Wildlife pond in Belfast sink

[Crikeyblimey]

Hi. I have a Belfast sink that I was going to use for alpines but now have an urge to turn it into a small pond.

Problem is, bloody great drain hole! There’s no plug housing, just the big hole.

Any suggestions on how to make it watertight?

Also, am I on a hiding to nothing trying to make a pond out of it? Will I just end up with a sink full of stagnant water? Will it need a small pump to keep it moving or is a still pond with plants better for wildlife (appreciate I’ll need rocks in there to aid escape for critters)?

Thanks

We have one of these - my only bit of advice is that some pond plants are really easy and some others die as soon as you put them in. But thats gardening isnt it.

Golden Buttons very hard to kill and pretty. Dwarf papyrus, keeled over at the first opportunity. Even though I tried to overwinter it.

I want a little pond now!

I ordered my pond yesterday from Aazn and it arrived today! It's currently being filled by the (very serendipitous) rain.
Good to have recommendations for plants ChristopherTracy I will look up golden buttons now.

I've got small pond envy!!!

Oh OP I love your pond! So cute please keep reporting back, I’d love to see the finished thing! I really want a mini wildlife pond but I have a 3yo and a 2yo and no outdoor space that they can’t reach - I don’t think the wildlife would appreciate it much

How do you stop this becoming a breeding ground for mosquitos? I love this idea but my daughters play water table was full of mosquitos after being left out to fill with rain water.

We had one of these on the garden years ago - it was there when mum and dad bought it and they never moved it. A frog lived in it.

We have a tiny pond and its a source of utter joy. Despite having oxygenating plants the water went weedy and murky so we bought a fountain with a pump and filter and that has made all the difference. Lovely to hear the water splashing and we have frogs tadpoles, pond snails and water beetles. The hedgehog drinks there in the evenings, as do the wee birds. Its a delight. So glad we made it

You could get a little solar pumped fountain as well. You can get them for under £20

Rain it might just not be mosquitos either - other important pollinating insects like hoverflies need small pools of not-quite-stagnant water as well for their larvae.
And also mosquitos are food for swallows, swifts, bats, spotted flycatchers and all sorts of our lovely threatened native wildlife.

I have spent the morning googling small pre-formed pond liners.

I'm dying to do one of these, but I'm unsure of safety around my 21 month old. I might make one next spring when she's less inclined to trip over and stick her face in it

Can anyone recommend a solar fountain? I made a wildlife pond last year (I have elodea densa in mine, too) and I'm now thinking I'd like a fountain

I have seen some on Amazon but apparently they get clogged up really quickly and only work in full on sun. Some of the better ones are a bit high powered and will fall outside the micropond iyswim.

Ah I’ve measured and I don’t have room for any of the preformed ponds I can find 😬

@RainRainGoAway2020 I've seen people use washbasins instead of preforms

Hi @crikeyblimey Urm, my pond water has gone luminous green! Can I check in with other new pond owners - is that normal? I filled it with rain water and tap water, left it a few weeks and then added aquatic plants over the weekend, now everything has gone green. I won't be putting fish in there, but I was hoping for a passing frog maybe. Any ideas about what you're meant to do

Secondary it should settle down as the plants establish (assuming it's not in full sun) and try not to top up with tap water, use collected rainwater.

All you can do is add the oxygenating plants that you drop to the bottom. Mine occasionally goes green round the edges and then the water snails that appeared start hoovering around the sides.

Dd has asked for a mini pond for the birthday! Hurrah. I’ve ordered a small preformed shell and we have chosen a spot that is partly shaded but not overhung by trees. We have a fine collection of rocks and stones at the ready, as we recently cleared a border.

I’ve put golden buttons on my plant shopping list; any other plant recommendations?

venus, my biggest piece of advice, is that if you don't have a water butt full of rain water, start filling buckets with tap water now. That way by the time your pond arrives the chemicals will have worn off.

Secondary The colour is miute green algae plants. Once they've used up the excess nutrients in the water they'll die off and it'll go back clear. resist the urge for a water change as you'll just introduce new nutrients with the water and got back to square 1.

Do you think you could use the the smae stuff tropical fish owners use to neutralise tap water before adding it to the tank? Called "Tap Water Safe".

Secondary yes I’ve got some water in my water butt. Probably not enough to fill it, but certainly enough to get going with till it rains (nothing forecast unfortunately).

Pondwater has gone from healthy green to brownish khaki and my new plants appear to be dying, should I still wait it out? I don't have anywhere local to seek advice or to buy something today, so would have to order online. Can you offer me any guidance?