Human activities have irreversibly altered the natural environment. We must therefore take action to reduce the rate of decline if we value the quality of life for future generations- our children, their children. The natural environment is critical to the future- to air, water and food quality. We can take action to safeguard the future on a personal level by taking time out of our busy lives to do something to support the natural environment.

Building a frog pond in your backyard is a very meaningful way to help local frog populations survive the rapid changes that human activities are imposing on them. By building a frog pond, you provide our froggy friends with a place to live, drink, feed, reproduce and grow. You will also be helping other animals like lizards, butterflies, bandicoots, possums and native birds!

Making frog ponds is a wonderful way for you and your families to learn about nature and also how to take care of something they have created from scratch. Better still, you become a part of creating present and future generations of conservationists!

This booklet provides basic guidelines on how to get started on creating frog habitat in urban areas. It is not comprehensive and there is much more information available on other aspects of building and maintaining frog ponds. The Cairns Frog Hospital website is an invaluable source of detailed information.

Information pages from this website have been included in this guide to cover more complex topics such as dealing with problems occurring in frog ponds, raising tadpoles, frog diseases and several other topics. Please take the time to read through this information, as it is vital to helping you maintain a healthy pond, healthy tadpoles and healthy frogs.

The Cairns frog hospital can be contacted by phone if you need help with your pond AND if you have sick or injured tadpoles and frogs. They can be contacted afternoons and evenings local time on:

(07) 4053-4367 (+61-7-4053-4367 if you are outside Australia).

If you reach their voice mail (answering machine), please leave a message. When we are in reception or in a meeting, we are not able to answer the phone - but we do check it frequently to see if we've missed any calls.

The mobile is (0428) 114 266 but always try the landline first.

Threats to frogs

Many species of frogs are experiencing declines due to a multitude of reasons, some of which are listed below. Hopefully reading through this brief list will help you understand why and how they are declining. It may also give you ideas on things you can do to slow or halt further decline of frogs in your area!

Habitat destruction

Draining wetlands for water and land reclamation (infilling).
Clearing ecosystems such as wetlands, rainforests, dry forests, coastlines etc. for houses, crops, industrial estates etc.
Over extraction of water for domestic, industrial and agricultural purposes deprives water-based ecosystems of water.
Filling in natural ponds or areas which natural ponds would occur in during the wet season.
Filling in and damming of creeks and rivers.

Introduction of non-native flora and fauna

Toads eat frogs and tadpoles. TOADPOLES will also out-compete native frog and native toadlet tadpoles.
Non-native fish such as tilapia, trout and guppies eat frogs, their tadpoles and their eggs.
Cats and dogs not only eat frogs, but they carry diseases that kill frogs.
Livestock damage waterways by causing erosion (trampling waterway edges).
Foxes, non-native birds and non-native ants may predate on frogs and/or tadpoles.
Introduction of non-native (land and water) plants to waterways strangles and dries them up, thus degrading habitat quality.
Non-native plants may produce toxins or high levels of leaf litter that alter waterways and degrade habitat.

Pollution

Spraying insecticides on crops (especially aerial spraying) and gardens contaminates waterways.
Fertilizer run off causes algal blooms, which can degrade water quality.
Dumping of industrial, agricultural and urban waste into waterways degrades water quality
Storm water contains a whole array of things that are toxic to frogs including hormones and household chemicals
Air pollution affects frogs as they breathe through their skin

Global Warming- human emissions are causing the climate to change at a rate that is too fast for frogs to adapt and we are seeing major population and range declines in many of our frogs.
Ozone layer damage- human emissions are causing the ozone layer to thin, which is exposing frogs to excessive levels of Ultra-violet radiation, which may cause damage to their skin.

Disease

Frog researchers are discovering new frog diseases every day. Frog diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. “Chytrid” is a type of fungus that is deadly to frogs that you may have heard of.
Researchers are also discovering new outbreaks of frog diseases very frequently.
It is suspected that human impacts have reduced frogs ability to cope with diseases that they are experiencing

Handling Frogs

IMPORTANT NOTE: The acid in human skin is harmful to frog skin. AVOID handling frogs wherever possible. If you MUST handle them, wash your hands thoroughly with clean water and handle frogs with WET HANDS. After handling frogs, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.

Water from the tap contains chlorine, which is harmful to frogs. You can stand water overnight in a bowl and keep this water in a jar for when you need it. Remember that frogs don’t like to be wet all the time, so always give them a choice of wet and dry places to sit

If you have an injured frog or sick frog, put it in a clean, well ventilated container (i.e. an ice-cream container with holes in the lid for air) with a clean, well rinsed, damp chux cloth or a small, flat dish of water just a few millimeters deep. Contact your local wildlife group or the Cairns Frog Hospital (in the phonebook) IMMEDIATELY for further advice.

A SUCCESSFUL FROG POND EXAMPLE

This pond was installed in Mackay. You can see that it has a toad proof barrier (1,4) around the perimeter, lots of rocks and logs in and around the pond to create shelter for both tadpoles, frogs, lizards and bugs (3).

You can see that there is a wide variety of plants in the pond water, and both inside and outside the ‘toad-proof’ perimeter, to provide places for animals to hide (2).

The pond owners regularly check for toads in their pond and also remove excess leaves every few days to maintain water quality.The pond has dappled sunlight and is situated under a palm (1). The frog eggs in picture number 5 appeared about 4 months after installation, in December, 2008.

Building a frog pond

Site Selection

Choose an area that gets shade for part of the day AND sun for part of the day, BUT not directly under trees because leaves falling in the pond can disrupt the ecosystem you are trying to create, and even poison the animals living in it.
The site should not be too close to the house if possible, as frogs can be noisy in the wet season
The site must be inaccessible to cats and dogs, as they WILL harm frogs (although you probably won’t see them doing it!).
The pond should be located or built so that dirt will not wash or fall into it, as this will contaminate the water and may affect tadpoles.
However, YOU should be able to easily see and access the pond so that you can enjoy what is going on in it and be able to see if something is going wrong in or around the pond

Pond

A pond that is 150 - 200 cm diameter and 40-50cm maximum depth, with gentle sloping sides is ideal. A pond that is too small or shallow will dry out; one that is too deep or large will stagnate.

Aim for one area in the pond to be 40-50cm deep, another area/areas around 30 cm deep, and to have the majority of the pond around 15-30cm deep

Don’t forget that you will be putting rocks, sand and gravel in. You need to add some extra depth to account for this.
You can make your pond lining in several ways:

Frog safe, UV stabilised plastic liner from your local garden or hardware store (i.e. in the trade section of Bunnings, you can by clear, pond safe plastic in a roll).

You would dig a hole with gentle sloping sides and lay the plastic in it. You can pin the sides of the plastic down with dirt, rocks or pot plants

A large, hard container such as a small cattle trough, bath tub, children’s clam shaped play pool, aquarium or fish pond is perfect.
Cement. Dig a hole deep enough to create a pond no deeper than 40-45cm deep once the cement is poured, remember to design the pond with gentle sloping sides. You would then prepare and pour in the concrete in accordance with national standards and requirements. Once set, you MUST paint the cement with a special paint used for sealing fish ponds (i.e. Aquaseal).

This method can become time consuming and complicated.

Meshing your pond

It is absolutely essential that your pond has some kind of mesh covering. It is essential for the SAFETY of young children that may visit the pond one day.
If you have an above ground pond, you can let the mesh overhang (creatin an inverted angle lip) which will help deter toads.
Mesh can be made of wire or plastic garden mesh. Black mesh is better as it won’t reflect light when you are trying to look in your pond during the day.
5-10cm size mesh is ideal.

