I watched that last year, I just seen one of mine pull, striking colours, two dead one last week.

How depressing!

Very interested as to where you got the sticklebacks from?

I would love to add a domestic species into my pond. I can't wait to get newts.

I have 7 goldfish 7-10cm long and 2-3 baby goldfish. Will they eat the sticklebacks?

Mark

I got 4 stickelbacks initially,(1 male and 3 female) from the local aquatic centre. A few months later I had literally hundreds! (Even been known to sell them back to the aquatic centre sometimes!) They are amusing, and probably better in a wildlife pond. Others with goldfish and similar fish on the forum have noted that the stickels cause damage to other fish. They are quite small as well, and can do some damage to something much bigger trying to eat them.

I was told that the newts would come, and they have. I have no idea from where, but they have. Their population has been gradually increasing and now there are about 1/2 dozen spring residents that I can identify. If the conditions are right, the wildlife do come.

build it! and they will come? lol o/

Do Sticklebacks eat tadpoles? I've pondered over getting a few friendly fish and adding them to my purely wildlife pond, but I don't want them destroying the wildlife.

Also would I need filters and heaters and all that, I'd rather leave it as it is.

The larger stickelbacks will eat a few tadpoles, but they are not the main predators. Birds, newts and dragonfly nymphs are more voracious. I have also noticed that that their fry must be providing food for the amphibians as well as the stickelback numbers are now pretty stable and there are loads of frogs in the pond when the fry are hatching. I have also noticed that different small birds come by to hunt for the stickelbacks in the shallows, like grey wagtails.

My pond is purely a wildlife pond, without filters or heaters. When I figure out how to post pictures I will, yours were so inspiring!

You don't need filters etc for sticklebacks (as long as you don't feed them fish food). If they are part of a "closed system" their numbers will be controlled by the amount of food available, and when it runs short they will eat the smaller ones (sorry), but that is why daddy has to work so hard looking after the nest and the tiny babies.

Sikario, I was told before I had my pond, by an ecologist that if you want diversity and lots of pond creatures, don't have any fish at all- even sticklebacks. I ignored this and put in a few resulting from a trip with son and net... and now I can see why! They breed like rabbits! Consequently I built my second pond which is totally fish free. Perversely the frogs laid their spawn in the stickleback pond, so I transferred some of the spawn to the fishless pond.
Marky, sticklebacks are very carnivorous, and I'm sure they must eat tadpoles but I haven't witnessed it. You could phone round a few local aquatic shops to see if they sell them. Otherwise pond dipping with the owners's permission is your best bet.
There is a scientific supplier I found last year which is in Kent. A bit pricey but at least it's legal, and the 5 pack would be enough. Tell them you would like to collect rather than pay postage.http://www.blades-bio.co.uk/pond_life.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: Blades biological- stickleback sales

Df useful site for rarities but they have to be joking 50.4p EACH for blood worm and mosquitos, I am a Billionaire forget millionaire and didnt know it, and their plant prices.

Interesting site--didn't realise there was a small fortune in my pond that I have just been 'giving away' (or in the case of elodea, throwing away). Good to know if you do have a missing 'bug' you can find them!

What I am amazed by, is what finds you, and where they come from. I have only imported the stickelbacks and some ramshorn snails, everything else has just appeared. I imagine some of the bugs are airborne, and others (like the common snail, bloodworms, flatworms and the like) just come in on plants and become part of the ecosystem relatively quickly. My pond is only just into its fourth year, and I am amazed by the bio-diversity--even with the stickelbacks which I too was warned about dampflippers!

In fact, I think its the various species that make it ponding fun for me. Recently I've become intrigued by the different 'houses' of the caddis fly which I only just discovered. Some are neat and others are quite chaotic in their design! Mind you, I'm out most evenings squatting by the pond with a torch--best way of watching mini-beast and amphibious activity! My 13 year old daughter thinks I'm rather sad sometimes!

blood worm are midge larvae, pond skaters fly water boatmen fly, other stuff arrives as eggs etc on plants and animals.

