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Early in the season, there were hundreds of various types/sizes of tadpoles swimming everywhere. Green frog tadpoles were the last to leave, but they often would go perfectly vertical, and skim the surface for microscopic food. So seeing them moving about was a common occurrence, then eventually pond was void of tadpoles as everyone grew legs and morphed out
About a month ago, one of the resident male green frogs had eggs turn up in his location after successfully getting a large resident female to come over. On 2nd day, I carefully scooped some into a clean 5 gallon bucket that had a small amount of pea gravel in it, and left the 5 gallon tilted on it's side and tethered with the handle weighted down into the shore with a rock, right at the shore since they were in an always sunny spot. So the 5 gallon bucket gave some sun protection acting like a canopy, but was always taking in fresh surface water and they could leave once swimming.
They soon unraveled, and swam around, mainly staying on the gravel. After about a week, any still in there were tipped out and hid under vertical pavers that were deliberately placed against other rocks, so they could attach to the undersides and avoid the sun and predators, while eating off the underside of the pavers.
Here's were it gets odd. None of the tadpoles are swimming out in the open now, like the earlier season tadpoles. It's been incredibly difficult to locate them too. I've seen a couple here and there, but it's usually by chance as sitting and scanning the bottom never reveals any movement. One I saw yesterday, was in a shallow end and an OK size (body slightly rounder than a pencil eraser) and it looked developmentally normal, but it was staying on the small gravel, moving only occasionally.
Early season when I think most of the 1st eggs were developed, water wasn't clear and think pump wasn't running yet. So water would have been left over snow melt and rain. Pump was started, and left to recirculate at the water's surface, which helped the water clear up a bit. So those tadpoles mostly had the murky water that'd only clear after a week or so with no rain. Added 55 gallon filtering system about a month ago, so water is basically always clear unless heavy rain, which is clear again usually within a day.
So is the clear water possibly causing them to be more reclusive? Or do they stay hidden until a larger size and didn't realize the previous ones were probably older by the time they were spotted?
About a month ago, one of the resident male green frogs had eggs turn up in his location after successfully getting a large resident female to come over. On 2nd day, I carefully scooped some into a clean 5 gallon bucket that had a small amount of pea gravel in it, and left the 5 gallon tilted on it's side and tethered with the handle weighted down into the shore with a rock, right at the shore since they were in an always sunny spot. So the 5 gallon bucket gave some sun protection acting like a canopy, but was always taking in fresh surface water and they could leave once swimming.
They soon unraveled, and swam around, mainly staying on the gravel. After about a week, any still in there were tipped out and hid under vertical pavers that were deliberately placed against other rocks, so they could attach to the undersides and avoid the sun and predators, while eating off the underside of the pavers.
Here's were it gets odd. None of the tadpoles are swimming out in the open now, like the earlier season tadpoles. It's been incredibly difficult to locate them too. I've seen a couple here and there, but it's usually by chance as sitting and scanning the bottom never reveals any movement. One I saw yesterday, was in a shallow end and an OK size (body slightly rounder than a pencil eraser) and it looked developmentally normal, but it was staying on the small gravel, moving only occasionally.
Early season when I think most of the 1st eggs were developed, water wasn't clear and think pump wasn't running yet. So water would have been left over snow melt and rain. Pump was started, and left to recirculate at the water's surface, which helped the water clear up a bit. So those tadpoles mostly had the murky water that'd only clear after a week or so with no rain. Added 55 gallon filtering system about a month ago, so water is basically always clear unless heavy rain, which is clear again usually within a day.
So is the clear water possibly causing them to be more reclusive? Or do they stay hidden until a larger size and didn't realize the previous ones were probably older by the time they were spotted?