# Do you have a pond?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 5, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929 "2013-04-05T16:16:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Vincentaquarium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vincentaquarium)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/1 "2013-04-05T16:16:32Z")
Does anybody own a pond?
Wildlife or fish?
In the ground or above ground one?
Nothing better than relaxing watching the fish in the pond on a chair and tables in the lovely sun! 😃
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/2 "2013-04-05T16:33:55Z")
Since the OP is asking for personal experiences, let’s move this to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/3 "2013-04-05T16:37:57Z")
I have two 7’ x 7’ below ground pools. One is concrete and one lined.
Goldfish, water lilies and lotus.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/4 "2013-04-05T16:42:02Z")
We have a small lake/large pond (what’s the difference?). We have a pair of domestic geese and goldfish/koi/catfish/frogs. Mallards hang out and reproduce. An occasional Heron and Kingfisher hang out and eat some fish.
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### Author:  [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/5 "2013-04-05T16:44:48Z")
Nope, and don’t want one. Around here they’re nothing more than breeding grounds for mosquitos. ☹
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/6 "2013-04-05T16:50:16Z")
A number of stock ponds, not sure exactly how many and long stretches of a couple of rivers. Wildlife and fish? That would be a “yes.” I get out in the middle of it all whenever possible.
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/7 "2013-04-05T16:50:44Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#):
>
> Nope, and don’t want one. Around here they’re nothing more than breeding grounds for mosquitos. ☹
I prefer to think of them as a haven for bats.🆒
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### Author:  [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/8 "2013-04-05T16:54:25Z")
First … above ground pond? How does that work?
Second, I don’t have a pond, but the bass-player in my band does – our studio is at his house. I don’t know if it has any fish in it. I know it does have some frogs, an occasional duck, probably a beer bottle or two and about a dozen disc golf discs.
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### Author:  [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/9 "2013-04-05T17:01:01Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#):
>
> First … above ground pond? How does that work?
>
> Second, I don’t have a pond, but the bass-player in my band does – our studio is at his house. I don’t know if it has any fish in it. I know it does have some frogs, an occasional duck, probably a beer bottle or two and about a dozen disc golf discs.
Above-ground means that you’ve built a wall of some sort to hold the water in. Think an above ground swimming pool on a different scale.
I grew up with a pond that was a hybrid - we had a wall that was at a good sitting height (a couple feet above ground), but the pond went down another two or three feet into the ground, to give enough depth to protect the koi from predators.
I intend to build one like it when I have the time and money. The problem is, I have either time or money… I never seem to have both at once.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/10 "2013-04-05T17:03:58Z")
Only after heavy rains.
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### Author:  [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/11 "2013-04-05T17:04:35Z")
I have a small, portable, urban pond. In reality, it is a 60 gallon stock trough that sits on my back porch, but with goldfish, a filter and some plants, I consider it an above ground pond.
My pond has followed me through four moves and most of the goldfish started as small 10 cent a piece feeder fish and have grown to be almost big enough to eat. Mortality with feeders is high at first, and I have lost a few big fish over the winters (I have a floating heater that prevents the water from freezing solid), plus I’ve had a couple of travellers. Some have survived long enough to be found and returned to the tank, others were not so lucky and perished. Every koi I’ve introduced has eventually committed suicide this way, so no more koi.
When I lived outside of the city, I even had frogs jump up and make themselves at home on the floater plants. Kinda cool.
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### Author:  [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/12 "2013-04-05T17:07:13Z")
We had a small pond in the garden of our last house. The landlord said we could choose to take care of the fish…or not. We did, until the herons pilfered them all, one by one. :-/
I still liked listening to the water running through the fountain bit tho.
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### Author:  [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/13 "2013-04-05T17:15:28Z")
I had two ponds. The dam containing one blew out, and now it’s down to one, and that’s slowly filling with cattails and willows. Telwiddem! Havens for mosquitos. I’ve enough trouble with my creek and the swamp land near it.
I’ve still got my hot tub and Lake Michigan, that’s plenty for me.
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/14 "2013-04-05T17:29:08Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan;1Havens for mosquitos. [/QUOTE]
[Gambusia affinis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofish) aka “Mosquito Fish” are ver good at eating mosquito larvae.
They will out compete most other fish though, being mean little bastards and live bearers. 🙂
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/15 "2013-04-05T17:47:59Z")
This thread title means something completely different to Doctor Who fans (or Whovians, as we’re known). 😃
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/16 "2013-04-05T17:56:24Z")
> [@jayjay](#):
>
> This thread title means something completely different to Doctor Who fans (or Whovians, as we’re known). 😃
Went to hell when Martha left.
But I digress.
🙂
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### Author:  [@cougar58](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cougar58)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/17 "2013-04-05T17:57:35Z")
3 acre pond that runs along the back of my field, and does the same for the 3 neighbors to my right (South).
We live in a national forest, and I had not thought about it - but I have never seen a single goose or duck.
lots of fish and snakes
and crawdads
I noticed lots of drilled holes in the ground in about a 15 foot radius from the pond, and often they have skeletal remains of crawdads at the opening. Someone told me crawdads often bore holes that lead to under water entrances to the pond, and if they drill them into the side of the earthen dam, it will drain the pond.
hasn’t happened yet
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### Author:  [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/18 "2013-04-05T18:42:14Z")
> [@cougar58](#):
>
> I noticed lots of drilled holes in the ground in about a 15 foot radius from the pond, and often they have skeletal remains of crawdads at the opening.
Do crayfish shed their exoskeleton as shrimp do?
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### Author:  [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/19 "2013-04-05T18:47:16Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#):
>
> Do crayfish shed their exoskeleton as shrimp do?
Yep, and it’s likely to be the surprisingly gorgeous electric blue burrowing crayfish. Google them: so pretty! (The drab kind live in creeks, rivers, other moving water)
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### Author:  [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)
#### Post date: [April 5, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-have-a-pond/654929/20 "2013-04-05T18:53:26Z")
We live in an apartment, and Athena willing always shall. But even if I had a house, I’d not want a pond nearby; it seems certain to attract mosquitos.
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