I haven't found any problems having fish with my frogs or sticklebacks eating my tadpoles, or in fact any fish having problems with sticklebacks. When I first put goldfish in etc. the number of taddies did go down slightly, but after a few years there have been a dramatic increase in frogs returning to my pond. Today I found the tadpoles that were laid in spawn in the centre of the watercress have found their way to the edge of the pond and are eating the blanketweed/string algae. I am always amazed at the amount of bugs etc. in the pond as well, especially on the roots of the watercress. Now I know for sure they didn't come on the watercress as it was in a bag of freshly washed salad for my tea which I just threw into the pond. (the watercress not my tea.)but they absolutely cover the roots top to bottom. No matter how many roots I gently pull out there are at least a dozen bugs on each one. Fascinating.
Alison

I like the watercress idea Alison--thanks! Also Sean, thanks for the bug lesson, I didn't associate blood worms with midges. I remember when filling up the pond, it wasn't even full yet and there was a pondskater moving in!

Thanks for all the info pondies!

Looks like once intoduced the stickle backs are there to stay. How small are they then?

If I add any more things into the pond I want it to eat some weed at least, if sticklebacks are purely carnivores I am not too sure.

Marky

I think the biggest stickleback I have seen is about 3inches. Most of them are probably between 2 to 2 1/2 They only live a couple of years so mate most of the year. They have lots of babies and they like to stay in shoals. It's nice to see them all going round together. For the first few years I had them I never fed them at all there was obviously enough within the pond system (it was just wildlife then)but I found since feeding the other fish I had introduced, the sticklebacks are the first to be seen at the food. They just pounce before any of the big fish get near.
I think they are worth having in your pond. I got mine 'pond dipping' only about half a dozen but when I emptied the pond for extending I found that I had more than a hundred. They are only little thin things so don't take up much room at all.
Alison

' Its a Tough Life trying to be a Stickelback Owner'.
Help. I have started a wildlife pond and would prefer to get some wild sticklebacks as opposed to going to the shop and buying them, even if that were possibly.

If there is anyone near to Northwich in Cheshire who would sell me some out of their pond I would be really grateful.

At the moment I have two freshwater mussels and a tiny frog and I am hoping that thedy could all live together.

Yours,
John.

PS
I HATE blanketweed

John I have lots of sticklebacks but unfortunatly live in Leeds in West Yorkshire so I am too far away. I was just wondering though if you knew any youngsters that could go pond-dipping and get you a few from a local beck or pond. It was just a thought.
Alison

Fancy a day out in Lancashire John? I know of a place where Sticklebacks are thicker than the water they live in. I used to be a member of a local angling association and they had a lodge that was plagued by sticklebacks. I stopped being a member when the association actually encouraged its members to leave the sticklebacks out of the water after catching them and therefore killing them. Recently they sold the tender for the lodge to another Fishing club of which I am a member, and I was glad to see that many many sticklebacks survived the barbaric onslaught. I asked the Club President if it was ok to take a few for my pond, and his exact words were " take the bloody lot".

How many did you take Steve? I only started with about 6 and now have well over a hundred, but they are small and are not a problem at all. I was just going to tell you all about the stickleback and his dinner when I thought I would just link you to it at my new forum so go take a look to see what he ate.
Alison

Here is a link that might be useful: Stickleback dinner

Really slow response Alison, sorry. I took 12 fish in total 6 Minnow and 6 Sticklebacks. When I first put them into the nature pond they dissapeared but now it is good to see them all go crazy for food on the surface.

Site looks amazing Alison, give him a pat on the back.

Steve

Thanks Steve. I find that the sticklebacks love to eat the fish flakes and always get there before the larger fish. They just seem to pounce. I have seen them trying to get there little mouths round the sticks and pellets as well.
Alison

Do sticklebacks & newts get on? I am encouraging newts and dont want to do anything to discourage them?
ps I have a lot of great diving beetles which I keep moving out of my pond to the village pond!

mralp2 sorry cant answer that.
Re the title matter, I have just mangled the wildlife pond catching what goldfish were in there, turns out to have been 5. Anyway one of the male stickle backs has set up his nest on top of the screen filter for the pump, the dozy b*****r, great water movement and probably oxygenation for the eggs etc but I cant help but wonder if the fry will be able to swim away.
Oh and yesterday a great/giant pond snail went right over the top of the nest. If he has any sense he may desert. I have a photo but its up to my usual murky standard so not really worth posting.

Hi mralp2, someone I know may have to arrange for newts to be rehomed from a pond that is to be demolished. She specificallly has asked for a fish free pond (luckily my top pond is fish free, the other has sticklebacks), so obviously the professionals think they don't get on.
Both are carnivores, so big sticklebacks would eat newt babies, and newts would eat baby sticklebacks.

