It’s finally happening, but it’s actually happening

[Deadeye]

I think you’re right with the ID - I couldn’t tell you the species but it seems like North American water strider is quite widespread enough that that would be the likely candidate.
As for stocking, I’ve always thought a pond with rays and gars would be cool, though may require a bit more care and attention.
I may have to second the idea of the humble goldfish/koi.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

I think you’re right with the ID - I couldn’t tell you the species but it seems like North American water strider is quite widespread enough that that would be the likely candidate.
As for stocking, I’ve always thought a pond with rays and gars would be cool, though may require a bit more care and attention.
I may have to second the idea of the humble goldfish/koi.

rays are illegal, and gars would nip at koi, and i am not sure how they would do with pond liner; their teeth and all. I like koi anyways, pretty and simple. An albino channel catfish, and some gymnogeophagus is also part of the plan

 

[Deadeye]

Do you have anything to keep herons (or any fish eating birds and mammals) away?

 

[The Masked Shadow]

Do you have anything to keep herons (or any fish eating birds and mammals) away?

As of right now no. My plan is to get a few cheap koi first and if they get picked off then I’ll put a net over it, or some other thing that I’ll figure out when I get there lol

 

[Deadeye]

As of right now no. My plan is to get a few cheap koi first and if they get picked off then I’ll put a net over it, or some other thing that I’ll figure out when I get there lol

I’ve seen that statues of herons can work since they are territorial - not sure of the validity of that though. Obviously wouldn’t work for coyotes or foxes though.

 

[DMD123]

My friends had a pond and had problems with raccoons so they ended up installing an electrified line around it. It blends in pretty well and it does help keep certain wildlife out.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

I’ve seen that statues of herons can work since they are territorial - not sure of the validity of that though. Obviously wouldn’t work for coyotes or foxes though.

My friends had a pond and had problems with raccoons so they ended up installing an electrified line around it. It blends in pretty well and it does help keep certain wildlife out.

Yeah, from what I understand predator problems are very subjective. I can’t predict what predator I will have the most problems with, and I can’t predict what will be foolproof solution to it. I can set up a bunch of what-ifs for predators, but it isn’t until I know who to target for predator control do i know what to do.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

Finally added some koi. Its very difficult to get photos, but they are 5-8”, and are apparently imports from Japan (got them for cheap from a friend of a friend who runs a pond store and wanted to offload some old stock). Only 3 in the grainy picture below, but there is a 4th one that is darker and isn’t very photogenic. The orange 5-gallon bucket wasn’t my brightest idea for photos! Hopefully better photos as they get comfortable with being in the pond.
The shop gets a shipment in early November, so in a couple weeks we will go back and pick a couple out. As for the albino channel cats, theres a place that has them thats far away, so I have to make time to go get one, hopefully in the next couple weeks. Im also interested in getting a couple Sarasa Comet Goldfish just for variety’s sake, but I need to find a place that has them around me. We’ve also been after some Golden Shiner’s, but it is hard to find them for sale for purpose of fishkeeping; there is one place far away that has them, but as luck would have it, they are only open on weekdays and close at 4pm. So as of right now, I present to you (in grainy photos), the very first stock!

^this dark one has bright orange on each side of the dorsal fin, and everytime it turns, it flashes the orange. The tail is also striped with orange and black. It is very pretty in-person, but hard to get a photo.

 

[The Masked Shadow]

This one keeps going into the skimmer and chilling there. I don’t mind it in short term while I build them some sort of hide, or while she’s acclimating, but idk if its the best spot.