Childs sandpit thing

[murray]

Would a childs plastic sandpit (2ft 6 by 1ft 6) 5ins deep make an effective small pond on the allotment? It's bright red. Would the colour deter any amphibians etc from using it? It would be difficult to paint any other colour. Also, is it too shallow to be any use? Any suggestions would be a help!!

[seasprout]

wet bits

I think it may be too shallow, the water will get quite warm when the sun is on it, however if any pondlife finds it disagreeable a i suppose it could always leave.

You could try lining it with a bit of cheap dark/black plastic to hide the colour.

This summer my cats found frogs had moved into their outside water bowls, frogs dint mind, but it scared the cats.

[greenlung]

It does sound a little bit shallow, but maybe better than nothing - I've got one of those blue shell-shaped sandpits, a bit deeper, which is now home to at least a couple of frogs. I grow tall grasses & stuff around it, to keep it shaded. Don't paint it whatever you do !

[bubblewrap]

I used an old sand pit of about the same size earlier this year added a little weed from a friends pond & it worked I now have a healthy population of frogs But ....................I would not think of putting any fish in it,
By the way it's blue but the frogs don't seem to mind!

[NSB]

Could be ok for a bog garden with some marginal plants - then see what nature arrives - always worth a try

[Flummery]

Nothing would survive over winter in it - I think a pond needs to be at least 18" deep for creatures to overwinter. It's something to do with temperatures in water when the top freezes. You need a minimum depth to ensure a bit that's above freezing point for them to continue living in. However, it will be a useful resource for wildlife in the warmer months - like a very large bird bath.

[roitelet]

I had a pond some years ago which was very shallow only about 1ft deep. It was well shades and had a HUGE population of frogs and toads and it did have fish in it until the heron found tham. Never seemed to have much problem with it once it had found it's own balance.

[bluemoon]

We have a plastic baby's bath currently doing service as a pond on our plot, although I can't take the credit as it was there when we took the allotment over. It's obviously very shallow but each spring is filled with frog-spawn. Eventually we see the young froglets jumping around and there's usually an adult or two in there as well, though I don't know if they use it to overwinter. We've piled a few rocks at one end to allow them to climb out as the sides are smooth and steep and apart from a quick top-up when we have a dry-spell we leave it alone. We also keep very quiet about it as, according to our council, ponds are a big no no due to "health and safety regulations". Which presumably means that any yob who happened to break in to our plot might be taken unawares and hurt his delicate self by slipping into it. Which begs the question: how do I attract crocodiles to a baby-bath?

[Flummery]

Sadly, even if someone hurts himself breaking and enetering you are still liable for his health and safety. When I was a school governor I attended a course on H&S and the law. We were told that if someone is on your roof intent on a break-in and falls because something on the roof is insecure he can sue the school. You can't use barbed or razor wire unless you have a HUGE sign saying so. We ended up feeling that we should just leave the front doors open and leave a trail of arrows to the safe!

So, bluemoon, your yob can sue you for an arm and a leg if your crocodile eats his!

[bluemoon]

B#gger! Does that mean I have to move the spring-traps too?

[Flummery]

Nah - it's only Autumn.

[bubblewrap]

So, bluemoon, your yob can sue you for an arm and a leg if your crocodile eats his![/QUOTE]

If the crocs ate all of him who would know he was there!

[Sue]

That's a real "World gone mad" situation. Why should a yob be able to sue when he's on someone else's property ie roof or pond?????
I keep reading these things (and some on this forum) about the rights of the yob or whoever but what about the poor bloody victim - they seem to have very few "rights".
I really don't understand why, if you're doing something you patently shouldn't be doing then surely you should take the consequences of your actions.
Sue

[bubblewrap]

B#gger! Does that mean I have to move the spring-traps too?

Yes and the snake pit too?

[bluemoon]

No! And I was just growing to LOVE those cobras