorpions, but yea thats good. I forgot to suggest water boatmen. Water striders seem to be hard to transport though.

Yes--forgot these are distinct from backswimmers. Actually saw a backswimmer in a drainage tunnel a couple weeks back, so I guess they must be pretty tough!

 

[Snailientologist]

Actually saw a backswimmer in a drainage tunnel a couple weeks back, so I guess they must be pretty tough!

I once looked at a drainage ditch and found a really diverse and interesting ecosystem filled with bladder and ramshorn snails, planaria, water beetles, isopods, etc. It always amazes me how adaptable and durable animals, especially invertebrates, can be.

 

[DytiscussorDaur]

I once looked at a drainage ditch and found a really diverse and interesting ecosystem filled with bladder and ramshorn snails, planaria, water beetles, isopods, etc. It always amazes me how adaptable and durable animals, especially invertebrates, can be.

There's really such an incredible amount of life in basically every body of water, it's a shame people mostly just talk about fish, crawfish, and zebra mussels.
I was testing out my new net a while ago, and was catching a bunch of beetles almost every time I dragged it around the edge!
And/or a backswimmer or two, some dragonfly larvae, a leech, a hundred isopods...

 

[DreadMan]

There's really such an incredible amount of life in basically every body of water, it's a shame people mostly just talk about fish, crawfish, and zebra mussels.
I was testing out my new net a while ago, and was catching a bunch of beetles almost every time I dragged it around the edge!
And/or a backswimmer or two, some dragonfly larvae, a leech, a hundred isopods...

Wow i really envy you. For some reason I just never get anything except algae

 

[Scp682]

Aquatic beetles stay aquatic throughout their different life stages.

Not necessarily, although there are certain true bugs confused for beetles that remain aquatic there's only a few truly aquatic beetles like diving beetles. Most beetles that have aquatic larval stages go to the surface and edges as adults and breath air. One that comes to mention is the riffle beetle, they float like those big mosquito looking bugs i forget what you call them here but they jump around on the water surface because of surface tension. Same thing with the beetles.

 

[Scp682]

I see alot of you talking about how insects move out of their aquatic stages, but im not planning on making this fully self sustaining. I was thinking predatory and non predatory diving beetles, back swimmers, creeping water bugs and water scorpions. Maybe a few microscopic creatures, a water hyacinth and duckweed. Would that work? I would drop a few tadpoles a few days a week to feed the predatory insects, and add more live plants to keep the vegans at bay.

Sounds good but again insects will get out, even if they're "aquatic". Also where are you sourcing said tadpoles? It should be noted since we're in a global amphibian decline crisis better it might be better to find another source if you're just taking wild frog spawn.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Not necessarily, although there are certain true bugs confused for beetles that remain aquatic there's only a few truly aquatic beetles like diving beetles. Most beetles that have aquatic larval stages go to the surface and edges as adults and breath air. One that comes to mention is the riffle beetle, they float like those big mosquito looking bugs i forget what you call them here but they jump around on the water surface because of surface tension. Same thing with the beetles.

All aquatic beetles breath air, but that doesn’t make them non aquatic. There’s quite a few beetle species that live in the water throughout their different life stages. The fact that they breath air shouldn’t be an issue.

 

[Scp682]

All aquatic beetles breath air, but that doesn’t make them non aquatic. There’s quite a few beetle species that live in the water throughout their different life stages. The fact that they breath air shouldn’t be an issue.

Yes I'm not saying that's a bad thing simply that they're not fully aquatic they need more air space and a big emphasis on they will get out.

 

[DytiscussorDaur]

Yes I'm not saying that's a bad thing simply that they're not fully aquatic they need more air space and a big emphasis on they will get out.

They're not "fully aquatic" in that they require some surface like floating wood or a rock to climb up on to chill outside the water every once in a while, but I don't think that adds any more air space than would be normal in any aquarium. I hope people don't usually fill a tank up to the brim?
They also need some kind of reasonable lid they can't fit through, but I think this is also something most setups should have already.

some of the smaller beetles seem to seek out any holes they can fit through, anywhere, like a cricket (they're never very sneaky when/if they get out though )

 

[DreadMan]

Sounds good but again insects will get out, even if they're "aquatic". Also where are you sourcing said tadpoles? It should be noted since we're in a global amphibian decline crisis better it might be better to find another source if you're just taking wild frog spawn.

A lid maybe? Also, I used to get tadpoles from a lake nearby, But I found a breeder who sells them as feeders so everything seems fine.

 

[Scp682]

A lid maybe? Also, I used to get tadpoles from a lake nearby, But I found a breeder who sells them as feeders so everything seems fine.

Yea but not everyone uses a lid, i would never not have one but some prefer the open aesthetic and since i don't know what the op had in mind i just thought I'd throw it out there. As long as they're sustainability sourced it's fine but i thought I'd mention it too since again i don't know exactly what anyone is thinking so it never hurts to be sure.