I don't think there is any point trying to move the beetles, they will just fly back if your pond is a good food source. If they are there, it must mean you have something for them to eat (ie a balanced healthy pond).

ps I would prefer to have newts than sticklebacks, but they haven't found my pond naturally yet. :o(

I have in the last month installed my new wildlife pond, my aim is to have frogs, toads, newts(hopefully!) Really I'm after advice to what I can do to encourage these.

After searching the web I have put some logs at the back area of the pond and will be putting some pots and perhaps a covered pipe. There will be lots of plant cover when it settles in and grows.

Im unsure now and possibly regret going for the rigid liner, it doesn't give any shallow waters, it gives three steps at various points at about half deapth for plants. Thus it does have steep sides not ideal I for a wildlife pond I now realise. its about 1m x 1.5m. Nothing I can do about that now thou.

I did read that somemone said about putting a log in the pond for frogs to lap up the sun, is this a good idea? Does it matter what wood the log is?

Can anyone give any advice on pond plants I can put in to encourage most wildlife. I already have some weed and also some snails (sorry not sure what the weed is called).

I am thinking about getting some sticklebacks as well, does the size of the pond matter? I was concerned about them eating the tadpoles but it seems that there is alot of opinions some saying it works some saying it doesn't don't really know what to think!! I suppose with frogs tadpoles and sticklebacks it will all even out and come to a balance! How many sticklebacks should I get to start off?

There are frogs in the area however not newts, I know they are protected but is there anyway you can get them legally or do I just have to wait and hope!

Re newts, look in the plant tanks of your local garden centres, you may see newt tadpoles, be warned they go like stink and look at a glimpse like small fish. The garden centre may let you have any you can catch, my local ones let me have any.
Re a shallow shelf, there is a way but only for a pond that will finish under 2m wide, over 2m and there will be seams in a sheet liner and they would be hard to make a watertight joint to.
Remove all plants the stick up abve the edge of the pond, drain the pond so that the water level is about 4" below the edge of the pond. Put a soil levee around the pond slightly higher than you want you shallow shelf to be deep and as far out from the pond as you want your shallow shelf to be wide.
I imagine the preform has a "rolled edge", you will need one for this. Dig a shallow trench say 3"deep and 4" wide all around the pond, take a strip of plastic sheeting about 1ft wider than you want your shallow shelf to be and place the bottom edge of it against the exposed OUTSIDE wall of the preform and pack the soil from the trench back in place to trap the plastic sheet strip there. Before packing the soil back into the trench and trapping the plastic, make folds in the plastic sheet strip so that the plastic sheet strip will follow the shape of the pond as a flange. Once the soil is repacked lay the plastic sheet strip down on the ground and levee, the ground and levee should be sharp points free.
Put a strip of liner seaming tape around the top edge of the preform and another just overlaping the inside edge the first on the inside wall of the preform. With probably the help of another person take the sheet of pond liner and stretching it JUST taut lay it on the liner seaming tape. Go around the edge of the preform pressing the liner down firmly onto the tape. You are left with a 'drum skin' covering the preform. Cut out the centre of this "drum skin" to within 3" of the preform wall. Cut 'darts' in what is left of the "drum skin" to create a series of flaps and stick these flaps down onto the second strip of tape. Obviously the liner MUST be wrinkle free where it is stuck to the tape. If you are really keen you could run a 3rd strip of tape or just segments so that some of it is on the uncut liner and it covers the sharp end of each dart. Shape the pond edge as you desire.

I havent tried the above but it should work.

Re tape and liner, dryness when sticking tape to something or something to tape is a MUST, warmth helps too. I scrub the something, towel it dry and then heat it with a hairdryer bought for the purpose £5 from Argos, a blow lamp is too hot. Tape can be heated too but if the backing paper is in place only very lightly otherwise the paper is hard to remove.

The plastic sheet is an attempt to keep plant roots away from the tape, I have had some roots grow through a liner seaming tape seam.
If you can keep the plastic sheet strip clean I would lay the liner directly onto the plastic...

