Where have all the tadpoles gone?

Discussion in 'Water Gardening' started by hollyhock, May 13, 2008.

  1. hollyhock

    hollyhock Apprentice Gardener

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    I've always had frogs in my garden pond, but this year not a sign of one, consequently no Tadpoles. Is there a reason I wonder?
     
  2. Paladin

    Paladin Gardening...A work of Heart

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    Oh dear Hollyhock...we seem to be the same here,at least in one of my ponds that is. There was spawn in there but very early and then we had frosts. I did read that early spawn may not be fertile..However,my other pond is teeming with tad's:)
     
  3. susannah

    susannah Gardener

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    Well I think that we have had all the tadpoles this year then!
    Great heaving splodges of them! We offered a few handfuls to little ones with tanks who like to see them transform, and then we end up getting all the little froglets back! (Several years ago our frogs had what seemed to be a widespread problem - lots with leg deformities - and so we decided not to offer 'our' tadpoles for just that reason).
    We often wonder just how many tadpoles are eaten by our fish - or do the fish tend to leave them alone? :)
     
  4. walnut

    walnut Gardener

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    Fish love them also newts enjoy them as well.
     
  5. Glenda

    Glenda Gardener

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    We are over run by frogs.. The fish have eaten all of the tadpoles.
     
  6. Lyn

    Lyn Gardener

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    Same here.
    We had spawn then the tadpoles the cold weather came then Nothing....:(
    All gone.:confused:
     
  7. water-garden

    water-garden Guest

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    my few still dont have legs. so they cant run away.

    I am thinking of adding some iodine to the water. a Biologist told me they wont grow legs if there is not enough iodine in the water, and since ther is only water and tadpoles i dont suppose there is.
     
  8. walnut

    walnut Gardener

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    There's time yet for them to grow legs before you start experimenting with iodine,usually I have found tadpoles that are deprived of a meat source are slow to metamorphasise so if you dangle some meat on a bit of string they will get their iodine quota out of this.
     
  9. nickp

    nickp Gardener

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    My tadpoles are big and fat but no legs - I may try the meat trick ....

    do you use any particular meat?
     
  10. pete

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

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    Mine seem to like fish food.

    I thought they became canibalistic, if the conditions weren't right.
     
  11. walnut

    walnut Gardener

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    Pete they change from feeding on vegitation to being carnivours as they develope,
    When the tadpoles first hatch they can be given lettuce leaves to eat. A quantity of fresh pond weed is important; partly as food and partly as support for young tadpoles. Nettle powder, made from dried stinging nettle leaves, can also be fed to the young tadpoles,dried fish food can be used as this is mainly vegitative,
    Feed lettuce leaves and or dried food, etc. until the tadpoles reach the leg stage of their lives.
    When tadpoles reach the leg stage they become carnivorous (meat eaters). They will eat each other unless you provide meat for them. Small pieces of liver should be carefully suspended on a piece of string into the water.
    The meat should be changed every day to avoid polluting the water. Fish fry food for livebearers, available from aquarium and pet shops, can also be fed sparingly to the tadpoles at this stage as this contains protein in the form of insects and invertibrates.
    When tadpoles reach the leg stage, make sure that stones are placed at the edge of the pond to allow the young frogs to get out.
     
  12. pete

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

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    Right, better get some liver then, I've got enough tads to take over the world.


    I'm not putting my hands in the water anymore:eek::D.
     
  13. frogesque

    frogesque Gardener

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    We had a massive splodge of spawn then loads of taddies depite the frosts. Then the goldfish woke up!

    Very few, if any taddies now but have seen a couple of juvenile frogs that must have over-wintered ok.
     
  14. midnightrose

    midnightrose Gardener

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    We have some. Then again we don't have fish or frogs or anything to eat them!
     
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