I used to always have an aquarium set up every Spring when I was younger and watched the breeding behaviour of Sticklebacks and reared tadpoles (not at the same time obviously
) until they turned into frogs/toads but haven't done this for a few years now.
I
had hoped to set one up this year but didn't bother as we thought we would be moving house. However the move has been switched to Spring 2008 so hopefully I'll be able to set up my tank in 2009!!!
Perhaps when I do I should obtain my sticklebacks from a number of different ponds so as to avoid inbred specimens and see if having a wider gene pool that has any bearing on them avoiding genetic & fungal diseases etc (I used to catch them in Paddy Freemans Pond when I was a child and they nearly always had a white cotton-wooley type fungus growing on them).