Other Pond Animals?

[GreatDanesDad]

My pond is just under 2000 gallons and I have a few Koi, but I am wondering what other critters do you have in your ponds that are good with the fish? Pics Please! What are your thoughts on turtles? What kind? Frogs? Toads? Shrimp? Crawfish? Snakes?

What would you recommend I add to my pond, why and why not?

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Well, turtles eat fish, so unless the koi are much larger than a turtle, it would be an issue. Same with snakes.


I have a Green Frog and a Bull Frog that live in my pond & stream. Also an occasional American Toad that comes around. I also keep snails in the pond. I read that large Bullfrogs can eat small fish but I'm not worried about it right now because my bull frog is still young.





Its important to know that my frogs came in on their own. If you try to catch frogs and release them at your pond, they wont stick around and try to find their original home.
Other than that, I'm not really sure what else could go in the pond and stay friendly with the fish.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

I keep frogs and turtles. Turtles like to eat small fish fry which is good for keeping the fish population from getting out of control. They've never bothered the larger fish.
We hand feed both the frogs and turtles.
No pics, but here is a video

 

[crsublette]

I keep frogs and turtles. Turtles like to eat small fish fry which is good for keeping the fish population from getting out of control. They've never bothered the larger fish.
We hand feed both the frogs and turtles.
No pics, but here is a video

Randy, that's a very awesome video. Enjoyed watching it. :claphands:

 

[addy1]

I keep what ever shows up in my pond. If it comes it is welcome to stay, except the heron.
Very nice video

 

[Nepen]

I'm trying to get some frogs in my pond too but the one that came is now gone, hoping it comes back soon. I want turtle but I have a raised pond so not a good thing for turtle as they can fall and hurt them self. But may be an aquatic turtle might be ok if I don't have any way for it to go up on the wall (but have rocks for it to clime up and perch on)... thinking about it.

I'm actually looking at shrimp and wondering if they will turn to be the expensive fish food or not


JB, your video is so great! I laugh out loud several times and love the frogs! They just let you mess around with if you every get tadpoles and want to get rid of some I'm happy to buy them from you, just saying (my obsession with getting tadpoles turned bad once again as I think the last batch I got are Cuban tree frog but was advertised as green frog )

 

[addy1]

I'm trying to get some frogs in my pond too but the one that came is now gone, hoping it comes back soon. I want turtle but I have a raised pond so not a good thing for turtle as they can fall and hurt them self. But may be an aquatic turtle might be ok if I don't have any way for it to go up on the wall (but have rocks for it to clime up and perch on)... thinking about it.

I'm actually looking at shrimp and wondering if they will turn to be the expensive fish food or not


JB, your video is so great! I laugh out loud several times and love the frogs! They just let you mess around with if you every get tadpoles and want to get rid of some I'm happy to buy them from you, just saying (my obsession with getting tadpoles turned bad once again as I think the last batch I got are Cuban tree frog but was advertised as green frog )

ask in the spring, I get thousands of tads, have shipped some to others they make it just fine. Just pay the shipping cost, like 5 bucks or so.

 

[Carolyn22]

I'm trying to get some frogs in my pond too but the one that came is now gone, hoping it comes back soon. I want turtle but I have a raised pond so not a good thing for turtle as they can fall and hurt them self. But may be an aquatic turtle might be ok if I don't have any way for it to go up on the wall (but have rocks for it to clime up and perch on)... thinking about it.

I'm actually looking at shrimp and wondering if they will turn to be the expensive fish food or not


JB, your video is so great! I laugh out loud several times and love the frogs! They just let you mess around with if you every get tadpoles and want to get rid of some I'm happy to buy them from you, just saying (my obsession with getting tadpoles turned bad once again as I think the last batch I got are Cuban tree frog but was advertised as green frog )

I use bullfrog tads to keep my koi populations down. They do mature to full grown bullfrogs and quite frankly, you would think with the dozen or so each year that I put in, that I would have more frogs. I think most of them hop off or something.

What kind of shrimp are you looking at? I do know if you check the package on some of the koi foods and see the word 'krill' that is actually shrimp. They LOVE shrimp!

 

[Nepen]

Carolyn,
I heard bullfrog will eat other frog so I try to avoide buying them, unless they come of their own, that's ok by me

I just look at ebay and saw those fresh water shrimp, just reading about it but I dont think i'll get it this year (if I decide to) I think the red cherry shrimp is the one I look at - but I also have guppies and mollies (tropical fish) in my pond with my goldfish so I will have to take them inside during winter anyway.

I think if you have big koi, those shrimp will be koi food no doubt

Addy, Thanks! I'm in a hunt for US native green tree frog tadpole.

I have about 30 tadpoles from Florida that was advertised as green tree frog but after many research (and saw the junavile pictures of the tadpoles) I decided they are Cuban tree frog and they will be my plant fertilizer very soon I have to do it now or I will not be able to kill them once they trun to frog. I do not want to be the one responsible to introduce the cuban tree frog to my area. I also do not want the Cuban tree frog to eat my residence green frog

 

[addy1]

I have a lot of green frogs, my prominent frog resident. We also get the tree frogs, the little gray ones, those tads are tiny. Usually have a green frog per pond, 3-6 in the bog, one or two in the big pond with the fish.

one of the stream ponds, a small one


the lotus tank

 

[GreatDanesDad]

Ok after reading your comments, I have frog envy. I live in Phx and it is 110 during the day now in the summer and in the winter it is down to freezing 4 or 5 days a year.

Being in the dessert, we really don't have a bunch of frogs, and the toads we do have are posionous to the dogs. My house is a ways away from any water sources and I dont think I am going to get any frogs naturally. Yesterday I purchased 4 firebelly toads (really frogs) from petsmart and released them in the bog. This morning I was able to spot a couple of them, sitting happily in the bog. There is tons of water and plants coverage, and good soft soil in that area for the frogs to live, and if they have tads in the bog, it should only be a good thing.

What is your guys opinion? These frogs seem hardy enough for the area in the summer spring and fall, I am just worried about the cold months. Will they burrow and survive. Do you figure they will stick around with it being so dry once they get a little ways away from the pond?

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Love all the frog pictures

Just want to add that I bought a dozen cherry shrimp and within a very short time my betta ate every one of them. I'm sure it would be a waste of money to try and add them to a pond.

I'm planning to add trapdoor snails to my pond but I'm going to wait until next spring.

 

[addy1]

gdd, I lived in phoenix for years, ordered some frogs from the net, they did wonderful in my phoenix pond, never left. Then my late hubby went and collected a bunch of wild bull frogs, my beautiful little frogs got eaten. Then the bf's hopped away.

 

[addy1]

WOOOO HOOOO My favorite pond critter showed up today so excited!

I put videos on my thread here is a shot off the dvr taping: he moved fast, beautiful animal. Stopped to have a drink in our small pond. The fox in the middle of the third picture. hard to see

 

[Nepen]

Greatdanesdad - if you want I can send you all my tads for the shipping!!!! Just FYI that I still have no idea what they really are. They could very well be the invasive Cuban tree frog which gets big and can eat all your little critters

But this website said they are Two-striped Treefrog (Scinax rubra) http://www.lesfruitsdemer.org/guide...e-to-the-wildlife-of-saint-martin/amphibians/ -- my reference came from the picture of the tad that is very similar to mine with the little blck line from nose to eye - also picture of little baby frogs the seller posted on the ads http://www.ebay.com/itm/tadpoles-gr...609?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43be834471