Frog help please

luciusmaximus - Ideal pond shape for frogs is wide and shallow, not deep. They often spawn in temporary ponds, even wheel ruts. Oxygenators aren't particularly important - a wide shallow pond gets plenty of oxygen straight from the air. A good design might be like a raised bed with sides 6-8" high, covered in pond liner.

 

It's true you have to be careful about overheating in a container, but for even very shallow ponds in the ground I don't think this is so much of an issue. Warmer water also has the advantage that it speeds up development. Evaporation isn't that fast at this time of year.

One of the advantages for frogs of shallow ponds that dry out in summer is that this reduces the number of predators such as newts and dragonfly and water beetle larvae. This outweighs the risk of mass tadpole mortality through drying out. You don't normally see temporary ponds recommended for gardens, but I don't see why it wouldn't work the same.

Generally garden ponds are dug too deep, based on designs for fish and water lilies. Maximum depth of 12-15" (with large areas much shallower) is plenty for a very wide range of species - concerns about overheating, drying out and freezing are much overstated.

 

I'm going to have a look in hardware store and see if there is anything suitable. They also sell pond plants. I had a suitable container awhile ago I could have utilised and then decided to put holes in it for a flower planter - isn't that always the way . Will have to have a think about placement too. Not many areas here with light shade.

 

Possibly one of the under bed storage boxes or maybe a planting trough might work. No idea if the storage boxes are UV resistant though. Hardware store is a bit like Aladin's cave, they will have something I can use I'm sure. Failing that I could cut down an old dustbin.

 

Agreed with loads here. In Ireland, the preferred puddles are all very shallow, really just grassy dips in the ground that have filled with water in generally waterlogged areas. The shallowness of the belfast sink won't have been a problem, but being white, it would make the tadpoles stand out and so be easier for predators to catch.

Any container should work ok, and a bit of chicken wire over the top would prevent birds (the quantity of worms my blackbird eats, he's definitely a threat if he can reach).

Heat
Agreed, they grow faster in warmer. Obvously too warm would bring its own problems, but mine are in buckets in full sunshine - just there is plenty of pondweed and water, so the temperature is kept down.

Cover
Pond weed provides both plenty of cover for them to disappear under, oxygen and, initially, food. They will be eaten by literally anything, so their aim is to grow bigger, faster, and within a very few days they will be taking their oxygen also from the air. But, if a predator can poke its head into the pond, they will be at risk.

Food
I was using Gentle, a cold compressed dog food, last year, and that definitely worked. I am using different dog food this year, again dried pelleted, and the tadpoles started eating it yesterday. It's not as good as the Gentle, because the Gentle disintegrated to the texture of fish food, but it seems to be doing the trick. I would suggest, dog food or cat food both have sufficient protein, just only feed them the amount they are eating and a little more. Much more than that and I suspect you could easily poison the water.
Dried food is also made from much more of a soup than wet food, so the particles are tiny for the tadpoles tiny mouths. I don't know if this is an issue, but may be a consideration

Escape
Be aware that the froglets will drown if they cannot get out of the water when it is their time to do so, so when they have become froglets, make sure there is a rock to get on or a plank of wood to give them a ramp to get out.

Frogs and tadpoles are hardier than most people give them credit for. If you can provide them with the basics of above, you should have more frogs than you can conceive of. We think of frogs being rare, but that is only because we have drained this country so thoroughly that they no longer have habitat.

Even South Kensington was soggy marshland only 200 years ago, and Battersea Park is a complete afront to nature, dredged by the Victorians, but really should have bog gardens rather than being a dry parkland - beautiful, but not what nature would give if were not persistently kept at bay...

 

So, I now have plastic storage box. I already have sand, gravel and compost. Hardware store no longer sells pond plants,so will have to look online. Is there a type of oxygenator that only grows a few inches in height? I had something Crispa ( I think ) in Belfast sink, which I planted sideways to compensate for lack of depth, but it still came out of the water. Should I try a marginal plant in my box as well ? If so, which would be most suitable?

When I set up Belfast sink I had fresh rainwater. The water in the butts is a little stagnant. Should I mix it with tap water, use all tap water or wait for box to fill up naturally? Latter option will obviously take some time.

 

Hi LuciusM, it sounds to me as if your amphibians will live inthe lap of luxury. I know nothing of the plants aspect, but as for the water, the stuff in the butts is likely to be fine as long as it hasn't been contaminated by chemicals, and tap water is also fine. best of luck.

Incidentally, I've also been feeding my tadpoles porridge, and they have been liking that. Omnivorous critters!

 

I looked online for suitable plants but shops sold out or awaiting new deliveries - isn't that the same as sold out . I have already put a request on Freecycle, which is where I got previous plants from, but no joy as yet.

I have sited the pond on patio slabs as said. Maybe I should put it directly on the ground if planting to disguise it is the aim ??. I'll take a picture tomorrow.

 

There are lovely plants that grow well in pots. Situated around your water you can put wicks down between the water and up into the pots to self water the plants and change the boo boos out as needed.

 

What are boo boos .

 

Obviously needs more plants around the outside and I'm still trying to source Marsh Marigold to go inside.