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Produce => Wildlife forum => Topic started by: Georgie on April 15, 2008, 18:29:29
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Today I discvered that all my frogspawn has hatched and now I have hundreds of tiny tadpoles in my water feature. I've searched here and on line and I gather that at this stage they need pond weed and fish flakes until they turn carnivourous when they get their back legs. Excuse my silly question but would the weed you get for aquarium goldfish be okay? There isn't a great deal of room in there - it's about 12" x 15" and 3" deep.
G x
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:-\ Haven't got a clue to be honest but have found this links that may be of help to you Georgie....
www.ypte.org.uk/docs/factsheets/env_facts/frogspawn_tadpoles.html
www.beautifulbritain.co.uk/htm/pond/pond_faq2.htm
www.seasonofspring.com/tadpolefrog.html
www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/reptile-and-amphibian-forums/10066-have-pond-have-tadpoles-feeding.html
Hope it helps a bit... quite sure someone on this forum with more expertise regarding tadpoles will come along and give you some helpful advice.
Hope all goes well for you and your tadpoles.... you are so lucky... enjoy!!
(http://www.animated-gifs.eu/water-frogs/0197.gif)
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They eat algae, which they scrape off the sides of an artificial pool. Don't worry, they'll be OK.
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Thanks for your help Aromatic and Robert. This is all very new to me. :)
G x
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They certainly do eat algae Georgie. We have hundreds in our pond and they are cleaning the sides of the pond up a treat. The only thing is, we are going to be overrun with tiny frogs :o Will have to be very careful when mowing the lawn ::) I thought the fish would eat many of them but since we lost the last of our golden orfe they don't seem to be going down in numbers.
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Hi Gardengirl. Love your poppies btw. :) When I took a peep at the taddies today, sure enough they were all around the sides of the water feature nibbling away at the algae. I wouldn't worry about mowing the lawn, mind. What better excuse do you need not to bother? ;D
G x
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I managed to get a few snaps today. Not the best of pictures but you get the idea. ;D G x
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Wildlife/Tadpoles118Apr.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Wildlife/Tadpoles218Apr.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Wildlife/Tadpoles318Apr.jpg)
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The tadpoles now have pond weed and are certainly growing. :) G x
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Wildlife/Tadpoles4May08.jpg)
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The tadpoles are about 12 weeks old now. Still no sign of any back legs yet though. They are pretty camera shy these days but managed to get a couple of murky snaps today. How are your's doing?
G x
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Wildlife/Tadpoles29June08.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Wildlife/TadpoleJune08.jpg)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Wildlife/Tadpole2June08.jpg)
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ours haven't developed legs yet, either..
I was told (not sure if he's having me on ), they might not develop but hold over 'til next year ???
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ours haven't developed legs yet, either..
I was told (not sure if he's having me on ), they might not develop but hold over 'til next year ???
Did he tell you that on April 1st? ;D ;D ;D
G x
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strangely, no ;D
he used to be the ranger in a wildlife park :o
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Well it'll be like waiting for a bus, we'll wait ages then three experts will come along at once. 8)
G x
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I had some tadpoles in an old bath and some of them didnt develop until the following year.
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well, that's one, , maybe he was right :o ;D
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well, that's one, , maybe he was right :o ;D
Oh I hope not. I can't see me managing to keep them for a whole year in the water feature. :( :'(
G x
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Well it looks like he was right - mine still haven't got legs. :(
I'm at a loss now because the water feature is so shallow I'm certain the tadpoles will not survive the winter. I'm so limited for space too. Any ideas anyone?
G x
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Aw hun, I know I would be worried too.
Do you have a greenhouse, shed or conservatory? iF YOU HAVE YOU COULD FISH THE TADS OUT WITH SOME POND WATER AND WEED.......(CAps lock, sorry) into an aquarium, bucket, baby bath or trug and keep them in cool / cold conditions over winter. That is what I would do, though I would google a wildlife site for more info like this one.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/
You would need to acclimatise gradually in the spring, before releasing back into your pond.
I think also you need to get a good ID on your pondweed Georgie, it looks like it might be Parrot Feather which is an invasive alien. You must not let it go anywhere near natural water courses if it is. It can grow from the smallest piece.
I wish you all the best with your taddies, please let us know how they get on ;)
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Aw hun, I know I would be worried too.
Do you have a greenhouse, shed or conservatory? iF YOU HAVE YOU COULD FISH THE TADS OUT WITH SOME POND WATER AND WEED.......(CAps lock, sorry) into an aquarium, bucket, baby bath or trug and keep them in cool / cold conditions over winter. That is what I would do, though I would google a wildlife site for more info like this one.
http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/forums/
You would need to acclimatise gradually in the spring, before releasing back into your pond.
