hi i have a 2500 gallon pond with 4 green frogs. where do they hibernate? when do they start to hibernate?

They will hibernate in the bottom of the pond. As things cool down, they will spend less time out of water. Exactly when they go down for the winter depends on the temperatures. If there's an Indian summer, they may still be up in early November. Normally, they're under by early to mid October. Even during January, I've seen some come up if it gets warm. One year, we had 70's in January for a few days!

thats what i thought they did. my pond doesnt have any bottom cover. how will they breath?

During hibernation, frogs absorb their oxygen through their skin. They don't need that much oxygen (at least compared to when they breathe through their lungs in the summer) but still need some. That's why it's important that the pond is aerated over the winter with a hole in the ice so they don't suffocate.

so they burrow in pots and stuff in the water?

Everything I've read said that they do bury into bottom sludge in natural ponds. In my ponds though I see them just sitting on the bottom. Sometimes they're under a few stray leaves but often they're just on the bare liner. So, they don't have to have the sludge (which is bad for overall pond health).

do you think they would borrow in the pots that my plants are in? i will maybe move them to the 3 feet end and they can burrow there.

They might. I have submerged plant pots in the deep end but have never seen the frogs in there in the winter (when the pots used to be open without protectors). I have pulled a bullfrog out that was stuck in one with a submerged plant protector this summer. I also find frogs in my filter material around my pump in the winter.

i just hope these survive. only 1-2 survived out of 10 tads.

Hi,

I'm new to fishpondinfo. Love the site!!!! Great job Robyn.
I built my pond this summer (Toronto, Canada) and its not deep enough for my 5 green frogs to overwinter. Its only 2.5 feet deep.
I'm thinking of following your overwintering instructions indoors (in the Rubermaid containers) but need to know when I'd do that. Do i wait for them to start hibernating at the bottom and then remove them? Not clear when is the best time. I don't want to disturb them too much...

:rolleyes:

My pond is not that deep, and my frogs overwinter fine. It must be pretty cold in Toronto then! Your 2.5 foot deep pond freezes solid?

I think the best time to bring the frogs in is when they've stopped eating and lay on the bottom. This will occur when the water is below 50 degrees F or so. What temperature can you keep them in indoors? You want to try to match the two.

Mine is 3 feet deep, i plan to put my pots in the deep and get a airetor and possibly a heater.

welcome 2 fishpondinfo froggie! :D

Well, the winter's here can get to -20C (-4F) or less on real cold days. The frost line here is about 3 feet so I'm not sure if the pond will freeze solid (since I've just built it) but I didn't want to take the chance and freeze my little ones that I've gotten to know so well.

I was thinking of an indoor terranium (combination water/land) for them but was told by the pet store gurus that they might not survive and it would shorten their life spans if they don't hibernate (which is also mentioned on the website). Since I'm new to this, I wanted the safest option.

I'm open to any suggestions... :(

Here is a pic of my pond when I built it in July.

That's a cute little pond! It doesn't look 2.5 feet deep so must be in just one area. I don't think it's big enough to keep it from freezing most of the way where you live. So, you'll either have to bring them in and try hibernating indoors or move them to another larger pond.

i second that. is most of it 2.5 feet deep? I was thinking a heater which i may do for my pond. Robyn could this work?

Tommy, your pond volume is larger, and you're in NJ right? Froggie is in Toronto so it's much colder there. In my 1800 gallon pond, I keep the main waterfall going and use a de-icer. In my 153 gallon pond, I use a de-icer and an air stone. Most of the time, in that pond, the air stone alone keeps it open. When the outlet died in the middle of the winter, I could only use one thing run on an extension cord so I did the air stone.

Im in southern ny. Yah it is much colder up there, its not much of a temp difference between maryland and southern ny.

Ya, its only 2.5' deep in the centre.. i have a few other plant shelves at different depths. I was worried about that ... Next summer I might just have to undertake another project - extending the pond.

I think i'll try the indoor hibernating method and hope for the best. For now I'll just enjoy the pond and the froggies while they last outdoors. :rolleyes:

good luck!

Froggie.... cute pond!

Robyn what is a plant protector? Do you cut your plants off in the fall? Do you do anything else with them... I'm a newbee! I want my plants to make it through our Ohio winter. Thanks
Tina

Here's the submerged plant protectors (there are also ones for floaters and lilies that are different):
http://aqua-mart.com/show.pl?cmd=showsubcats&subcatid=136

Yes, I cut off all the plant foliage on my plants in the fall as it turns colors. After the first hard frost/freeze, I cut any remaining foliage. I do not lower my plant pots as many do (no room!). Usually, the iris are the last to be cut as they stay green longer.

My plant pages are at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/plant.htm and include sections on overwintering.

Great! Thank you for the info...I love this site!!!!