Frogspawn in a tank

Each year we get some frogspawn in our wildlife pond, yet it goes overnight.  I think the heron is having it.

Weve decided to try and grow the frogspawn in a tank this year (we’re not moving it to another location, it’s going pond/tank/pond).

Do I need to change the water in the tank with the frogspawn on a regular basis, if at all?  Or can I just leave it with some oxygenating plants in and no change of water.  Once developed, the tadpoles will be going into the pond.  The tank will be kept inside, with light but shaded.

Thanks.

  • Hi Robbo - yes, I occasionally have small Rudd in. I say occasionally as the heron has had those as well. I don’t think it’s the fish eating them, as last year a huge clump disappeared overnight.

    I did think about netting it, although it’s not the easiest. Also, to be honest, I quite fancied going back to my youth and seeing them close up and personal. I just don’t want to kill them by not changing the water.
  • Fish are normally the culprits for eating tadpoles, but the frogs in our pond are normally quite canny at locating spawn around the edges where the fish can't get at it easily. I doubt you'd need to change the water if it's a typical tank with an under gravel filter (or powered one) keeping the water circulating, especially with plenty of oxygenating weed in there. Even without that, you'll be ok for a while I'd think. What you could do is return some to the pond over a few weeks, that way you gradually reduce the number in the tank as they grow. That will not only help keep the water cleaner, but give them all a fighting chance. Don't forget that tadpoles will eat smaller brethren as they get older, so reducing the numbers in the tank will limit that
  • The tank does not have to be deep but it needs as much air space as you can give it, you don't need to oxygenate it a large outdoor planter will do say two foot across if its deep you can put house bricks in and stand plant pots on these around the edge with bog plants in this will give you a nice out door pond and easy to keep an eye on, I would leave this outside they don't want any warmth, and you can leave them in here till they can be moved to the pond.