While rebuilding my main pond, I set up a little kiddie pool so the water plants have a place and the frogs have a place... Its got a small pump, air, a nice bit of algae, lots of plants, it used to have lots of tadpoles, and I added 4 little comet goldfish to see what would happen (I have not had a pond with fish before). the number of tadpoles has decreased a bit without me seeing them reach maturity, and three goldfish are gone. The pond is covered with bird netting, so something is getting in there and disappearing the swimming creatures. I see only one, super fast fish is left. So, what is the predator? Frog? Toad? Snake? I'd really like to have some goldfish, but I don't want to get more if they are going to get eaten. I've searched all over that little "pond" and there is no sign of the other fish. Just the one . I was expecting frogs to keep the tad number high, but that bird netting might be a hindrance to them too.
It was pretty funny when I first added the fish. The interactions between tadpoles and fish was one of startlement. They'd nose up to one another then swim off quickly. After a couple of days, they just ignored one another. Learned quickly that a fine mesh was needed to seperate the pump from the swimmers. A week later, learned a bird net was needed as a jay started hanging out. Husband was certain the jay was eating tadpoles.
Is the problem that the tiny kiddie pool is just 4' around and the water only 10" deep? Too small for the fish and tads to get away? If the predator is a snake, what is to keep this creature from eating fish when they are in a larger pond? Must there be lots of "extras" to feed the predators?
It was pretty funny when I first added the fish. The interactions between tadpoles and fish was one of startlement. They'd nose up to one another then swim off quickly. After a couple of days, they just ignored one another. Learned quickly that a fine mesh was needed to seperate the pump from the swimmers. A week later, learned a bird net was needed as a jay started hanging out. Husband was certain the jay was eating tadpoles.
Is the problem that the tiny kiddie pool is just 4' around and the water only 10" deep? Too small for the fish and tads to get away? If the predator is a snake, what is to keep this creature from eating fish when they are in a larger pond? Must there be lots of "extras" to feed the predators?
