Tadpole Protection!

[woodruffsdad]

I have just installed a new garden pond 6' x 4' to replace a smaller one.

All it has in it at present is water, aquatic soil and pebbles.

I know that my local frogs will be spawning in it shortly.

I am led to believe that when the tadpoles hatch they will need cover for protection.

Unfortunately, I cannot obtain any native pond plants locally for about another 2 months.

What should I do to keep my frogs happy?

[Dogghound]

If its deep, and as you say you have pebbles they should be ok. The main problem is food, hopefully algae will bloom soon or the soil will contian food. If you are worried try submerging some plant pots, or rocks.

[sbeau66]

i,ve bought some great native plants on ebay this year, good and healthy and growing away, they were fairly cheap too and the seller was willing to combine postage on multiple buys, i,m not sure if i,m allowed to name the seller on here but if you would like to know the name just pm me and i'll be happy to give details

[Malcolm Banks]

A bit tight time wise to get a proper diet in there for the taddies but could be done; you do hear stories of spawn in cart tracks (where are all these carts?) but fewer stories of how well they fared later on.
M

[Dogs]

I see a lot of spawn in the ruts left by forrest machinery, also temporary pools on the tracks. There is little plant life in these pools, mainly just grasses and buttercups, algae etc. The tadpoles thrive and grow very fast as the small pools get warmer than large ponds, but the main problem is that they dry up in the summer.

[iminei]

Last summer, just for the pleasure of it, I successfully fed taddies with algae tablets that i feed my bristlenoses; placed a couple in the shallows on the pebbles and caused a taddie stampede (same as with my baby bristlenoses...great fun!!!!!
As for cover any floating moss/plants are good. but as you note, most ponds are pretty bare of plant life at the mo; Apart from the roots of the irises and Typha and general algae like moss on the sides of submerged plant pots, mine only has some emerging Iris leaves at present.

[Susie]

Is there a reason why you can get any plants for two months?

In my pond the king cups, bog bean, water iris, water forgetmenot and some other things i forget the names of are starting to show new leaf in the margins. The water soldiers are still in the deeper water and provide cover even now for inverts. The lilly pads will be unfurling their leaves soon to provide more shelter and the aeriating plants will put on new growth as they get more sun.

[iminei]

Water plants from garden/aquatic centres etc don't come in 'til the beginning of May (presumably because they all look so grotty until then...) I remember this when I set up my pond a few years ago......it was incredibly frustrating.
Obviously in an established pond the plants, as you say, are starting to wake up now.
Woodruffsdad could try an independent local fish shop, (those that stock cold water pond fish often have the plants too) not a chain that buys in according to season.
If you research the plants first and don't get put off by the sorry state they will be in at this time of year you could buy, plant/place and watch them do their stuff naturally.

[iminei]

Alternatively woodruffsdad could beg a few snippets of plants from you .
water forget me not (myosotis scorpioides) is incredibly prolific and will romp away from even the smallest piece!

[posie]

Hi woodruffsdad, where are you, if you are near southampton I'll give you some water plants.....Posie.....

Or if not sbeau66 has the contact info for buying by post..See above..