what eats tadpoles?
- Thread starter ridehard22
- Start date
Koi eat tadpoles... I would stop feeding the Koi until the tadpole population decreases. This will increase the amount they eat and will decrease the waste in the pond.
The increased tadpole population this year is probably (most definitely0 the result of an increased frog population. The increase of frogs could be a coincidence or an isolated incidence (your pond) or it could be a sign of less preditors for them in which case preventing them from reaching the frog stage would be a good idea. Naturally I, nor we, will have an answer to that question. I tend to lean in the direction of "let nature have it's way"... but if nature has already been unbalanced then we may need to act on it's behalf to "rebalance" things a bit.
The increased tadpole population this year is probably (most definitely0 the result of an increased frog population. The increase of frogs could be a coincidence or an isolated incidence (your pond) or it could be a sign of less preditors for them in which case preventing them from reaching the frog stage would be a good idea. Naturally I, nor we, will have an answer to that question. I tend to lean in the direction of "let nature have it's way"... but if nature has already been unbalanced then we may need to act on it's behalf to "rebalance" things a bit.
wont more tadpoles/frogs mean more biological waste therefore putting the balance in the pond under enormous stress, especially if there is as many as you say there is.
ridehard22;3197916; said:
Nah...I do not think you have a problem with tadpoles...You have been around this pond long enough to know the life process of frogs.....With the amount of fish you have, sounds like a small enough pond for you to easily net out a few "trillion".....
I smell F&W(no, yes,no).....If not, which I doubt, just let the tadpoles metamorphasize and hop away....Next time, invest in a BB gun before breeding season...Shoot the tadpole makers.....Florida has many fish you can catch that will easily devour any tadpole, even frog.....Go catch some Peacock Bass and put them in the pond.....
mushroomsoup;3201656; said:
Technically - yes... but they are so darn tiny and we are talking about a pond, not a (much smaller) fish tank...
Have you (the OP) mentioned the size of the pond in question?
Tadpoles are not increasing the bioload, unless you are throwing in extra food for them. They are eating and processing what is already in the pond, not bringing in extra nutrients. Large numbers of tadpoles does not mean more frogs. Your 'trillions' of tadpoles could be the result of just a few clutches of eggs. There are just more survivors than you are used to, probably due to there being plenty of food for them (algae and uneaten fish food).
Tadpoles are harmless to your fish, and the koi are probably eating large numbers of them. As others have said, your best bet is to just leave them alone. Adding predatory fish will cause far more trouble than the tadpoles ever will; for example, if your koi ever try to spawn, the sunfish will gobble the eggs and fry.
Tadpoles are harmless to your fish, and the koi are probably eating large numbers of them. As others have said, your best bet is to just leave them alone. Adding predatory fish will cause far more trouble than the tadpoles ever will; for example, if your koi ever try to spawn, the sunfish will gobble the eggs and fry.
My pond exploded with tadpoles. There were a lot of toad tadpoles which carry a mild toxin to discourage fish from eating them. There were also some tree frog tadpoles. I netted the tadpoles out and threw them on one of my compost piles. Their toxin proteins will break down by next spring and I don't need all those toads carrying on a symphony behind my house every night.
I left them alone the 1st spring in this house. There were a few croakers in the yard. But, the next spring yielded ten times the number of toads breeding in the pond and raising a racket in the yard. I also had hundreds of toads clogging the skimmer in the pool. So, now the war is on. I don't need all these toads raising their populations in my yard.
I left them alone the 1st spring in this house. There were a few croakers in the yard. But, the next spring yielded ten times the number of toads breeding in the pond and raising a racket in the yard. I also had hundreds of toads clogging the skimmer in the pool. So, now the war is on. I don't need all these toads raising their populations in my yard.
