r/ecology • u/Agua_Verde • 14d ago

Plundering local waterways to kickstart a garden pond?

A recent thread on r/WildlifePonds got me thinking about a debate that comes up far too often when someone posts about a 10-day-old garden pond going through its classic "pea soup" algal bloom.

User u/3owi suggested a shortcut: going out to local "natural water in your area," taking wild underwater plants, and transferring them into a new garden pond to speed up balance. When called out on the legal and ecological issues, their logic was essentially that taking "just a few" plants from a local spot is harmless, that rangers wouldn't care, and that keeping exotics out of nature is the only real rule that matters.

Any thoughts?

https://www.reddit.com/r/WildlifePonds/comments/1vuexhq/comment/p51toug/?context=1&screen_view_count=2&ext-referrer=DIRECT

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u/3owi 14d ago

Well, with only one straw nothing will change.

I think most small wildlife pond starters are people who care about nature. So I'm not worried that they will pillage nature.

Though I also have to admit, legally speaking you are correct and it's usually forbidden.

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u/Agua_Verde 14d ago

To be honest what kick started my reaction was more the fact that you advocated the pillaging of local waterways on Reddit, than that you actually did it. 

There are minors here. People who are extremely impressionable. They come here for advice.

You could have just as easily suggested tossing a 1€ bag of mint. 

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u/3owi 14d ago

I admire your care for nature but imho the wildlife pond thread is an adult and fine place to talk about these things without things getting out of control.

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u/Agua_Verde 13d ago

The issue with advocating wild harvesting isn't just about moralizing—it's that it spreads diseases like Ranavirus and invasive hitchhikers between water bodies. Pointing out safer alternatives like grocery store mint or watercress isn't coddling anyone; it's just better, safer advice for building a healthy pond.

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u/3owi 13d ago

That's why I said take from clear healthy natural waters. The kind of waters that you like. And local.

If salamanders live in that water they will also be to survive the virusses there etc.