Taking plants, fish or snails home from the wild is foolhardy and risky!

As you can easily bring home the eggs of unwanted creatures such as leeches or water dragons. Disease can easily be transmitted this way, also. Buy your plants and fish from a reputable dealer.

Plants from the wild are cheaper, but most pond plants grow fast and multiply rapidly anyway, which offsets the seemingly high cost. For the most part, it's illegal to bring home wild plants and animals.

It can be risky enough to introduce something to your pond under the best of circumstances, but you increase the odds tenfold of bringing home something undesirable when you bring home wild plants. Don't take the risk!