Water

The water that you use in the frog pond needs to stand for 2-3 days before you add fish or let frogs in so that the sun can sterilize the water and so that chlorine, which is harmful to fish and frogs can evaporate.
Your yard MUST be chemical free. If your yard is currently not chemical free, you should spend a few months making it chemical free before you even consider putting in a frog pond.

Things that seem harmless can have fatal effects on tadpoles or frogs. For example fabric softener/freshener is harmful to tadpoles.

Water Pumps

Water pumps are not necessary for a well designed frog pond. You can set the ecosystem up to be self sustaining, although you will need to monitor water levels
If you would prefer a pump, or if things seem to be dying, this is fine, it will provide good water circulation and oxygenation. You must however follow all national standards and regulations (type of pump and power supply). A pump can also be used to drain the pond into a sink (not onto the ground!) if necessary. Small solar powered pumps are also available.

Landscaping

You should line the bottom of your pond with sand and/or gravel and/or rock that has been thoroughly washed and dried in the sun for a couple of days. This will add structural complexity to the aquatic environment you are creating and give critters places to hide and feed.

Use light coloured rocks/gravel/sand so that you can see the tadpoles (a dark colour will help them remain camouflaged). As long as you have aquatic plants, along with plenty of nooks and crevices for the tadpoles to hide in, this is fine.
You can also use rocks, gravel and logs around the edges of the pond to create places for adult frogs to sit on and hide under, while creating an attractive pond-scape.

You can expand frog habitat around your entire backyard by planting native trees, shrubs and ground cover plants for frogs to hang out amongst.
Use compost and mulch around the garden to attract insects for frogs.
You can use PVC piping (or similar), partly buried near the pond, with the open ends exposed to create frog hides.

Plants

You need 2 types of plants- land and water (aquatic) plants.
Native plants are by far the best things you can use!
Native plants are available at:

Conservation Volunteers (please phone for more info)

Suite 1, 65 Palmer Street (entrance in Morehead St)
SOUTH TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810

Postal address
Box 827
TOWNSVILLE QLD 4810

Phone 07 4721 4077 or 07 4721 4351
Fax 07 4772 3077
Email townsville@conservationvolunteers.com.au
Click here for local directions and a street map

Around the pond:

Plant lots of different types of native plants to give frogs a choice of foliage to hide in when they visit your pond and when the metamorphs (newly emerged frogs) leave the water for the first time.
Choose a variety of plants that like to grow near water and also touching the waters edge.
You can also choose plants to attract butterflies and nectar eating birds (check with your local horticulturist whether they are frog friendly first!).
Plants with broad/long and/or waxy leaves all make good frog habitat.
Things like Crow’s nests, ferns, bromeliads and bullrushes are also good.
Deciduous plants ARE NOT SUITABLE as the excessive leaf litter can disrupt the ecosystem.

It is very important that your land plants do not completely shade the pond. If the pond is too shaded, the pond will become overgrown with algae. But if the pond is completely exposed to the sun all day, the water will get too hot and kill everything in it.

In the Pond:

Plant several different types of plants to maximise the types of habitats that tadpoles, fish, insects and snails have to live and feed in.
It is very important that you have aquatic plants covering 20-30% of the pond area.

Imaginarily divide your pond into 10 segments, and imagine 2-3 of these segments covered in aquatic plants, and that is how much cover you should have.
If you have too few plants, there will not be enough oxygen, food and shelter for the creatures living in your pond. But if you have too many plants they will shade out all the light and take up all the room that the creatures need to live in.

If your aquatic plants start growing really well and take over the pond, don’t be afraid to pull some out, although you must carefully inspect them for animals that might have gotten pulled out with the plants. (You can set up a separate aquarium to continue growing the extra water plants in case you need them later on).
‘Viney’ type aquatic plants with numerous small leaves provide the highest amount of oxygenation for the water. But you should still aim for variety of shapes and sizes.
You can leave aquatic plants in the pot they are in (soil and all, but remove labels) and place them in the water. Cover the soil with rocks/gravel/sand.
You can put some bigger plants in that reach out of the water. This will give metamorphs extra places to hang out outside the water.
Elodea (Called Air or Oxygen weed) is a good example of an aquatic plant to use.

Fish

You should (perhaps must) have fish in your pond to control mosquito larvae, because while your pond is establishing itself, there might not be any frogs to help control mosquitoes.
You should only have 3-6 fish for a small to medium (1-2m diameter) size pond.

Too many fish may UPSET the balance of the ecosystem, for example they may eat all of frog and tadpole food that has grown, or eat the tadpoles.

The type of fish you put in is VERY IMPORTANT, as many fish will eat frogs, tadpoles and frog eggs.
DO NOT PUT GOLDFISH, PLATTIES OR GUPPIES (Gambusia) in the pond because these fish will attack tadpoles.

Suitable frog friendly fish that eat mosquito larvae include:

Rainbow Fish (native). Smaller species of rainbow are best (there are several types including the ‘softspine’, dwarf and threadfin)
Blue eyes (native)
Fly-speckled Hardyhead (native)
Empire Gudgeon (native)
White-cloud mountain minnows (non-native)

If you are using the non-native fish, it is important to ensure that your pond WILL NOT overflow into local creeks, rivers, wetlands or temporary ponds during the wet season as the introduction of non-natives can devastate natural ecosystems.

You should feed fish food to your fish for the first week or two. Feed only as much as the fish will eat in a couple of minutes. After your pond is established, there may be enough insects and insect larvae in the pond for fish to eat, so you can reduce feeding to every few days, or even less. But you should continually monitor how hungry your fish are, because if they get too hungry, they may harm tadpoles.
You will need to monitor how many fish you need to keep the mosquitos down in number. If you start with, for example, 10 White-cloud mountain minnows (non-native) or 6 Rainbow Fish (native), or you should check every couple of days to see if there are any mosquito larvae.
Remember that you want your fish to eat the mosquitoe larvae, so don’t overfeed them, but make sure you don’t starve them either.

Insects

Insects play a very important part in establishing and maintaining the ecosystem in your frog pond. Insect larvae eat algae and plankton and help keep numbers of these microscopic organisms balanced.
They are an important food source for the fish in your pond, and for some types of tadpoles.
You may find some interesting insects such as backswimmers and damsel-fly larvae showing up in your pond. This is a great sign that you are doing things right, especially if you get damsel-flies showing up in your pond.

YOU MUST NOT USE ANY INSECTICIDES OR PLANT POISONS AROUND YOUR HOME IF YOU HAVE A FROG POND, AS YOU WILL POISON FROGS AND TADPOLES, FISH, AND THEIR FOOD!

Dealing with Toads

SPECIAL NOTE: It is unacceptable to inhumanely treat any living creature, INCLUDING TOADS. It may be impossible to fully remove toads from the Australian environment. Therefore it is much better to invest time in supporting native wildlife by building a toad proof frog pond, instead of wasting time trying to eradicate a non-native species that is potentially here to stay.

Many native frogs look remarkably like toads! Grab any good frog identification book and you will see how true this statement is. People frequently mistaken native frogs and their tadpoles for TOADS and TOADPOLES and kill them. This is not only illegal, but inhumane. Please, for the sake of our native frogs, work on supporting and protecting them instead trying to kill toads (which may infact be frogs!).