I think also you need to get a good ID on your pondweed Georgie, it looks like it might be Parrot Feather which is an invasive alien. You must not let it go anywhere near natural water courses if it is. It can grow from the smallest piece.
I wish you all the best with your taddies, please let us know how they get on ;)
Hi Star
Thanks for this detailed reply. The mini greenhouse will be packed with over-wintering plants but I could make room in the shed for them. I'll also try the website.
That pond weed was awful - kept breaking up - so I binned it and bought the more traditional curly stuff. (How's that for a technical term? LOL) Thanks for the warning though.
I'm expecting the frogs to spawn again next year so I'll have to find a more long term solution. The best I can come up with is sinking a washing up bowl into the soil. Do you think this would work?
G x
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Georgie I have a old washing up bowl as a pond on my plot!
A plot neighbour tells me that tadpoles at this time of year won't develop or survive whatever you do. They're either die if there's a frost or birds will eat them.
Sorry if that's not what you want to hear!
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hi I've been following this thread since it appeared a few days ago. i have never heard of tadpoles not developing, does anyone know why this happens. i tried googling but i didnot get any answers. thanks for the reply just curious.
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I was told that if there's too many in a pond then there's a point where the larger ones will emit a hormone inhibitor into the pond to prevent the rest growing. Obviously there would be overcrowding and a lack of food if they all did so it appears to be a survival mechanism!
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I was told that if there's too many in a pond then there's a point where the larger ones will emit a hormone inhibitor into the pond to prevent the rest growing. Obviously there would be overcrowding and a lack of food if they all did so it appears to be a survival mechanism!
oh i see, thanks for the reply.
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Thifasmom you're welcome. I must say that I never knew that and like you couldn't find anything on the net about it, although it does sound like a reasonable explanation.
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yes quite agree, that this reason sounds plausable, if i come across differently i will post on here.
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Georgie..................Re Flighty's reply, I didn't know tads wouldn't survive over winter. Its a shame but its nature I guess. Thanks for the info Flighty.
I agree that frogs will spawn anywhere in water, even a large puddle. Then the taddies die when the puddle dries out. We are concerned that far too many frogs will spawn in our small pond, then its a case of do you leave them (OH certainly wont) to face their natural consequences or distribute them to other ponds?
The difficulty in moving them is viruses, we as humans think we are doing the right thing. But nature managed much better before we interfered out of kindness thinking we know best. Mother Nature is harsh but in being so determines the fittest survive to breed and evolve with their surroundings.
My gosh I sound like a granny(oh I am ;)..........sorry for the lengthy post, which probably hasn't told you anything you didn't already know ;)
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Georgie I have a old washing up bowl as a pond on my plot!
A plot neighbour tells me that tadpoles at this time of year won't develop or survive whatever you do. They're either die if there's a frost or birds will eat them.
Sorry if that's not what you want to hear!
Hmmm. Well it's good to know that a washing up bowl will suffice as a pond. I followed the link Star posted and there is a thread there about under-developed tadpoles. Lots of speculation as to the causes but some seem to think that they may over-winter and develop next year. It's worth a try a think.
G x
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I always have frog, toad & newt tadpoles which overwinter in the pond & metamorphose the following spring. With colder summers the number of tadpoles that overwinter goes up drastically this year the summer has been non existant & only about 40% of the tadpoles have developed & left the pond, between the local blackbirds & the neighbours lawnmowers I expect most of those have already been eaten/killed. The rest will overwinter then take their chances out of the water next spring.
The only exception is the white tadpoles which always overwinter I have never seen them develop in a single summer & they don't last long out of the water the following year because the blackbirds can spot them so easily.
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I always have frog, toad & newt tadpoles which overwinter in the pond & metamorphose the following spring. With colder summers the number of tadpoles that overwinter goes up drastically this year the summer has been non existant & only about 40% of the tadpoles have developed & left the pond, between the local blackbirds & the neighbours lawnmowers I expect most of those have already been eaten/killed. The rest will overwinter then take their chances out of the water next spring.
The only exception is the white tadpoles which always overwinter I have never seen them develop in a single summer & they don't last long out of the water the following year because the blackbirds can spot them so easily.
Thanks Baccy Man, you have raised my hopes. :)
G x
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I should point out my pond is roughly 3' deep & there is plenty of plant material for the tadpoles to eat during the winter.
In a shallower pond with less on the way of food the survival rate is likely to be lower.
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I should point out my pond is roughly 3' deep & there is plenty of plant material for the tadpoles to eat during the winter.
In a shallower pond with less on the way of food the survival rate is likely to be lower.
I assumed that the tadpoles would hibernate. Is that not the case?
G x
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Mine don't hibernate but that could just be the mild winters, bats don't hibernate around here even though they are supposed to.