Frog Spawn Dying!

Discussion in 'Water Gardening' started by akwe-xavante, Friday at 9:20 AM.

  1. akwe-xavante

    akwe-xavante Gardener

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    Does anybody know what's happening to my Frog Spawn?

    It starts to rise to the surface, whilst at the same time starts to turn white before frothing up.

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    • Butterfly6

      Butterfly6 Super Gardener

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      The tadpoles are hatching and then eating their egg sacs. Ours always does this and then it gradually disappears as the tadpoles disperse
       
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      • akwe-xavante

        akwe-xavante Gardener

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        This started to happen before the tadpoles matured enough to escape the egg sac. Still little black dots, no wrigglies! Some other blobs of frog spawn elsewhere in the pond is starting to show some little wrigglies inside the sacs that haven't pushed, eaten their way out yet.
         
      • NigelJ

        NigelJ Total Gardener

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        Could be a fungal issue, unfertilised eggs or have you had a frost since they were laid?
         
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        • akwe-xavante

          akwe-xavante Gardener

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          Thank you to those that have replied thus far.

          My understanding is that (I may be wrong) unfertilized eggs turn white at their centre, (The black bit that develops into a tadpole turns white, the egg sac stays a clear colour). In my case the tiny black dot at the centre of the egg started to grow and remain black. The outer shell of the eggs started to turn white, the whole blob rose to the surface where the eggs started to froth up, burst and form a slimy frothy substance on the surface of the pond.

          I have had a few very light frosts, but the frog spawn was at the time well submerged, the frosts weren't enough to freeze the surface of the pond that i saw. Usually up and about around 6am most mornings.

          A fungal infection, possibly.

          The only thing i could possibly think of was that i have had to top up the pond, which i do with tap water (No other Option other than not to do it at all). Pond is in an open position exposed to the wind and with all the sunny weather the water level has dropped significantly but no more than unusual for my pond in breezy weather. Is it possible that tap water could cause this?

          I don't think i'm adding a significant volume of tap water when i top up. The pond is roughly 6K litres, a top-up with a hose takes about 20 mins to half hour at the most, lifting the water level about 2" at a time.
           
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          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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            Frog spawn tends to stay near the surface in my experience, I think it dies if it sinks, "well submerged" suggests it might have died.

            I use tap water, never had any problems with topping up with tap water.
             
          • Spruce

            Spruce Glad to be back .....

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            Hi

            its usually a cold snap or a frost that’s kills frog spawn .. and the white frothy residue left is it breaking down and decaying.

            frogs can and do lay over several weeks , do you have any that look ok ?

            it happens occasionally but not every year nothing to be concerned but try and net out what is dying as it may effect the quality of the water .

            Spruce
             
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