BUILDING A FROG POND AND TOAD PROOFING IT IS A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY TO SUPPORT AND PROTECT NATIVE FROGS FROM FURTHER POPULATION DECLINE!

If you find a toad in your pond, humanely take it out of the pond.
If you find toad eggs in your pond, remove them, place in a bag in the freezer for a couple of hours and dispose of.
If in doubt, seek expert advice and identification before you take any further action!

Toad Proofing

It is essential to make attempts to toad proof your pond.
You may not be 100% successful in keeping toads out, but you can exclude most of them.
Toads can jump about 50-60cm high, so any toad barrier must be about that high.

For ABOVE GROUND ponds, you can set the pond up on bricks or soil so that the entire pond sits 50-60cm above ground. In addition to this, when MESHING your pond, you can create an overhanging lip (i.e. curl the edge of the mesh under) which will further deter toads.
For in ground ponds, you can create a 50-60cm wall around the pond. You can use plastic or linked timber edging to do this.
You should also create a gentle sloping wall/ramp from the pond edge up to the inside of the wall to ensure that newly emerged frogs can get out of the enclosure.

Toad proofing will exclude several types of native frogs/toadlets, in particular, ones that cannot climb- but this a trade off as you do not want to be breeding cane toads.
For IN GROUND ponds, there are ways to exclude MOST TOADS (in particular, large ones), while allowing small native non-climbing frogs in.

You can cut small openings into the wall you have created and place mesh with suitably sized holes over the openings (2-2.5cm mesh maximum).
IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS UNLESS YOU CAN COMMIT THE TIME AND EFFORT TOWARDS CHECKING YOUR POND EVERYDAY FOR TOADS AND TOAD EGGS.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is very difficult to distinguish frog tadpoles from toadpoles (much harder than you think!!!).

As always, if in doubt, seek expert advice and identification before you take any further action!

The following sections consists of information pages taken from the Cairns Frog Hospital webpage:

http://www.fdrproject.org.au/

PLEASE READ FOLLOWING SECTIONS FROM THE CAIRNS FROG HOSPITAL WEBSITE:

INTRODUCTION TO HOW TO RAISE TADPOLES.

Tadpoles

Getting tadpoles in your pond is one of the main aims of building it!
Keep an eye out for blobs of jelly or foam bubbles floating on the surface, attached to rocks, leaves or floating at the edge of your pond (remember toad eggs are in strings- they look like strings of black pearls encased in clear jelly).
Once your tadpoles hatch you should check on them regularly.

Most tadpoles eat algae. If there is not enough algae growing, they will starve. You can supplement their food with washed boiled (until soft) green lettuce (darker green varieties i.e. Cos are more nutritious). You can prepare boiled lettuce ahead of time and store it in clean ice cube trays (in a bag) in the freezer for about 2 months.
You must feed them DAILY, but only small amounts. Two smaller feeds daily are ideal.
Don’t overfeed your tadpoles, as uneaten food will foul up the water. Remove uneaten food before the next feed.

PLEASE READ FOLLOWING SECTIONS FROM THE CAIRNS FROG HOSPITAL WEBSITE:

INTRODUCTION TO DEALING WITH FROG DISEASE

Frogs and tadpoles get sick with diseases just like humans do. It is very important to be able to notice basic signs and symptoms of disease in frogs and tadpoles.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS FROM THE CAIRNS FROG HOSPITAL WEBSITE ON HOW TO RECOGNISE FROG DISEASES.

If you suspect you have a disease in frogs visiting your pond, or in tadpoles in your pond, you MUST IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE CAIRNS FROG HOSPITAL FOR ADVICE.

If it is strongly suspected or confirmed that you have a disease outbreak in your pond, the Cairns Frog Hospital will give you advice on how to handle and transport affected frogs and tadpoles to them. Once you have followed their advice, you will need to relocate fish and completely drain and bleach the pond (again, the Cairns Frog Hospital will advise you). When draining the pond, YOU MUST drain the water into a sink, not onto the ground in your yard, as you may spread the disease further. You can use an electric pump to drain the pond, or a bucket. Let any remaining water dry out in the sun.

CONSIDERATIONS FOR FROG PONDS IN THE TROPICS

As more and more people move to Far North Queensland, there is increasing pressure to remove habitat and replace it with houses. This is still one of the leading causes for frog decline in this region. It does help frogs if microhabitats can be provided for them so that they can still have places to live and breed whilst having to share that space with humans. This page covers the basics of setting up a frog pond in our tropical climate.

If you are outside Australia, please be aware that the suggested techniques and references to keeping toads out of ponds only pertains to areas where the introduced cane toad (Bufo marinus) is a pest. Australia has no naturally occurring toads so any and all attempts to exclude toads are against the cane toad. If you live in the US or Europe or Asia, you don't want to exclude your own local toad species from your ponds. In fact, many species of toads are endangered and these are species you would want to help - not exclude!

The pond itself:

The larger in surface area the pond is, the wider variety of species that will use it for breeding. However, if all you can manage is a small pond - even one of those fibreglass kits available from the garden shops - this will still help the frogs because they need a reliable source of water during our dry season.
It is best if the pond is at least 30cm deep and preferably 40cm or more because of evaporation and heat - especially if the pond receives more than a couple hours sun each day.
The pond should receive shade for most of the day so that the water doesn't become too hot, but an hour or two of sunlight is needed for plant growth, tadpole development, and to warm up the water a bit.
The pond can be dug into the ground or it can be a container sitting on top of the ground and surrounded by a decorative wall or stone, wood, tiles - whatever you like. If an above-ground pond is built and you want it to be used for breeding, the inside of one wall should have a sloping surface which will provide a shallower area for some tadpoles and a means for metamorphs to climb out.
A small water fountain or pump will provide oxygen for tadpoles and fish in the water (as well as look lovely) but a fountain is not necessary for the frogs and should be shut off at night.
Because of the arrival of contagious diseases which might require the draining of the pond during a certain time of year or disinfection when sick frogs have been in it, it is good if you have a ready-to-use easy system of draining the pond into the toilet or sink. This can be purpose built into the bottom of the pond when constructed or you can have a hose and pump available to direct the water into your household grey water system. If you live in an area which has experienced an outbreak of chytrid fungus or viruses, it might be advisable to drain your pond for disinfection or to drain your pond during the winter months (to control chytrid). If you are unsure whether either of these diseases has been a problem in your area, you can contact the nearest college or university with a biology program or a museum to find out. You can also check the list of verified chytrid cases from the Public Health and Tropical Medicine chytrid website.

