Topic: Frog Spawn Help

[Garden Manager]

About a week ago i noticed (to my amazement considering the winter we are having) that we had some frogspawn in our pond. Now this is history repeating itself as we had it arrive early last year too. Unfortunately we then had a frosty spell and the spawn died. With the current cold snap just around the corner at the time I found this years spawn I could not bear to see the same thing happen again. Frogs after all only have one chance to breed sucessfully and with climate change tricking them into laying earlier and earlier this is becoming very risky. So I decided to try and protect some of the spawn. I had read in a gardening magazine than you can protect frogspawn from freezing by putting it into a bucket of pond/rain water and place it in a bright, cool but frost free place. This I have done.

What I need to know is how can I keep the spawn alive in such an environment. I am guessing I need to change the water, but how often? I 'rescued' the spawn last Sunday (2nd Feb). Also when the time comes to replace the spawn in the pond, do I need to do anything first to acclimatise the spawn to the pond or can I put it straight back in?

Am I doing the right thing?

Any advice would be appreciated. I would love to get tadpoles in the pond this year.

Thanks

[thifasmom]

how about adding some of your oxygenating plants to the bucket as this should be sufficient to keep the water sweet so to speak as the pond doesn't have it water changed don't really see any need to change the buckets water. you could also keep the bucket at the moment at about halfway then you will be able to add a small amount of fresh water to it every couple of weeks till its full.

what would you do though if the spawn hatches before the weather is right you may have to feed with fish food or something ???.

i would think if you are able to return spawn/ tadpoles to the existing pond when weather conditions are right it would be as if you are adding fish put them and some of their water in a bag then let the bag rest in the pond for about an hour so that the water in the bag slowly changes to the water temp in the pond then release them into the pond.

hope this helps and goodluck with your new foster babes ;) :).

edited i'm doing searches online re you dilema and found this which might be usefull:

http://www.erodent.co.uk/GardenPond/March2007.htm

i'll add more if i come across anything else.

http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/care-of-frogspawn-and-tadpoles/28

[Garden Manager]

Many thanks. Hadn't thought of oxygenators but it does make sense now you mention it. Will try that out (when i can get to the pond that is!). The bucket is only about half full so will go with your idea of topping up too - does it have to be pond water or will rainwater from the butt do? Water from the butt is a bit easier to get at the moment.

Will check out the links. Ta.

Richard

[thifasmom]

i think rain water will do. glad to be of help :).

[Garden Manager]

Just wanted to give you an update on the frogspawn. Basically it has hatched!

Over the past few days the spawn has begun to deteriorate and I had thought something has gone wrong, but on inspection this morning found loads of little tadpoles swimming around in the bucket! I now need  to decide what to do with them now. i am hoping that the worst of the weather is over and they can go back to the pond soon, but if not I will have to feed them. i gather lettuce leaves are suitable? Does this have to be proper lettuce or can any other salad type leaves do - I dont have much around at the moment.

[thifasmom]

well congratulations on your new brood ;). i would think any salad type leaves will do, did you put any pond weed in the bucket cause i would assume the would also eat that.

[jjt]

Try a piece of meat dangled in on a bit of string. I don't know if tiny tadpoles are carnivorous but they definitely are when they're bigger.

[wetandcold]

I had frogspawn last year in my brand new pond and, because there were almost no plants etc. for them to eat I gave them a slice of bread every now and again (just one for all the tadpoles - not a slice each...) and they attacked it with much vigour!

[star]

I do the mince thing like JJT. When its been in the water for a couple of hours you can pull it out or it will 'sour' the pond water.

Im sure you know as well, to acclimatise the taddies to the cooler pond water by sitting the bucket in the pond for a few hours ;)

[Garden Manager]

Tadpoles are now back in the pond. I started to acclimatise them about a fortnight ago, when the weather got milder so that i could put them back in the pond before going on holiday (returned yesterday btw). All seemed well when they went back in. Havent had the chance to check on them yet today.

When i put them back in the pond it did appear as if the other clump of spawn that I left in the pond during the cold weather was still OK. This was surprising since last year when the spawn arrived early and then we had frosts, it died. Hence why i wanted to protect some this year. Very strange....

[thifasmom]

glad to hear how things are shaping up, let us know what you fine when you get chance to check them.