Baby fishies make loads of nitrogen as they grow...and that helps the string algae to grow, too. What a grand excuse to add another pond, huh?! So, that's what we did! Here is a pic (the two gallon-sized waterfalls and the lowest pond are the new additions for the new additions):
And here's a pic of another new addition (one of our tadpoles grew up):
what a sweet little guy!
adding this to my list of logic-based excuses....
What a cutie! He will be part of your fly and mosquito reduction program. I have never seen a frog in Los Alamos. Guess I am going to have to get a pond also.
Yes, yes! I want a froggy. You know frogs have become endangered, victims of pollution and pesticides. Next year. Frogs for sure.
Very nice ponds - cute little frog, too. Good job!
Awww...love it. I know that the sound of that trickling water has got to be such a delight.
The frog (now we have two) has been elusive these last few days. We'll see something move in the pond or nearby and know what it is, though;) The younger/smaller one actually let me hold him for a minute. Neither has eaten the frog food we got at the pet store...sure hope they are getting enough insects! Does anybody know what happens to a frog in our cold wintertimes??? We know what to do for the fish but the frogs have us worried, now.... Yes, we ARE overprotective parents!
We love the sound of the water, to be sure! The place has become a magnet for us. We can't wait to get out and feed the fish. Our younger daughter tells us we should get a life. ;) Hahahaha.
Thanks for looking:)
Diane
Beats me! They probably will live much the way fish do. But isn't there some Colorado reptile museum or something you could call and ask? Maybe there is a reason we don't see them all over the place. I know that here in New Mexico there is a species of frog (edible) which lives along the banks of the Rio Grande year round. I have never eaten one though I have eaten some Malaysian frog legs. I do know people who have caught and eaten them. Which reminds me of Kermit's plea for frogs in the Muppet Movie. I should never have gotten off on the edible frog tangent.
The rest of the folks on this forum will tell you that the first thing I ask about almost everything is, can you eat it? Probably because I am from South Louisiana where they eat everything. I promise not to touch your froggie!
I think frogs might hibernate in the winter. But, I was wondering the same thing. Let us know when you find out. Where did you get the tadpoles? Pajarito, my little brother, Joe, who now lives in Florida, loved frog legs when he was little. He would order them at this very odd restaurant we used to be taken to in Phoenix, Ariz. It had an "international food court" and my mom would turn us loose and we'd come up with some mighty strange stuff. She thought it was funny.
Well, your brother and I have frog legs in common. I rarely eat them any more, now that they come from overseas because I think they lose flavor in shipping, but when i was a kid in South Louisiana they were fresh and delicious. They fried them like chicken, but the flavor was a little different, more moist. Yum! Haven' t had any in years.
Edited to correct use flavor to lose flavor.
This message was edited Aug 31, 2007 9:19 AM
OH, MY! I can hear Kermit in the movie...,"I can't stop thinking of all those frogs in little wheelchairs!"
The lady (nearby) who sells koi also sells tadpoles ($1.25 apiece). We didn't think they would develop so quickly as they did. She sells online (Western Aquatics) though I doubt she ships fish and tadpoles.
I'll be doing some research on frogs in the next few days. Who'da thought we would be so worried about some little green hopping fellas making it through the winter? If I found someone to knit little sweaters, do you think they'd wear them?!
D.
Betty, DH was born in Baton Rouge (his Mom's family has been in New Orleans for many generations, I hear). He swears he never ate a frog's leg, though!
OK... This thread about the frogs literally had me laughing out loud, mostly from what pajaritomt had to say. I don't think I will ever look at a frog the same way again! My folks ate them and thought they tasted like chicken. Heard the same about snakes too. Sounds gross to me!
Another tangent... If your koi (or frogs) need an indoor home through the winter months check out Petsmart. Their aquariums, up to 55 gallons, are on sale for $1.00/gal. I got a 55 gallon aquarium tonite for $54.99! I believe this sale ends after labor day.
I have heard of people keeping their koi/goldfish indoors during the winter.
Hi Pluto,
I'd thought about an aquarium but the lady who sells the koi says it is difficult to get the timing just right (when to take indoors, when to take back outdoors). Koi die when the timing isn't right. She says they do best when they hibernate the winter outdoors. Judging from her ponds, she's an expert...
Now, shubunkin are goldfish and might be better candidates for wintering in a homemade version of the tropics;) If you are looking to adopt, let me know?
D.
I like the idea of little sweaters for the frogs, but it would really mess up their jumping unless you got them just right. They would probably need little frog pants and little frog hats and mittens as well.
Mtnmama, your husband may have spent most of his time in the cities. Though I lived in New Orleans, my father worked in bayou country and we often went to those areas for really fabulous Cajun food. That is probably where I mostly got my frog legs, though I am sure they exist to some degree in the cities. There is a difference between Creole ( city) food and Cajun ( country food) though.
Betty, his grandma made lots of Creole food...though that side of the family seems to be mostly Dutch. They even owned/operated a bakery;)
Little frog pants, huh?! Well, that would just beat all! I still haven't had time to research...but it may not be an issue? We moved all the baby fish into the nursery and tried to get rid of the string algae, today. I divided water lilies and pickeral, too! DH decided to REALLY get things into ship-shape and we are starting from (nearly from) scratch. So, all of the fish are spending the night in the "nursery" pond, tonight, while the fresh water is being populated with bacteria and all. It will be ready for the four bigger fish by morning. No frogs showed up in the cleaning so they are out and about (without little sweaters OR little pants)!
Are you ready for this--WE HAVE 17 BABY FISHIES! We'd been seeing about 12 at feeding time but SEVENTEEN is what we counted and moved to the new pond (plus the original four larger fish--a total of 21). Since we drained the upper pond, we know the count is correct! We need to find good homes for these babies; we only think we'll be able to keep another three or four once they reach a decent size! Ohmygoodness....
Wow! You must have a first class pond to promote such a population explosion! Now you have to talk all your friends into starting ponds. Of course, that approach will only work until they get their fish reproducing. Will the fish store buy any back?
I'm hoping to talk some of the folks on this forum into adopting? I may have to post on Craigslist but there is no way we can keep them all! Western Aquatics has its own population explosion in the springtime so I would doubt that they will buy. They may take donations; they will be my last resort.
I love your addition!! Has the look of exactly what I'm going for. Love the froggie baby too-- we used to catch tadpoles in the everpresent puddles in Houston. Never got to keep them long enough to see them grow up. Very neat!
And of course I would love to adopt some babies. I want to make sure my home will be a good one though! :)
It is my understanding that frogs (bullfrogs and leopard frogs being our locals) dive into the bottom of the pond to hibernate underwater, much as fish do. (and aquatic turtles)
Our local woodhouse toad that we see everywhere buries himself underground for the winter and will even freeze down there, but emerge unscathed in the spring. I know this because I once accidentally dug one up in December, glancing her nose with my shovel... she survived and lives a happy life, as far as I know.
Yikes!! That would have frightened me coming across a frogcicle in the ground. I don't think I would have known that they go dormant and probably would have really freaked out. Lol.
I was going to tell you, they dig deep into the ground and hiberate but I see JamesCo already answered! Every so often we get an adventurous frog who comes out of hiberation too early... oops...