Cane toads:

Frog ponds are supposed to be for frogs but if you have one, the toads will happily use it. There are three ways to keep toads out of the pond: one is to make it an above-ground pond at least 50cm high with vertical walls (but some frogs don't favour these setups), and another is to dig in the pond but fence off around the pond or yard and remove the toads still inside. The disadvantage of the above-ground pond is that it will be used by the tree frogs only so the ground dwelling frogs miss out. The third (cheaper) way is not to barricade the toads out but to remove the toads and their eggs regularly.
If you want to provide a physical barrier to toads with a dug-in pond, you merely need to provide a solid barrier which extends several inches down into the soil and reaches about 50cm above the ground. For example, a chain link or tubular pipe fence can have shade cloth attached and low shrubs or heliconias can be planted to hide the shadecloth. More information on this is in our Toad Exclusion page. If neither an above-ground pond nor a fence is possible, then a regular vigilence on the pond to remove toad eggs is the next best option. (See our pages on Toad Eggs and Humane Disposal)

Around the pond:

There should be ample vegetation around the pond and throughout the yard. Combine plants with a variety of leaf shapes and densities so that shelter and perching spots can be used by frogs of various sizes.
Having a source of water and shelter is only one part of the picture - another is a source of food. To encourage bugs into the yard, do not use any insecticides around the home or property, incorporate a compost pile into yard somewhere, and leave a small lamp/spotlight on in the yard for part of the night to attract moths. Planting natives which attract moth and butterfly caterpillars will also help.
Having a lovely microhabitat for frogs isn't going to help much if predators pick off the frogs. Predators can be native species (which is a natural part of the food chain) but serious introduced predators are dogs and cats. Not only do cats attack frogs but they carry parasites which are deadly to frogs (read about this in our special threats page). If you are trying to keep out your neighbours' cats, you can add netting to the top of a fence. Smearing crushed chillies onto the fence is also supposed to have a repellant effect on cats. There may be other plants that can be planted along the perimeter of your yard to keep out other people's cats - check a companion planting gardening guide for any possibilities.
If you have dogs or cats yourself, you can restrict their access to the area around the pond and allow the dogs run of another part of your property. Many people don't believe that dogs find frogs but they do - we see the results at the Cairns Frog Hospital. Dogs usually find the sleeping frogs during the day (we suspect they probably smell them). Cats are best kept indoors at night as frogs are not the only wildlife they prey upon. Cats hunt by instinct - not personality - so what might be a quiet, passive cat inside your home could easily become a successful hunter once let outside. One way to find out what your cat does away from home is to ask your neighbours!

Water quality issues:

In the tropics, it is essential that mosquitoes are controlled. However, putting just any fish in the pond may completely negate the frogs' ability to breed there. Fish should be added but only use native fish which have a small mouth. Many species are suitable such as the smaller species of rainbowfish, Fly-speckled Hardyhead, Empire Gudgeon and any of the Blue-eyes. Only add two or three fish, preferably all the same sex - just enough to keep the mozzie larvae out or you'll create a food/droppings problem in the pond.
We have started getting lab results (as of Dec 2003) of ciliated protozoa attacking tadpoles and metamorphs from some ponds where soil has washed into the pond. Please keep soil out of your pond and if you have a silt problem already, it would be best to drain the pond and clean it thoroughly and start again with fresh water.
If you have tadpoles in the pond but not much algae or aquatic vegetation for them to eat, you will have to provide food for them or they will eat each other. Frozen lettuce (use greener varieties such as cos or butter or spinach) is a staple with a small helping of bottom dweller fish food tablets added once a week. As the tadpoles develop legs, then the fish food can be offered twice a week. Don't overfeed as the water will become fouled. If your pet shop has a product called 'algae discs', this will be easier for you and safer for the tadpoles (since commercial crops might have residues of chemicals on them).
Also if you have tadpoles and not enough submerged, leafy vegetation, you will need to supplement their oxygen supply or they will suffocate. If you have seen tadpoles hanging vertically from the surface of the water, this is a sure sign that there is not enough oxygen in your pond. A pump or aerator running for a few hours a day should fix this problem.
Sometimes pond owners report that everything in their pond dies suddenly (including the fish). This is often the result of a dead cane toad falling into the pond. Some native birds and rats have learned how to eat the toads without accessing their poison glands. They leave behind the head and skin at the edge of the pond and, if these body parts fall into the water, everything is poisoned. If this should happen, the entire pond needs to be drained, rinsed out and filled with fresh water which is allowed to sit for a few days before adding new fish and plants.
Another cause of pond life dying is the use of chemicals in the yard. Avoid this around the pond and anywhere upwind/upstream of it. If chemicals should get into the pond, it will have to be drained and cleaned, as above.
Sometimes diseases will kill tadpoles and they will die in large numbers although the fish seem fine. If this happens, the dead tadpoles should be collected right away and the Cairns Frog Hospital phoned. The tadpoles should be turned in so that they can be tested. If the tadpoles die but the fish don't, the pond might need to be drained and disinfected. Once drained, use 10% bleach to scrub all surfaces in the pond and rinse this very well two or three times. Then use 50% betadine sponged liberally over the pond liner for at least five minutes, then rinse thoroughly, disposing the rinse water in the sink or toilet. Let dry out completely for a day or so and then fill with clean water as above. The remaining live tadpoles can be dropped in to us so that we can document their symptoms and get them tested if they continue to expire. (Please note: if you are in Redlynch and have a frog pond, please read our Special Alerts page.)
Snails should not be encouraged in ponds - they can carry the larval stage of a flatworm parasite which attacks tadpoles. If you are in the US, you should ensure that all snails are removed as soon as they are noticed and if you obtained your tadpoles from a petshop, please contact them to let them know that all snails should be removed from their tanks asap.

Frog ponds are one of the best ways to help restore frog populations in the Cairns area so we hope you'll want to put one on your property soon! Please contact us if you have any questions that haven't been covered in this page.

How to Raise Tadpoles

Caring for a few tadpoles and watching them turn into frogs (metamorphose) is a fascinating and rewarding activity for young and old alike. It is also becoming more useful for scientific reasons, too. There are still many things we don't know about frogs and many species worldwide are disappearing before our eyes. Some of the information about a frog's life cycle are far easier to obtain from frogs and tadpoles in captivity.

It is also much easier to discover if any diseases are active as sick or dead tadpoles are hardly ever found in the wild. With the severity of the recent Australian drought, the rescue of tadpoles from dwindling puddles or overcrowded frog ponds is that much more important. Do remember, though, that if you are in an area where mosquito-borne diseases like Dengue and Ross River Fever occur, you MUST ensure that your tadpole enclosures do not breed any mosquitos. If you live in Cairns, please refer to the bottom of this page for specific legal information important to your tadpole keeping.

Tadpoles are generally easy to keep IF you have them set up CORRECTLY, but there are some simple guidelines to follow so that your tadpoles will be healthy and change into frogs successfully. They are:

tadpoles need a certain amount of time (for multiple daily feedings, for example) and usually money for their food so don't collect more tadpoles than you have time and money to care for
clean water from an unpolluted source
sufficient oxygen
a suitable container (or three ...)
food which doesn't foul the water
a watchful eye during metamorphosis

Where Are Tadpoles Found?

There are many places to find tadpoles such as a nearby stream, a swamp, a drainage canal, a dam, pond, lake or billabong. (Remember to think about your own safety in approaching bodies of water - there might be a risk from weeds which your legs can get tangled in, steep slopes, slippery bottoms, etc. In the tropics, there might also be risks from Leptospirosis in the water, dengue mozzies, etc. - bring an adult to help collect the tadpoles.) Sometimes frogs lay eggs in places we would rather they didn't like a swimming pool, a flooded curbside or an ornamental container in our garden that filled with water during a heavy rain. If you want to collect tadpoles to raise in tanks or you have a new frog pond that you would like to stock, we strongly recommend that you read our page on Tadpole Movements. There are serious disease problems around most of Australia and you would not want to find yourself with a tank or pond with contagious animals in it (disinfecting a contaminated pond can be a labourious, dreaded task).

After you have read the Tadpole Distribution page, then you are ready to rescue some tadpoles from a rapidly dwindling puddle or receive extras from a frog pond owner in your neighbourhood. One of the most common questions about collecting tadpoles is how to avoid collecting the tadpoles of cane toads (referred to as TOADpoles for clarity). To tell the difference, visit the Toadpoles vs Tadpoles page.