Hi Mikey, We all realise that we would do differently with hindsight, that is why I am onto the 4th pond. lol. (you can find pics of it on www.the-horsfalls.co.uk) If you don't want to do what Sean suggests I was thinking that to help the frogs get into and out of the pond would be to get some pebbles/stones and make a rockwall up from one of your shelves, so they have a way of getting out.
As to the plants I would recommend some watercress. It stays all year in the pond and the frogs and fish like to hide in and under it. In spring when there is hardly any greenery the watercress is there for the spawning of the frogs. Lots of other little bugs seem to appear on its roots so there is food for sticklebacks etc. so next time you are in the supermarket buy a bag of mixed salad containing watercress and just throw it in. a couple of sprigs will be enough, it spreads like wildfire.
I started with about 6 sticklebacks and now have over a hundred but because they are so small they are not a problem.
Alison

Thanks for the feedback, don't think i'll be extending the pond not yet anyway! It seems to be doing well and I will b adding some watercress at the weekend. Wildlife seems to be moving in lots of bugs n larvae.I also saw a couple of dragonflies at the weekend, they keep coming back which is good. Not been able to find any sticklebacks as of yet maybe I'll have to go pond dipping!!

Thabks for the link to your site alison it was a good in sight and I can see how you get addicted!!

All this time I thought stickelbacks were model fathers-- making a nest, looking after the eggs and then the fry. However, a friend wanted some stickelbacks for her pond and came by to catch some. The big ones were very hard to catch that day, but we managed about 3 and put in several small ones. Well, when she got home, there were only big ones! So I thought they were guarding their young, but they were guarding their lunch! I think they also supply lunch for the amphibians too.

Good luck with the wildlife pond, you will be amazed at what arrives. Waterstarwort is good for newts, and really, quite a lot of planting around the edges. Of course the better it is for wildlife, the less you will see of them as there will be good places for them to watch you without being obvious.

I agree with making a ramo with rocks, stones and pebbles. Always wash them first. You will find you need more than your expect.
Re logs. Use untreated wood. Not sure if the species matters.
Re sticklebacks. Adult ones are about 2 to 3 inches long, and mine became mature in their second year. Males have to guard their own brood from other sticklebacks, so the babies that got eaten were obviously from another family. I would suggest just getting babies if you really want them. I don't feed mine at all- although last year I fed them daphnia.
Stocking a new pond is such fun! I went to evry garden centre within 20 miles, and bought one of each plant to try (marginals etc). I kept going back for bunches of oxygenators in the hope of getting newt babies, but I only ever found one. (took me ages to catch it with the garden centre's approval).
ps, unless you are really confident you understand Sean's instructions, I would rely on a ramp! Dangling plants over the edge also help, and a piece of hessian may also help.

Got some stones/pebbles at the weekend haven't had a chance to put them in yet. Going to get some water star-wort soon as everyone seems to reccomend it on this site!!

Just been out looking at the garden and the pond, and I have seen my first frog!! Wicked I've had the pond about six weeks now, I wasn't expecting to see a frog for a while yet! Hopefully it will invite all its friends along and set up home!

I've no idea how old this thread is as I haven't yet found a view that gives me the year of posting but here goes anyway!

Having wandered here via a Google search for Sticklebacks there appear to be people here who may be able to help :)

We set up a wildlife pond a few weeks ago. It's about 10mx7m at it's widest but is deliberately an uneven shape. It was my original intent not to put any fish in at all so nothing would molest other wildlife but the pond now has mats of mosquito larvae which have to go. Sticklebacks seem an obvious option as I expect anything else will annihilate the tadpole population next year but I can't find anyone who has any. Our local shop says there is new legislation causing transportation problems so no-one will have any; so far they've been proved correct.

Anyone know of a shop that has any in Kent, Sussex or thereabouts please?

Failing that anyone know where I can go creeping net in hand to give some wild Sticklebacks a friendly new home (is that legal BTW?).

Thanks.

Kevin

Mine originally came from our local beck. Well they didn't come direct to me from there but via a neighbours pond. I must admit though that we were doing them a favour as the beck was such a terrible place. All stagnant and neglected on a bit of common ground owned by the council. I got 6 sticklebacks about 8 years ago now when I did my first pond. I was going to keep it a wildlife pond as well. Now I have well over a 100 sticklebacks.
If I were you I would pretend I was a little boy again, take my net and go and find a little beck or pond and go pond dipping. It is such fun...Some people say they could bring infections into the pond etc, but as you don't have any other fish in I can't see there being a problem. They do breed all year long, but with the size of your pond that also will not be a problem.
If you do change your mind and want to introduce other fish into the pond, get a few goldfish and shubunkins to brighten it up. It is lovely to have something to focus on when the frogs are not around. Nothing will destroy the tadpole population to such an extent. I was worried about that the first year I got my fish, and the frogs did look like there were a few less the following year but this year I had the most frogs returning back to spawn than ever before and the biggest amount of frogspawn. Of course some is going to be eaten but that is also part of nature and why frogs have so many babies. It is amazing how many do survive.
It is a shame you do not live near me as you could have some of my sticklebacks and any other things for the pond. Have a look on my website to see how the fish and frogs do live happily together. It is www.the-horsfalls co.uk Good luck I hope you manage to get some stickies.
Alison

Hi Alison and thanks for the response.

