notes on frog pond design

Get Burke's Backyard's fact sheet for this beauty!

Burke's Backyard has a great fact sheet on how to make your own frog pond (picture above). Check it out here,

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Pets-Pet-Care-and-Native-Animals/Building-a-Frog-Pond/3090

• Pond needs to be above ground level to prevent cane toads from breeding in it
• The hole should slope gradually from the edge of the pond to an average depth of about 30cm, suitable for small aquatic animals.Tadpoles prefer shallow water with a large surface area
• Tadpoles are sensitive to heat, so pond needs to be positioned where it will get some shade
• Water must be chlorine-free and chemical-free. Stand tap water in sunlight for five days so chlorine can dissipate. Don’t use chlorine-neutralizing drops
• Native water plants such as nardoo or reeds provide shelter, rest areas and food for tadpoles and adult frogs. They also help to balance the ecosystem, and keep the water clean. Take a little time to research the most suitable plants. Different plants are indigenous (locally native) to different areas and attract different frogs.For example, the Common Froglet (Crinia signifera) loves Creeping Boobialla (Myoporum parvifolium).
• Mulched garden beds and a compost heap will attract insects, which will be food for your frogs
• Blue Eye Fish (Pseudmugil signifer) from south-east Queensland eat mosquito larvae, but not tadpoles. Keep three or four of these fish in your frog pond and feed them once a week with fish food to supplement their diet
• Once the tadpoles develop front legs, they need to be able to leave the water.
• Ground dwelling frogs particularly need a rough slope they can climb easily, or they may drown. Provide rocks or branches sloping gently from the water to the banks of the frog pond

Feeding tadpoles

• Feed tadpoles boiled lettuce. Use the unwanted outer dark green leaves. Make sure to wash the leaves thoroughly to remove pesticides, then boil them (15-20 minutes) until they become soft.
• Feed tadpoles as much as they will eat every 1-3 days.
• Remove leftover food from the frog pond before re-feeding the tadpoles. Too much food fouls the water; not enough food and the tadpoles will eat each other !
• Fish food is a good supplement for mature tadpoles

(Information adapted from http://www.wettropics.gov.au/; http://www.up2meforkids.com.au/extras/downloads/223.Backyards%20Give%20a%20Frog%20a%20Home.pdf; http://www.ozwatergardens.com.au/frog-ponds)