Some people believe that collecting any animal from the wild is wrong and some states have regulations to control this. In Queensland, it IS legal to collect and keep tadpoles until they have turned into frogs and you do not need a licence or permit to KEEP tadpoles but you will need a permit to MOVE/rescue tadpoles (see the Keeping section - QLD regulations page for more details). However, (according to the current regulations) they must be released back to where they were collected from or close to it within seven days of metamorphosis. This regulation, unfortunately, is completely inadequate when it comes to knowing if the tadpoles picked up any diseases when they were in the wild. If you wanted to be sure they did not have chytrid fungus, for example, you would be best keeping the juveniles for one month before release.

Most of the known frog diseases affect the little metamorphs very strongly and cause them to die within the first three weeks after they leave the water. If you release all the metamorphs in seven days (as regulated in QLD), you won't know if they were exposed to disease or not. If you live in QLD, it is up to you whether you abide by the Queensland regulation. But IFyou are able to find enough tiny food to keep your metamorphs well fed for three to four weeks, then you will be able to release frogs which you can be more confident don't have a disease. Feeding metamorphs can be a difficult task in drought affected areas because of the dwindling food supply so if you CAN'T find enough food, then it would be better to release the metamorphs quickly and leave it to their instincts and talents to find their own food.

There are genuine conservation benefits to collecting tadpoles from the wild which include:

Tadpoles normally don't survive in the wild as well as they do in captivity (with the right care) because they are food for other animals and sensitive to changing conditions and weather patterns. By raising tadpoles in captivity, more of them can reach metamorphosis to begin their lives as frogs.
The learning experience children and adults get from caring for tadpoles and watching them change into frogs helps keep nature and the environment 'in the picture'. The more urbanised our towns and cities become, the less connection with nature we have. After awhile, it becomes 'out of sight - out of mind' and we lose sight of its importance and the needs of the species that need a healthy environment to live. Raising tadpoles and thinking about their needs reminds us that nature is still there and needs to be looked after.
Many professional scientists, veterinarians, biology teachers and wildlife managers started out as a keeper of native animals when they were young. By being allowed to care for and learn more about native animals, their interest was nurtured and kept growing until it became their chosen work. Such career choices are far less likely if the occupant has not had a long term interest and interaction with nature and wildlife.

The Container

The very first step in setting up your tadpoles is asking what are you going to put them in. The best containers are shorter and wider as opposed to taller and narrower. This has to do with the oxygen availability. Any container made of metal is out of the question, including those coated with enamel or porcelain. Glass is good but consider the weight of it when the container has to be moved or cleaned. Broccoli boxes (foam boxes; styrofoam for our American friends!) are also a good choice. They are lightweight, insulated by nature and are wide. The plastic molded kiddie pools are also good if you want to have a large number of tadpoles and you have the necessary water available.

Plastic is good but don't use a bucket that has already been used to hold any cleaning products or other chemicals. The plastic 'small critter tanks' sold in pet shops are a very good choice:

they have snap-on lids to keep the tadpoles in and other things out;
you can sit and watch the tadpoles easily;
you can position the tank where it will get limited sunlight sometime during the day;and
the snap-on lid will be useful when the tadpoles metamorph (important if you have rescued tadpoles from outside your neighbourhood - the metamorphs will have to be returned to where you found them)

Sand on the bottom of your chosen container is very useful for tadpoles. They seem to like to forage around in it looking for microbials. Where you get the sand is important. Beach sand is great but you must make sure that every trace of salt is removed from it before it can be used. To leach beach sand, you need to wash it throughly until the water comes out clear. Then divide up the sand into several containers such as plastic ice cream containers. Fill with sand halfway and then fill with water to the top, stir, then leave sitting for two days. Drain the water and refill with fresh water and stir up the sand. Leave for two days and keep repeating this procedure until you have done about 6 or 7 water changes. By then, all the salt should have reverse-osmosed out of the sand.

To save the hassle of leaching salt, use river sand instead from a section of river that is not tidal. Quarry sand can also be used but the it should be soaked the same way as the beach sand for one or two water changes. Aquarium gravel is only recommended if it is the tiny, very round pebbles. Avoid the glass gravels or larger pebbles.

Arrange the sand along the bottom til it is about half an inch/15mm deep. Then carefully add the rain water (see Water below). Let the tank sit for a few minutes so that the sand settles and the water clears. Then you can add plants (see Oxygen below) and tadpoles. (If you are caring for a batch of tadpoles which has turned out to be diseased, don't bother with the sand as it will make the frequent water changes more difficult.)

How many containers will you need? It depends on how many tadpoles you plan to accommodate. The 'best practice' rule of thumb is that you should have a litre of water for each tadpole by the time it gets to adult size. When they are small, you can fit more than that but you will need to divide them up as they get bigger. A container that holds 20 litres of water (about 4 gallons) should only have 20 or 30 full grown tadpoles in it. Be aware that overcrowding tadpoles causes a whole array of problems and increases the amount of work you will need to do dramatically.

Many people ask about snails in the tadpole tank. If you are in the USA, snails should be removed and a full water change done immediately after because snails can carry larval trematode worms (flatworm parasites) which attack the tadpoles and cause deformities. (The deformed frogs problem famous in the US midwest is caused by these larval parasites.)

The Water

Tadpoles have gills so they need really clean water just like your aquarium fish. If you plan to get some tadpoles, you'll need to get your water ready before you bring the tadpoles home. The best practice is to use rain water but if you are in a drought area, you might not have any access to this. (If you are in or near an industrialised area in the northern hemisphere, the local rain water might be too polluted to risk with tadples so distilled water from the shops is recommended.) Stream water can be used but the risk of disease means that it would be better to boil the stream water and let it cool completely. Then store it in closed containers so it stays clean.

If neither of these options is available, then tap water can be used but not straight from your tap! At least not right away. There are two ways you can prepare tap water for your tadpoles:

add a water conditioner from your aquarium shop which instantly ages water, stir well and then let the water sit for at least an hour; or
let the tap water sit in an uncovered, non-metalic container for at least 4 days before using it.

Tap water contains chemicals which will kill your tadpoles. Letting it sit for a few days allows these chemicals to evaporate out of the water. If you plan to keep tadpoles, it is a good idea to store extra aged water in several very clean plastic milk containers (put the cap back on the bottle after the water has aged to keep it clean). Keep a steady supply of aged water on hand for water changes.

Many houses have old copper pipes and no amount of aging will remove the copper from the water. If this is the situation in your home, it is far better to collect rain water for your tadpoles. It's easier and cleaner and it falls free out of the sky (if your local council charges for water, then this last point will ring home to you)! When collecting rain water, it would be better to avoid water coming off the roof if your roof is metal. Arrange a series of plastic containers on the lawn instead to collect the rain and then bottle it. Alternatively, water that has been filtered can be used but only if you can verify that the filter removes all traces of chlorine, chloramine, ammonia and metals.

Once you have your tadpoles happily setup in your tank, foam box or other chosen container, you'll need to watch for fouling of the water. Tadpoles + food + droppings = ammonia. When ammonia builds up in the water, the tadpoles will start looking sluggish. If left in the same water, the tadpoles will start to die. Once the water starts to look like weak tea or is cloudy or has small bubbles forming on the surface of the water, it's time to change the water. You can also buy an ammonia test kit at your aquarium shop with will tell you exactly when the water needs to be changed. You will not need to change the water very often at all unless you are putting too much food in or you have put too many tadpoles in.

