caring for toads in fish ponds?

Answer 1

I'm assuming you're talking about native species, not trying to add an exotic bought from a pet store! (This would more than likely be a very bad idea, because they may not be able to survive in a different climate, and if they were, may cause problems for the local native species - toads won't stay at the pond once they've become adults!)

You don't say where you're from, so I'll have to assume you're in the US. The actual species may vary by where you live, but the most common ones that I see (and that I've raised indoors from eggs) are the Eastern toad. The eggs are easily separated from frog or salamander eggs, because toad eggs are in long strings - the others are a big clump.

Since you had the eggs laid in a pond, there's really not much for you to do. The main things would be to let some of the algae in the pond grow (it's what they eat as tadpoles) and not to use any pond chemicals that could hurt them (algicides, insecticides, fertilizers).

Your main problem will be once the toads metamorphose into adults and start hopping around. It takes them about 6-8 weeks to become a toad, depending mainly on temperature and food availability. There's a small wetland on the property neighboring mine where the eggs are laid every year, and the little toads always come into my yard - I use a riding lawn mower, and have had to dodge baby toads trying to cut the grass. They like plants for cover, so if you keep some shrubs around you pond, they might use those to hide in. I don't mind having these around because they do a good job of eating the bugs in my garden. One even would sit under a bug zapper at night and ate the bugs that fell.

If you wanted to try giving them some extra food as tadpoles, a boiled lettuce leaf (use romaine, not iceberg) is something they'd eat. They also eat alfalfa pellets (like you'd get for a rabbit), and sinking algae wafers (sold as fish food). As long as you have algae in the pond, that should be the biggest part of their diet, though. And make sure they have a rock or log they can use to get out of the water once they undergo metamorphasis - if your pond is one of the types made with a liner and the water level is below the ground, the toads can't climb up the plastic. If they stay in the water, they'll eventually drown.

Since toad tadpoles have a skin secretion that makes them tase bad, you shouldn't have to worry about the fish eating them.

I'll include a few links below on raising toads/tadpoles if you'd like to know more about the metamorphasis or would like to see this indoors in a tank (you can always let the toads go once they've become adults. If there's a particular species that you think your might be, you can do a web search by the species name and include the words " raising tadpoles" or "tadpole care".

Answer 2

Water temp: what is the water temp this season where you your son collected them? -Do not put anything else in there alive, it will eat them. -Add a bubbler for oxygenation -Have a powerhead blow on them so they can "Breath" *If the ride with the fish was over an hour and care was not taken to keep water from getting to hot, they are probably dead *Female fish lay eggs, male fish drops sperm over eggs, so it is possible they are not fertilized *Male fish guards eggs and eats off dead eggs, because there are no parent fish to do this, do not be disappointed if they do not hatch. When (if) they hatch: Feed brine shrimp for first ten to twenty day then begin flakes. Use a sponge filter, this does not suck up the fish like a power filter would. Do 25-50% water changes once daily to keep water clean DO NOT USE PLAIN TAP WATER: CONDITION IT FIRST!!

Answer 3

Not much to be done there. The toad will come and go as it pleases.

Answer 4

Be wary of neighbourhood cats. Toads make very good cat toys.

Answer 5

Here are some websites you may refer to:

http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/toads.htm
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/frogsandtoads/Frogs_and_Toads_as_Pets.htm

:-)