> If I were you I would pretend I was a little boy again,
> take my net and go and find a little beck or pond

I'm more than happy to do that not least because like most men I've never grown up and have absolutely no intention of ever doing so! Unfortunately there seems to be a distinct lack of 'wild' water round here so I was rather hoping someone might know the area and be able to point me at somewhere.

> Nothing will destroy the tadpole population to such
> an extent

We had a much smaller pond at our last place that contained Tench and Rudd. Few tadpoles made it (mind you we didn't feed the fish so they had to get sustenance from somewhere!). I don't want to use a filter on this one either so small native fish are probably about right. I am wondering about getting some Rudd but there seems to be the same supply issue.

> It is a shame you do not live near me...

I appreciate the kind thought though, thank you :)

> Have a look on my website ...

I went there just after posting my earlier missive. Nice site and pictures of the first pond built above ground that I've ever liked the look of.

Kevin

Hi Kevin
Thanks for your comments about my website. I have noticed that you registered onto the forum. Thanks I hope you look again and post if you want. It is good to go to different forums as somewhere along the way there will be the answer you need.
Ah yes the tadpole population could be affected if you didn't feed the other fish with anything else. It was funny because I didn't realise that you had to feed the fish when I first started, so it was a wonder that they survived at all. It was absolutely ages later when someone told me I had to feed them. When I started feeding the goldfish I suddenly realised that the sticklebacks were eating it first before any of the other bigger fish got a look in.
I had 14 large fish in this year at spawning time (as well as the 100+ sticklebacks) and there are still loads of froglets hanging about so they didn't eat that many.
Did you say how deep your pond was. I am thinking that by the size of it, it could probably sustain a few goldfish without a filter.
Alison

My stickle backs came, along with various insect larvae, from the streams that fed a local resevoir. With that size of a pond you will want a few and I would suggest getting them from several waters for a wide gene pool, it may not be required but it cant be a bad thing. I dont feed them at all,
If you catch any with grossly distended bellies swimming near the surface, kill them and dispose of their bodies in a rubbish bin, they are infected with a gut worm that 'forces' them to swim near the surface so that the fish is eaten by a heron etc. The worm completes the next stage of its life cycle in the bird.
Also 'trawl', with permission, the lily tanks etc of the garden centres etc for newt tadpoles

I bought my first 3 Sticklebacks about three years ago from a local Aquatic Centre...now, like Alison, I have loads!
The Aquatic Centre informed me this year that legislation now states they can only sell aquarium bred Sticklebacks. Think this is meant to protect 'wild' Sticklebacks but unfortunately also means they can't buy/sell any bred in garden ponds....even mine who are all the progeny of aquarium bred Sticklebacks. (They had some last year)
This may be one of the reasons they are now so difficult to find.
Sue

I released 25 small Sticklebacks into the pond earlier today sourced from the company in Edenbridge dampflippers mentioned earlier in this thread :) Thank you.

There's no filtration on the pond so the water isn't clear and I don't expect to see them again but they're in there!

Kevin

I never see any of mine
except when I fish them out dead after frog spawning !
Dave

Hope you do see them in the spring--they are rather amusing when it comes to mating season.

Good to know you have managed to get some sticklebacks Kevin. Shame you couldn't get them pond dipping...
Alison

Sue

which aquitc centre did you get your stickelbacks from?

Im after some and i dont want to be naughty and get them from the river if i can help it.
Dean

Dean
Whereabouts in Derbyshire do you live?
If you are not too far away you are welcome to some of my Sticklebacks.
Sue

Im in Long Eaton sue, what about you?
im willing to pay for some.

Dean

Dean
You are not that far away. You have email.
Sue

I have just put in my first pond - the frogs moved in straight away, but I'd like to get some sticklebacks to deal with the mosquitos, which have arrived in their thousands. Does anyone have any spare in the Colchester (UK) area???