If the water is just beginning to look a bit "off", then a partial water change is needed. Carefully scoop out about 1/3 of the water - putting a net over the mouth of the cup will help keep the tadpoles from getting sucked in. Slowly add fresh rain water so that all the sand is not churned up. If the tank has been left too long and the water is so bad that tadpoles are looking poorly, then a complete water change is needed. Put aside a bowl with fresh rain water in it and gently scoop up the tadpoles using a soft net. Be careful not to bump or scratch the tadpoles. They have soft skin and damage during handling can result in deformities when the tadpoles turn into frogs. Clean the tank, rinse very well and wash the sand; then set up again like you did in the beginning.

Oxygen and Hiding

According to the calls we get, lack of oxygen seems to be one of the most common mistakes in raising tadpoles. If you are raising tadpoles collected from a stream, it is best to have an aerator running gently; if they are from stagnant water, aeration might be disruptive and stressful so underwater aquatic plants will be essential for providing oxygen. These plants also provide some shelter and hiding areas for the tadpoles.

Many people choose decorative plants such as water lilies, reeds or floating ferns but these do not provide enough oxygen for the tadpoles and the amount of the water's surface they interfere with may actually reduce the amount of oxygen available. Leafy plants suspended in the water are the best type of plants to use. A small amount of floating fern can be used but this should not be allowed to cover over more than 25% of the surface. Even pest weeds such as combomba are okay so long as they are removed from the wild and NOT dumped back to the wild when you're finished with the tadpoles. If the leaves have some algae growing on them, the tadpoles will eat the algae.

The more tadpoles being kept in the container, the more underwater plants you'll need but don't choke up the tank with plants. If you need to fill the tank with plants, then you probably have too many tadpoles in it. In order for the plants to survive, they will need some sun each day. The tadpoles also need sunlight to obtain vitamin D which in turn helps them process calcium. Position the tadpole containers on a covered veranda or other spot where they can get an hour or two a day of sun but no more than that. Too much sun will heat the water too much!.

The Food

Tadpoles have a long, coiled intestine which is designed for eating plant matter but they love protein when they can get it. Plant material can be any variety of lettuce or spinach which must be boiled or frozen before giving to the tadpoles. (Freezing uses less energy because your refrigerator is always on anyway.) Organically grown lettuce is better so you can be sure it hasn't been sprayed with harmful chemicals before you buy it. Old leaves with algae on them from creeks can also be used as a supplement but these leaves could be a source of disease so avoid urban drains. Do not use celery leaves!

Whatever plants you decide to try, make sure that they are not toxic and always wash the leaves thoroughly, then boil or freeze them. There's a saying: "if in doubt, leave it out". Even better than risking chemicals on commercially grown crops is to use a compressed algae fish product called Algae Disks which might be sold by your local aquarium or pet shop. A combination of food types is good.

Protein can be given to the tads once or twice a week and increased to several times a week after back legs have formed. Protein is very easy to provide because tadpoles will eat bottom feeder fish food tablets. Many types are available at your pet shop but a good one is Tetra Pleco-Min 5 Star formula which contains a high protein algae called Spirulina. Some people use other forms of protein such as cooked egg yolk or a chicken bone tied on a string and dangled in the water but these will foul the water immediately, are the wrong kind of protein and should be avoided.

Feeding tadpoles requires small amounts of food frequently. You should only throw in a small amount of food which will be gone in about 8 hours. It is better to throw in food a couple times a day rather than once a day or every other day. Don't put a couple days worth of food in to save time - this will instantly foul the water and you'll have to spend a lot more time doing a partial or full water change. A tadpole's whole life is to eat constantly so keep an eye on the tank and add more food as soon as the last lot is gone.

The Critical Time: Metamorphosis

When you see front legs (arms) on your tadpoles, they are fast approaching the delicate stage of turning into a frog. This is an amazing stage in a frog's life where the sort of special effects that you see in some movies actually take place in real life. At this time:

the mouthparts completely change
gills stop functioning and lungs start to work
the intestinal track changes from the long intestine of a plant eater to the short intestine of a protein eater (insects are almost entirely protein)
the skin changes from the smooth, slimy skin of an underwater dweller to porous skin which allows air and water through
limbs containing bones grow out of a body which had no limbs or bones
the tail muscle and fin deteriorates and is reabsorbed by the body

When your new frogs leave the water, they might still have a full tail but they can jump. The tail will shrink and be gone in one or two days. (Each species is different so some will leave the water with full tails and others will leave the water with the tail almost gone.) Although most of the tadpoles I've kept simply shimmy or climb up the side of the tank when they leave the water, not all tadpoles will do this. You should put something in the container which the metamorphs can climb onto. It should start under the water and stick out of the top and it should be fixed so it doesn't move. This could be a fat stick or a rock - whatever you can find, so long as it is not made of metal. Water hyacinth is excellent for this but it is a pest so don't dump it back into the wild when you're finished with it! Floating ferns are also good.

Experience is the best teacher when it comes to metamorphs. But the most important thing when a metamorph emerges from the water is that is should be removed from the tadpole tank immediately. (If you are raising tadpoles which came from your yard or neighbourhood originally, then they can be allowed to simply take off on their own. If you are rescuing tadpoles from another location, you need to catch each metamorph and place it in a tank so it can be returned to its place of origin.) Once the new frog has started using its lungs to breathe, it is often unable to use the gills anymore (this depends on the species). If the new frog falls back into the water, it could drown.

Some species are unable to climb out of the water at all, even with a rock. The Ornate Burrowing frog lays its eggs in flooded grassy areas and has a fast developing tadpole. Ideally, the tadpoles are ready to leave the water by the time the puddle they're in dries up. They simply wait for the water to drain away. This doesn't happen in a tank or pond so the metamorph floats on the surface for a day and then drowns. If you are keeping a ground species, you need to fetch the metamorphs out of the water as soon as their tail is about half its original length. The tail will start to crinkle up and this is a sign that it's time to go!

If you plan to keep your new frogs for a short time or if you have rescued tadpoles which will need to be returned, you should have a small plastic pet tank ready to place the little frogs in. Put some leaf litter and a small piece of curved bark inside for the frogs to hide in. Some small branches from a bush will also provide hiding and perching space for tree frogs. If you have rescued a ground dwelling species, use some of the same sand you prepared for the tadpole tanks in the bottom of the frog tank but make it a bit deeper.

Spray the inside walls of the frog tank with aged tap or rain water daily so that the humidity stays high. A shallow jar cap filled with rain water can be placed on the bottom of the tank in case any of the frogs want more water but make sure that the water is no deeper than the the frogs' shoulders when it sits so that the frog won't drown.

The new frogs will not start to eat until the tail has been completely reabsorbed. Once the tail is gone, trap some tiny flies (such as vinegar or fruit flies) and put them in the tank. To keep them in the tank, a sheet of thin fabric can be stretched over the top of the tank but under the lid. Housefly larvae (maggots) are also enjoyed by metamorphs. Some species of ground dwelling frogs like those tiny dark ants so try some in the tank. If the frogs eat them, you will have another food to use besides vinegar flies. If the frogs ignore them or spit them out, don't use the ants anymore. Do not try to feed green ants to your new frogs -- the ants will kill them. If the tank is on a patio or near an open window, you can also put small pieces of banana or orange in the bottom corners (without the fabric under the lid). The tiny flies will smell the fruit and enter the tank through the lid holes.

