Question about fish affecting the balance of my pond

[dampflippers]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Both are quite complex in prefered breeding sites compared to Smooth, palmate, and common frogs, both often like larger water bodies especially toads. Toads actually prefer fish in the breeding site. GCN like several breeding ponds close together often quite deep with plenty of pond vegetation. This usually makes them less common in garden ponds although as always there is exceptions.

I didn't know that about toads- thanks for the info.

[Dogghound]

I write quite alot of Environmental Stewardship pond reports so I get a good chance to see habitat preferences in the field.

The reason toads prefer fish is due to their tadpoles being distasteful to fish, but fish tend to reduce other predators which would feed on the tadpoles. Giving them more chance of survival. You often find quite large fishing lakes are full of breeding toads in the spring yet smaller fish free ponds have none.