Frog spawn?

Wearb · 24-02-2016 7:22pm #1

For the second year, I have noticed this happen to the frogspawn in my pond. It doesn't seen normal and looks as if the tadpoles never formed.
Anybody able to suggest what's happening?

Edit: having difficulty uploading pic. Please check back in a few minutes.

Eric Marley · 10-03-2016 11:33pm

There may be some poisoning in the water. Wastes from some water plants make the water too acidic for development of the tadpoles. Consider having fresh water into the pond.

Wearb · 11-03-2016 6:54pm

Thanks. I have lots of goldfish in it and regularly see frogs, pond skaters and waterboatmans (men). It is about 22 years old. From other people commenting, I am starting to think that it may have been ice that killed them. They do seem to have gone past the initial egg stage.

Eric Marley · 11-03-2016 10:40pm

okay,good luck in solving the issue

recedite · 22-05-2016 11:42pm

Any update on this?
They look perfectly healthy to me. I'm assuming by now they are swimming around happily.

Wearb · 23-05-2016 10:19am

recedite wrote: »

Any update on this?
They look perfectly healthy to me. I'm assuming by now they are swimming around happily.

They were dead. Never developed any further. Pity.
I think it was the freezing that killed them, but then how do they survive that in the wild?

recedite · 23-05-2016 7:54pm

They were unlucky I suppose. In nature the first ones out have an advantage over later ones. In crowded conditions the bigger ones secrete a growth inhibiting hormone that affects the smaller ones. So the later ones often eventually become food for the earlier ones. Its a gamble then. Start too soon and this happens. A batch of spawn laid after the hard frost and ice were probably the winners this year.

Wearb · 24-05-2016 8:59am

They are tough in each other, but then it has gotten them this far along the path of evolution.
Do you know if it would harm them next year if I was to push the jelly mass down about an inch further from the surface? There is usually less than an inch of ice. I could use something like the mesh from the top of a disposable BBQ to hold them a bit below the surface.

recedite · 24-05-2016 9:23am

You could do that temporarily if you knew there was a hard frost forecast.
Normally the frogspawn picks up any sunshine near the surface and actually heats up a bit, each black embryo acting like a tiny solar panel, the way it would pick up the heat behind glass.
So its better off floating, except during a hard frost.

Wearb · 24-05-2016 9:43am

Thanks for that. I will keep it in mind if I am lucky enough to have them back next year.

Frog spawn?

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