Ready to Rejoin the Bush

When it is time to release your frogs, the best place to do this is usually at the place you collected the tadpoles from -- although sometimes, this is not the best thing to do. If you rescued the tadpoles from a swimming pool or flooded curb or from a stream that has since been polluted or developed over, then you need to find someplace else nearby to release the frogs. Choosing the best release site depends on the species of frog you have. Refer to a frog guide and see what is described for the habitat of your species. Then look for a site that matches that description.

The best time to release tadpoles is on cloudy/rainy days or late afternoons so that the sun is not too strong, the temps are starting to cool but there is still enough light for the tadpoles to move around and choose hiding spots.

The tadpoles are dying -- what's wrong?

If you find that large numbers of tadpoles are dying in your containers, then something is wrong. Use this checklist to see if something needs to be fixed:

Is the water clear or is it starting to go 'off'? Have you done an ammonia test?
Has anyone put their hands in the water in the last 24 hours?
Have any cane toads gotten into the container?
Have any chemicals splashed into the water?
Has anyone sprayed any room fresheners, carpet cleaners, bug sprays or other aerosols nearby?
What sort of water did you use?
Did you use an old container of fish food (which might have gone mouldy)?
Did you wash the lettuce leaves thoroughly before freezing/boiling?
Is there enough oxygen in the water? Do the tadpoles spend any time hanging vertically from the water's surface? If yes, this means there's not enough oxygen.
Are the tadpoles growing at very erratic rates - some are getting big while many others are still the same size they were when they were a week old? This shows they are too overcrowded in the container.
Is the container getting too much sun? Adding an aquarium thermometer will help you monitor the temperature - above 32 degrees celsius it too high! 27 degrees C is a good temperature.
Are the tadpole deaths occuring at different times during their growth or are all the deaths occuring at very specific stages such as when rear legs are just starting or the tadpoles are ready to metamorph? Are any air bubbles, crimped tails, colour shifts to very pale or very dark, shrinking bodies, twisted legs, swimming in circles or rolling upside down present? Are only a few tadpoles dying or are most of them dying?
Are the tadpoles okay while all the deaths are occuring only after they metamorph?
Are the metamorphs getting enough food?
Did you disinfect the tank since you used it for the previous batch of tadpoles? Was the frog tank rinsed very well before the metamorphs were set up in it?
Was the bucket you used to refill their tank used for any cleaning products?

If you are in Australia and you are having problems with your tadpoles that can't be fixed by the checklist above, then please contact us to discuss it. If you live in NQ/FNQ, we will ask you to give us freshly dead tadpoles and metamorphs so that we can get them tested. We might also ask for some of the tadpoles so that we can raise them ourselves to try to determine what the problem might be. If you are overseas, you need to find someone local to help you. Phone your nearest Fish and Wildlife office to ask what labs are nearby to do disease testing.

There are many details to cover when setting up tadpoles in containers, but if these are done properly, raising tadpoles will be very easy and not take up very much of your time. It's only when the setup is wrong that a lot of labour comes into it. Good luck with your tadpoles and enjoy the experience!

Distributing Tadpoles

Last edited: May 30th, 2004

If you have set up a frog pond properly that is well used by the frogs, you will soon find yourself with more tadpoles than you can handle. Many species of frogs breed in large numbers to compensate for the high mortality of their larvae. In other words, it is a natural process for a certain number of tadpoles not to survive to metamorphosis. However, many more tadpoles could survive if they were distributed over more sites of permanent water, such as new frog ponds or those which haven't attracted any amorous adult users.

On the one hand, tadpole distribution can allow more tadpoles to survive and it can be used to reintroduce species to areas where they once were. On the other hand, distributing tadpoles is an excellent way to quickly spread diseases that can wipe out as many frogs as what were saved in the first place, if not more.

In January, 2003, three batches of awful looking tadpoles from three households in the suburb of Redlynch, Cairns were turned into us for evaluation. They were off colour, sluggish, not eating well, and some had bent tails. They were dropping like flies, so to speak, and we had them virus tested by the School of Virology and Immunology at James Cook University. The researcher found a virus using sequencing but he was unable to identify the virus. We have dubbed this problem the "Redlynch" virus until we can get more work done it. From what we've seen since and the rate of spread that is occuring with this aquatic pathogen, it is obvious that there are two very effective ways that this problem can be carried from place to place: the first is moving tadpoles around and the second is people who do surveying in the field and do not use disinfection procedures.

The presence of an aquatic virus that kills nearly all the tadpoles in a body of water and causes the few survivors to be deformed is VERY SERIOUS stuff! It will have a serious impact on our frog populations and all tadpoles should be viewed with suspicion, especially since this pathogen does not make its presence known until the later stages of tadpole development. Everything seems fine until the back legs are at least halfway grown and then all hell breaks loose!

Viruses have a long dormancy period - up to two years but some are longer. Psitticine Beak and Feather Disease and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (both rampant in Australia) have dormancies up to five years - so tadpoles and frogs in your garden can be carrying a virus without showing any symptoms. When tadpoles and frogs that have been exposed become stressed, which is the case at metamorphosis or during the dry season/drought, then the virus is triggered and spreads to other frogs. As soon as those sick frogs go to water, they can spread their pathogens into the water where all the tadpoles can pick it up.

There is also a new disease which appears to be a respiratory fungus and we are getting frogs turned in with it from a wide variety of areas throughout northern Queensland. This outbreak started in July 2002. We are still trying to get the exact fungal species identified but it can have an affect on tadpoles. The only real symptom is that the tadpoles appear fine but they are not eating and get thinner and thinner. The aquarium product Rapid White-spot Remedy is effective on this problem and cures it after one to three applications. (Follow the directions on the bottle except use half the dose the first time to make sure it is not too strong for the species of tadpole you have.)

Aside from the disease spreading problem, regulations in QLD changed during 2004 making it illegal to relocate tadpoles without a rescue permit.

We recognise that and rescuing and distributing tadpoles around is a tool that can assist the restoration of frog populations on a local level, but we are also extremely concerned about the spread of disease, especially a pathogen as devastating as the "Redlynch" virus. We would like to find a sensible, middle ground to a complex problem. Until we hear otherwise from the researchers, we are making the following suggestions concerning the movement of tadpoles. These suggestions are subject to change based on new findings on the spread of disease in FNQ.

Do not move tadpoles outside of your own water catchment and suburb. This includes tourists who are visiting Far North Queensland for holidays - do NOT collect tadpoles here to bring home with you. The most serious amphibian diseases we know of so far are aquatic so keeping to your own catchment might help prevent an aquatic pathogen from spreading throughout a new catchment. If you do not know what area makes up your local catchment, contact your local council or Integrated Catchment Management community group.
Do not move tadpoles at all if you have had any incidences of tadpoles with problems (such as bent tails, multiple limbs instead of one, lumps or growths) or tadpoles dying off in moderate or large numbers in your pond. There are a few reasons why tadpoles would die off in numbers and one of them is disease. Another time when large dieoffs would occur is at metamorphosis and, if this is seen, the dead tads/morphs should be frozen or preserved by a vet for testing later. If you have tadpoles with the problems listed above, please contact us. We will ask you to turn in all the remaining tadpoles so that we can raise them under optimal conditions and document what problems they are having.
Do not move tadpoles or metamorphs to any site where rare frogs currently live. For example, in the Cairns area, that would mean to avoid Stony Creek (in Barron Gorge National Park), Crystal Cascades and the stream that crosses under the top end of Toogood Road to name three. If you are unsure about a location being a rare frog site, contact us or the frog monitoring staff at the Atherton office of QPWS (phone 4091-4262).
You should not move tadpoles unless you know what species they are. Each species should go to the right habitat and the right enclosure. If you have more than one species breeding in your pond, how do you know which species the individual tadpoles are? Is it a species that needs to be fished out of the tank/pond it has been put in or will it be able to get out of the water without falling back in and drowing? Is it a burrowing species that needs pliable soil to burrow into or a tree frog that needs lots of surrounding vegetation? Are the tadpoles being moved to outside their known range (such as Striped Marsh frogs being moved any further north than Cairns)?
If you need to disburse tadpoles, please do so only to others in your own suburb. Put up a notice at the corner shop for other frog pond owners to contact you. It will be best for those receiving your tadpoles to raise them in aquariums and NOT release them directly into your pond. Tell the recipients to let you know if there are any die-offs or deformities so that you can stop giving any more away.
If you can't find any other frog pond owners in your suburb to take some tadpoles, you can set up a fish tank or two and raise some tadpoles yourself so that more will survive.
If you're not sure about any of this, please contact us to discuss it before you distribute any tadpoles to the wild or to anyone else!

