Driftwood in Pond

[dino]

I want to create a natural looking pond, ambitiously I want to keep Axolotl with smallish oranda goldfish (turtles?). I have plenty of rocks and moss for dry land.

I want to put some driftwood in the water possibly with java ferns? (any other plants?)

With the driftwood have I got any leeway regarding using driftwood found near a river? as its a pond do I still have to go through the normal steps in curing the wood?

Lots of questions! thanks in advance. I will upload photos showing all steps.

[GrahamC]

Will the Oranda survive outside in winter in Chch?

[livingart]

more to the point will they survive the axys and turtles

[dino]

Oranda's do really well here, I live in Sumner here we do not get frost, I have had a pond here for 16 years never have I ever seen ice on the pond. The coldest the water has ever got (temp taken at bottom of pond) is 5. Willowbank our local zoo keeps turtles outside, i have actually see eggs.

Turtles in not priority, and I need to do a lot more research. But definitely Axolotls.

I want to introduce large driftwood into pond, what curing do I need to do?

Thanks

[Godly3vil]

Just scrub it and chuck it in dude.

[F15hguy]

I really dont think java fern will survive out side for too long, go for a wander down your local creek to see what natural options you have.

trutles will quickly take a few chunks out of the axo's so its a case of either or, the orandas should survive the axo's untill the axo's can take them in one bite (expect a few missing fins though)

if you can get a peice of wood from thebottom of a river you should not have too much trouble with tannins leaching (although after this week there will be a lot of fresh wood in there)

[alanmin4304]

I think you are looking at a bad mix. The RES will eat the gills off the axy and the oranda will be slow enough to get nibbled as well. If the oranda is small enough it will get eaten by the axy before it dies from having no gills.