What are these? my pond is infested with them

[Heatheranne]

Hello. I am not sure what the insect is. Although, there are tons of bacteria, larvae and possible parasites in wild pond water. I would actually recommend you start over. Empty out the tank and then add a 10% bleach to water solution and let it sit at least 10 minutes, though I myself would let it sit all night. Rinse thoroughly. Then fill it up again will about 4x the amount of water dechlorinator in water and let it soak again to neutralize all chlorine and chloramines. Rinse again. Then begin setting up your new tank.

Pond plants must also be thoroughly rinsed, bleach dipped (10% bleach), extra dechlorinator dipped, and rinsed again. Same with any wood or rocks used.

This is the safest way .

[taniaaust1]

Hello. I am not sure what the insect is. Although, there are tons of bacteria, larvae and possible parasites in wild pond water. I would actually recommend you start over. Empty out the tank and then add a 10% bleach to water solution and let it sit at least 10 minutes, though I myself would let it sit all night. Rinse thoroughly. Then fill it up again will about 4x the amount of water dechlorinator in water and let it soak again to neutralize all chlorine and chloramines. Rinse again. Then begin setting up your new tank.

Pond plants must also be thoroughly rinsed, bleach dipped (10% bleach), extra dechlorinator dipped, and rinsed again. Same with any wood or rocks used.

This is the safest way .

Hi thanks.

Its not a tank its an outdoor pond with water lillies etc etc. If I tried to start all over again (it would kind of suck as I'd have to start all over again to wait for 6mths to be up before I can add the flesh water mussels I want to add to the pond (which will naturally filter stuff on the bottom). Also the bleach dip, would that work for the large plants in my pond which are in pots of soil/sand/clay? kill anything in the soil of the pots too?

If they are flying insects as they look like they may of come from (Im sure they are developing wings) wouldnt more just end up in my pond when whatever it is flies this way and lays eggs again? (unless they did come with some pond plants but I dont know for sure if that was the case at all). I got the plants fairly locally, so I assume those flying things could come back even if they did come by eggs in the plants.

The job to empty the pond is a bigger job then I could do myself and I'd have to pay someone to come in and do it if that does need to be done.. hence I need to find out if its necessary at this point or not.

The pond is only just after months starting to build up beneficial beetles and stuff in the pond which I know are okay for frogs (if I get someone to clean out the pond.. I guess I'd also loose all those other things too who may of layed eggs in there?). My frogs are outdoors and ones I want able to look after themselves out there and not reliant on me to feed them at all so reliant on that pond and what is there for their food (only 2 of the tabpoles have just turned to frogs, others are about to). Ive heard it actually takes 12months to properly establish a pond with its beneficals etc and a full clean out will have that all start again.

The pond is in a paved courtyard area so there isnt a lot of plant stuff to attract insects around it there (just the courtyard, the pond which is in ground, pond is quite deep and a very small patch of ground with a few plants (most of my plants are in the pond.. till I build a small marsh in a double handwidth wide space area next to the concrete path). Hence another reason Im relunctant to have it drained at this point, worried it may cut down food sources for what I want to be wild frogs.

Ive learnt my lesson thou about not sterilising things before they are put into the pond. thanks. I wont be putting anything from stream into the pond again without doing that.