How Would You Know if a Frog or Tadpole Was Sick?

Here's a list of symptoms often seen in sick frogs. If the frog has the first symptom in the list OR at least TWO of the rest of the symptoms in this list, it is mostly likely suffering from an illness or parasites.

sitting out in the open during the daytime (such as in the middle of a lawn or on a road or driveway)
very thin
extremes of colour such as very pale or very dark or weird shades like red, khaki, etc.
lumps, abscesses, lesions or other types of holes or tears in the skin
doesn't hop properly or is very weak when it tries to move
red or pink flush or 'pimples' on the belly (ventral surface)
freckles, blotches, pale spots or black patches on the back or legs (other than those which might naturally occur on the species)
is producing a very slimy coating on the body without trying to rub the coating forward with its arms or legs
doesn't right itself when placed on its back
eyes are cloudy or there is a retractable see-through membrane that is completely or partially covering the eye
body is swollen up with either air or fluid
rear legs seem to be crippled and lack proper coordination and jumping force
front half of the body looks normal and back half looks stunted
has any deformities such as wrong number of toes, misshapened eye or missing eye, bent bones in the legs, etc.

Some illnesses being researched (such as ranaviruses and chytrid fungus) have dramatic impacts on tadpoles and large numbers of dying metamorphs can be an indication of either of these serious amphibian diseases. Always try to find someone who can receive tadpoles or do testing on them because monitoring the spread and incidence of these diseases is so important. If you can't find anyone quickly, at least store the dead tadpoles in the freezer with a label on the container (or inside a double bag) so that they can be sent to a researcher later. Depending on where you are, we might know of someone in your area to help.

If you are in North Queensland and find a frog with two or more of the above symptoms, we ask you to turn it in to the Cairns Frog Hospital for treatment and so that records can be kept of where diseases are active. We have a chance of making the frog well if you get it to us quickly but, if the frog should die before transporting it, drop it in to us anyway so that we can get the pathology done and find out what illness it had. To do this:

rinse your hands well before handling the frog or wear disposable gloves or a plastic bag over your hand
put the frog into a plastic container with a secure lid with air holes in it
add just a tiny bit of clean water and put a couple leaves into the container if it is a see-through one
secure the lid
wash your hands thoroughly with soap or disinfectant
call the Cairns Frog Hospital afternoons and evenings on (07) 4053-4367 or (0428) 114 266
label the container with your contact details, the exact location the frog was found (exact street address or name of a property and coordinates) and any observations about its behavior and the symptoms it had

With frogs that are already dead when you find them, they can be frozen instead.

During the winter months, chytrid fungus can be a major problem and the symptoms for this disease are not listed on this page so that they can't be confused with the symptoms for other diseases. You can find out about how to recognise chytrid in our Chytrid recognition page.

Tadpoles?

With tadpoles, it is not always so obvious. If there is a mass die-off of a batch of tadpoles, the problem might be the water quality, chemicals (such as a neighbour's herbicide or pesticide spraying) or illness within the tadpoles. It is hard to determine which of these might be the cause unless you can get the dead tadpoles tested by an appropriate lab. If you believe there might be a problem with the pond or aquarium, have a look at our Raising Tadpoles page to see if your setup is consistent with the best setup for tadpoles. The survival problem might be easily corrected through a change of submerged plants, a pump left on longer for more oxygen, a flyscreen over the top to keep out birds and native rats, or some other simple change. If you've set up everything correctly and tadpoles are still dying in large numbers, there might be a problem the tadpole at right is much paler than it should be while the one at the left has a bent tail - these are Common Green tree frogs within the tadpoles.

If any of the tadpoles in a clutch/tank/pond have any of these symptoms below, please contact us quickly:

bloating in the abdomen
air bubbles in the body
continued weight loss until the tadpole looks like a head and skinny tail with no body in between
difficulty swimming or swimming in circles or on its side
strange growths on the body such as lumps or pale pathes that look like snowflakes stuck to the skin
tadpoles metamorph but all die within a few days or weeks
tadpoles are very washed out in colour or some go extremely dark in colour
any have bends in their tails (see photo at right) or their tails are only half as long as they should be
multiple arms or legs or missing arms and legs
tree frog tadpoles which can't climb out of the container when they try to metamorph and are found drowned in the container (this symptom does not apply to ground dwelling frogs who are normally unable to climb walls))

If you believe there might be something wrong with your tadpoles, please save what's left and make an appointment to drop them in to us. We will set them up here and see if the problem continues - if it is not corrected by the husbandy change and if there is evidence of a disease, we can send specimens away for testing and advise you about your setup.

If you are outside this region, please try to find a wildlife rescue group or local university with a zoology or environmental science program. Very few groups take in frogs but you might be lucky where you are located!

Disease in Backyard Ponds

Disease issues are also very important to the owners of backyard frog ponds. As a rule, never transfer plants or fish from someone else's frog pond to yours. Some pathogens can survive quite happily on plant stems or be carried in fish. When you purchase aquatic plants from a nursery, ask them or your nearest Quarantine Service office DPI rural lands officer about how you can treat the plants for disease before they are added to your pond. Check the bag before you leave the nursery to see if any tadpoles are in the bag. If there are, please ask staff to return them to the aquatic plant trough - don't take them home with you.

Disinfecting a Pond

If you have a frog pond and find that any of the frogs that hang around your property have become sick, the pond needs to be specially cleaned because many of these diseases (like chytrid fungus, ranavirus and the new 'respiratory' disease we're researching) live in the water. Another problem critter that will live in the water are larval stages of some parasites that attack tadpoles. To clean the pond, remove all the water and dispose this down a sink or toilet that goes through a water treatment system. Once the pond is empty, use 10% bleach to sterilise the walls/surface of the pond and rinse very well and sponge up to ensure all traces of the chemical are gone. Then use betadine straight from the bottle to coat all the surfaces and rub with a sponge to keep the betadine wet for at least five minutes. Rinse out and remove the water to dump down the sink. Let dry in the sun completely for a day or two and then refill the pond with clean water. (If you are using town water, wait a few days for the chlorine to evaporate before adding plants and animals.) Do not return the same plants to the pond unless you are treating the plants with a agricultural disinfectant that kills viruses like Path-X - however Path-X might not get rid of the new "respiratory" disease and it is too strong for delicate plants so your best bet is start with new plants.

References

www.environment.gov.au/education/publications/frogpond.html

www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/caring_for_wildlife_ponds