Hey,

My wife and I have decided to build a frog pond in the yard and came across this forum. All the info here has been very helpful. Thanks Robyn.

There are some great ponds on this site that has inspired me. Mike C, Anneymouse,Johnnyboy I'm inspired.

I have had a successfully built and maintaned a 150 gallon goldfish pond and am no going to try a 1000 gallon frog habitat.

I need a little advice.

My design idea is an oval with 3 elevations for marshy/dry areas and plantings. I have a liner and 30 Tadpoles. Some with newly formed leggs...very exciting. They are Northern Peepers which are indigenous to the area though not doing well.

There was a slow moving stream behind my yard, when I was younger 20 - 25 yrs ago, and these frogs ran rampant. It has all but dried up and the frogs have gone.

I plan on putting the Tads in this week but have concerns placing them in my soon to be filled with tap water pond. I've budgeted for some aeration, plants and a small filter that wont stir the water much. But what about the tap water? I've seen a lot of pond conditioners that remove chlorine, chloramine, chloranamine and amonia. I'v read to leave the water in the sun from 1 day to 1 week. Can someone help with a suggestion as to what to use or do?

Thanks
Ian M
Long Island

Ian M, appreciate all your comments. I unfortunately don't know too much about frogs, but I have them and will tell you what I do know. I'm sure Robyn will pipe in here. Seems to me I've heard her mention Northern Peepers before, so I'm sure she'll give you a ton of information.

From my experience, and mine may be more from toads than frogs, but once you can see tadpole legs, it's not long before they're out of the water. But, while they're in the water they're focus is eating. My point is I'm concerned your new frog pond, being so new, won't have the established algae/food supplies these guys require for their transformation.

Frogs from what I understand frogs are picky about their environment, including the condition of the water. How to make that happen instantly is what I'm hoping someone else can answer.

Frogs also like mud. So, I'd look into how deep they like it and engineer at least a portion of your pond accordingly.

Sorry I'm not more help.

Thank you,

Mud is good. I will look into it. These guys do spend most of there time on the ground in debri. I did read Robyn's page on this species specifically. It was a wealth of info.

Ian M

If they have legs, they are going to leave soon and probably are not eating too much, instead focusing on the metamorphosis.

For tap water, I suggest adding dechlorinator. It's true that if your city water just has chlorine, heavy aeration for a week will drive most of it out of the water. But, if you have chloramine, the chlorine will not go away without chemical treatment. Since frogs are so sensitive to chlorine, I would just pay for the dechlorinator. They say if you later change or add less than 10% of the volume, you don't need to add it. I might (if I had city water; I have well water). Some aeration of the pond would be a good idea. As mentioned, there probably is little to eat in the big pond. While you could add some fish foods, they would probably get lost in the big pond.

You may want to let this batch grow out in a smaller pond or container and wait for the next batch (or ones to show up on their own) to be in the new pond.

Spring peepers only come to the water to breed so once they turn into real frogs, they (or rather adults in the area) won't be back until early spring.

Thanks Robyn,

I was attempting to build an adult frog friendly habitat. Hoping they might stay or at least attract adults. Any suggestions?

edit

I think I've been looking at this all wrong. The pond has changed a bit. I will only carry 500 gal at 20/15' with a small division for the young. The yard is heavily wooded and the state land behind my yard is 3 miles long and 500 or so feet deep. That almost dried up stream, 6" in spring and mud in hot summer months would hopefully be perfect for them to inhabit.

As for a large vernal pond in the far reaches of my yard...great. It will be a nice place to visit on a walk. My new goal is to let them breed and let them be free. Hopefully replenishing what was once there. Maybe it was something other then the stream drying up that drove them away.

I've read almost all the posts on this board and have learned alot more about these peepers. I've always loved the deafening calls, some don't from what I've read so just mail your peepers to me... ;)

I was hoping to make a frog pond page but they've taken away all my free time at work (and no time at home either). The more work I do, the more they give me!

Anyway, for a frog pond, if you want aquatic frogs that overwinter under water (green frogs, bullfrogs, pickerel frogs), then make the pond like most regular ponds with at least a few feet deep and shallow areas with lots of plants. For frogs that only come to water to breed (spring peepers, tree frogs, leopard frogs, and toads too), a deep area is not required as their tadpoles will leave before winter, and they themselves don't overwinter under water either. Some water movement for filtration purposes to prevent stagnation is good for larger frogs but may deter smaller frogs. If it's a good stinking mess, some frogs like that but their tadpoles may die in water that's too low in oxygen or poor in water quality. Provide lots of plants. I'd better get back to my worthless work.