Feeding tadpoles - money saving tip

Today's money saving tip for all you pond keepers out there. If you need to feed tadpoles - maybe because you have recently cleaned the pond - don't spend all that money on tadpole food.

During their early development (ie. before they develop back legs), tadpoles are vegetarian. They go bonkers over cucumber.

Sliced cucumber floats on the pond surface - but make sure to cut off the green outer skin so that the taddies can get to the white flesh.

Have a look at this pic - cucumber pieces go on - there's a massive scuffle:

 

Ok so I'll go and buy a cucumber.

 

Is that a good idea attracting them to the surface where they'll be predated by Blackbirds who have a taste for them?

 

Most of the tadpole I have are feeding around the sides of the pond.
Right on the surface.

 

That's amazing, we were hoping to have frogs in our new pond this Spring, but sadly not.
I'll keep that tip in mind if we ever do have tadpoles though, what a great way to watch them.

 

Just to wrap this one up.

When the taddies have developed back legs - they turn carnivore - so cucumber just won't cut it.

They move onto a high protein diet - so you can feed them normal flaked fish food.

Don't spend your cash on high protein tadpole specific food - normal fish food is packed with protein and does the job.

 

Best way of getting frogs in your pond is to put some tadpoles from other ponds in, that way they tend to return when adult to breed.
But often they will find your pond anyway after a period of time.

Helps if the neighbors have ponds.

 

We've had frogs in the garden in previous years but not for quite a while now, hopefully they'll find us again, could have done with them to eat all the slugs that all the recent rain brought out. We've got pond skaters and damsel flies about though which is nice to see

 

Good tips there @clanless

From the small amount of spawn we saw earlier this year we did not expect much, but now the surface of the pond is heaving with the taddies feeding by the duckweed.

While we have stacked some old roof tiles by the side of the pond for the frogletts to hide in, have you used anything a bit more natural looking for them to stay safe in from the birds and cats ?

 

Not good:

Frogs have a lot of predators. To ensure that they live on, frogs lay up to thousands of eggs. Out of those, only a few go on to live. Usually, the number is not more than five.

 

I noticed a few tiny frogs trying to get out of the tank they are in this morning.
They are in a tank as otherwise the fish in my pond would have eaten them.

I draped a lump of elodea, over the side of the tank, so they can climb out on that, or hide under it if they want to.

 

Good day today - I assumed that the birds had scoffed all the tadpoles - I am very pleased to say that I was wrong. Saw this when restocking the bird feeders:



In anticipation of this - I have previously purchased some pond netting from Wilko's - to give the taddies a fighting chance this year. Life will always find a way...

 

hmmm.... no signs of any frogs or toads in our pond this year ??

We do see, via the cameras, loads of cats and a fox going into surrounding gardens....