Re: Pond Removal

Oooh, I thought of that Mups. There's a couple of large stones in there which you can't really see through the greenery.

Re: Pond Removal

I'd be glad of some advice from any frog experts on here.

A couple of weeks ago there were great clumps of frogspawn in our pond. This has new disappeared, but I see no tadpoles swimming about.

Of more concern, over the past couple of days I have fished out two dead adult frogs from the bottom of the pond. Is this common after producing frogspawn?

Could the dead frogs and the lack of tadpoles be related in some way?

We did have an incidence of anchor worms last year which killed our goldfish. Since then, we drained and cleaned out our pond, having removed all plant life, so I hoped that they and any remaining eggs would have now gone. Perhaps this might relate to the dead frogs too?

Thanks.

Re: Pond Removal

Aaah, that's a shame JB. I can only say from my experience, so am obviously not an expert.

One year I had a dead frog, it was all milky white. That was the only time, and I still had frogspawn. Never had fish. I presume at the time an animal or bird had killed the frog.

I'm sure I've heard newts and birds can eat frogspawn.

Here's a link about missing frogspawn, although I'm sure you've already searched online for possible answers:

http://www.pondexpert.co.uk/frog-spa...overnight.html

Have you replaced the fish or are you still fishless?


...


BTW, (sorry) my spawn is all wriggly wriggly now

Re: Pond Removal

Thanks Pest.

Some interesting information in that article. One thing I could do, as I still have some test chemicals from last year (which hopefully will still be usable), is to test the pH and other qualities of the pond water. I'm hoping it is good as I have a good filter running 24/7, and it would be a good idea to do that before we think about buying more fish.

Which answers your question: we are still 'fishless', though I'm thinking of getting a couple soon in the hope that they'll survive this time and perhaps breed.

I'm pretty sure that the frogspawn has not been misappropriated by human cubs, as our garden is virtually inaccessible to humans. As for birds: unlikely as we have two cats which love the challenge of catching them.

The frogspawn could, of course, have converted itself into tiny tadpoles which may be hiding in the pond plants. I suppose time will tell.

Thanks again, expert!

Re: Pond Removal

Yes, that's probably a good idea to test the pH after reading it in the article - although I do find it strange. I really do absolutely nothing with my pond no filter - nothing.. It's just the water and plants and I have to say it absolutely thrives with wildlife year in year out.

There's a new occupier in the close and she acquired the pond that came with the garden. Originally it was full of fish but as this lady doesn't want the pond remaining, the previous occupant got rid of the fish.

But now fish are appearing. Obviously they were missed or hiding. There are at least 20 and look very healthy and seem happy and thriving, considering they are not being fed.

Do they get their food from the plants?

Its all very strange. I do absolutely nothing and the pond thrives, the new occupant does nothing and the fish thrive, and others do everything possible and things go belly up.

Re: Pond Removal

Yes, very interesting.

I believe that fish can survive without humans feeding them. They certainly do in the wild. They might well eat plants, or parts of them, but I feel they are probably more likely to eat other pond life: insects, possibly tadpoles too.

As for the anchor worms that killed our fish, I am hoping that the precautions I took may have eradicated them. All plants were removed and the water completely replaced. Perhaps more importantly, the pond has stood all winter without anything for surviving anchor worms to use as a food source - with the exception of the frogs, which came back earlier this year. I don't think that anchor worms would live off frogs, though.

I'll have to wait and see. If any new frogs grow from tadpoles, fine. If some frogs reappear after hiding away from the pond, or within the new plants, fine.

As I said, I'll chemically test the water and, perhaps, buy a couple of goldfish again.

Thanks again for your input.

Re: Pond Removal

I had to look up anchor worm, never heard of it with not having fish.

Good luck with it all JB, hope it all works out and you get life back in there.



Edited
With any luck, someone with knowledge will be around tomorrow to help you - someone who has fish. Bet Dingaling will know something

Re: Pond Removal

Thanks. I'll keep watching!

Re: Pond Removal

How's the water JB? did you get the fish!?

Re: Pond Removal

While I'm back here, I need some ideas!

The container's way too small for the 1000's (and I'm sure I'm not exaggerating with that ) of taddies that are wriggling about. The water's thick with them. It looks like a whole mass of wriggly black sludge.

Can't be good bumping into each other while they're doing their lengths and breadths - they'll all be getting into punch ups.

I was thinking of buying another container, filling it with pond water and trying to transfer some into it - then top up the original container with more water for the remaining taddies. Might give them more room.
(Only thing, the container is too heavy for me to do it on my own and I don't think using a jug to transfer is the way to go for their comfort levels )

Maybe another tsunami might be too much for them.
Should I just leave them?