Frogs croak all night for some nights, at times irritating, disturbing sleep. Then after a few days, we see these tadpoles by the hundreds. I remove them mercilessly as the number can be thousands - I can't imagine my life with a thousands frogs croaking at night!
I think nature does what it can to limit the numbers without me having to remove mine. The pond will only support so many anyway because of limited food supplies.
Do you have fish? I get hundreds of tadpoles, and within a couple of days, they have been eaten by the fish - that wonder of natural selection - only a very few survive - Dax
I have seen these tadpoles feeding on dried leaves and even on fallen brugmansia flowers. So food for them may not be a problem. I have only smaller fish because I noticed that a couple of bigger fish were eating off the tiny ones and the population was dwindling. I did not like it and so had to hunt down the two bigger culprits and removed them to my friend's pond. They were happy there in isolation! I have a couple of Goramis and a few Tiger barbs that don't seem to attack the smaller ones. I feed these fish with some fish food daily and they enjoy it. I have seen them avoiding the tadpoles and probably they have some substance that repels fish. I am not sure. Once the little frogs emerge out to hop away, I would think the chameleons and the mynas and crows will take care of their population. But the luckier ones survive in crevices.
I keep as many tadpoles as possible (and I truly have hundreds of thousands at times) They eat the dead vegetation that normally pollutes your pond and turns into amonia. I have one water feature with no pump or filter, and crystal clear water, because of the tadpoles. Eventually, they get picked off by the fish, or become frogs and toads and move on (here we have little anole lizards that pick them off as they crawl up the plant with their little stub tail.
Because they are so good at keeping the water clean, I have been attempting to grow things not normally suited for water, hydroponically. I use large vases, the plants with no dirt, and just water and tadpoles. The tadpoles keep all spent vegetation picked clean off the roots, so there's never any root-rot or dirty water. It's always crystal clear. I also think they add just "enough" of their own fertilizer to the water after eating the decaying leaves and roots, to keep the plants healthy and happy.
My hostas, which normally dont grown well in Central Florida, do VERY well with the water/tadpole method. I also have colocasias, impatiens, crinums, and others, also growing only in water/tadpoles.
Don't be eager to get rid of the little guys just yet.....
:)
Mary
Mary, all those toads that hit my pond after Alberto and I can't find very many tadpoles! There are some, but I expected more. I have seen a lot of anoles, which might account for the low numbers. I am glad our rainy season is finally back on track.
Mary that was wonderful information. Yes, my pond also has crystal clear water. I thought it was because of the oxygenator plants (with thin, spine like leaves - name not known to me). I never imagined the chemistry that these tadpoles contribute. Okay, I'll try not to remove the little creatures for this season and see how their population is for the coming months. Chameleons are found in my garden but I wonder if they feed on little frogs. And a similar snake-like reptile wilth legs and tail also is in good numbers. But the latter could be feeding on insects as I have not seen any hunting skills. I have seen Mynas and crows waiting while I dig the soil for any insect that it may feed on. It likes the frogs too.
Dinu
Fireant....I'm very happy we are finally getting some relief from the drought as well! The lakes haven't filled that much yet, but at least the top level of everything around town is starting to green up a bit, and hand watering by me is way down. In the morning, around 7:30-8:30, you may see far more tadpoles than you originally thought you had. They tend to go a bit deeper during the hot part of the day, and only come up for a gulp of air.
Dinu...When the tadpoles take their first journey out of the water with their new legs (and mini-tails) they are most often picked off by something higher in the food chain. You most likely won't end up with a toad/frog plague for next season, nature has it's way of keeping things in check. They are a wonderful filtration system for your ponds and water gardens, I throw a handful into anything in my yard that holds water.
:)
My BiL had what seemed like thousands of tadpoles appear in his pond one day last summer, but within a few weeks, they were virtually all gone. He does have crystal clear water, but he doesn't have any fish or plants in it. He just keeps plants around it.
Once he put his Beta fish in it thinking the fish would like a bigger swimming area, but the poor fish sank straight to the bottom, turned upside down, and stayed there immoveable. So he took him out and put it back in its little bowl with the hosta.
Useful information on tadpoles. Many thanks. Let me tell you, this is the beauty of being here on DG. We get enlightened the way we want. I knew about food chain, but not about the tadpoles. It did not trigger my thought because I never saw any fish even trying to smell the taddies. Now I'm going to let them remain in the pond, let them croak in the nights and I'll bear with the "music".
Dinu
Look at the numbers. Sorry the pic is blurred a bit, but we can count a la a pathologist doing his job looking at the microscope!
Isn't it true that having tadpoles -- especially so many -- can also affect your oxygen levels? I had a zillion of them in my newly converted hot tub pond and I took a lot out because I figured they would deplete the oxygen. And mine is a still pond -- no electric so no pumps, filters, etc. Just curious if I'm thinking right....
-- Vicky
I have never seen a frog of any kind near where I live. I believe it is too arid here for them.
I have wanted frogs to come join my yard and gardens along with the birds, snakes etc. but they just don't come here. I check often but if they've been here, it is likely now that the Koi have enjoyed the taddies for snacks.
BingsB....You may end up with toad tapoles eventually, in your climate. Fish will nibble on frog tadpoles, but will not eat the toad tadpoles (toad-poles?) :)
I look forward to this time of the year when we can open up the windows and here the night sounds that
include frogs, coyotes and all of the other country animals that roam around at night. Dinu, bear with the sounds and let them sing you to sleep. After a bit you will miss them.
