Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Bug ID?

Hey folks!

Brand new pond, just under an acre.

We are having to well fill the pond and it was bone dry when we started. Had been dry since it was dug. Was not even a mud hole in the basin.

I say that for a reason - we started filling the pond 14 November and it is right at 6’ deep now.

That was our original target for depth but we have since changed that to 7’.

The first life we have seen in the pond is a small water bug. He is not much more than 1/8 to maybe 3/16 large, is sort of almond shaped and propels himself with what look like oars (or wings) which are located one each on the side of the body - and they are fairly forward on the body.

Any idea?

I hear about the base of the food chain and I am not sure HOW that gets started in a new pond?


All thoughts appreciated!

Look like this? water boatman



or possibly this? Diving Beetle



What you are seeing is a predator insect and so there are other organisms you haven't yet noticed that are serving as prey.

"If you build it, they will come," holds very true for ponds.

Those are both winged insects that few into the pond; one a true bug - Hemiptera and the other a specie of aquatic beetle - Coleoptera. Midges as Nematocera are already flying in and laying eggs and soon Mayfies. The pond is already quickly developing a zooplankon community that are not readily apparent. Many are from the dormant resting stages in the soil and some blow in with the wind and some are transferrred by waterfowl. Many ways of nature that introduce microscopic organisms. There will also not doubt be some micros transferred into the pond with the fish water.

Similar to water boatman above is the backswimmer. It is neat how quickly stuff moves in!

I’d say it is the water boatman.

Jo saw a bigger bug that I did not see, so I would think that one is the beetle.


You guys know EVERYTHING!


Many thanks!

You, sir, are a fountain of info!


Many thanks!

Back swimmers swim upside down and are predatory with a pointed piercing 'beak' that can jab other small invertebrates, handlers and swimmers, whereas water boatmen swim right side up and mainly eat various types of small vegetation and probably some algae. Boatmen can bite when handled but the bite or stabbing is not as painful as that of back swimmers. Both stings are unpleasant. I have been bit by both.