Question
Hi Tom. I have a 100 gallon pond in my backyard full of goldfish and a few shubukins. I have had a huge problem within the last three months with tadpoles. Frogs would lay thousands of them in the pond and the water would turn green and cloudy, so I would always end up having to clean the water. So one day I got wise and scooped them all out with a net(since the fish wouldn't eat them). But I haven't seen any new ones since then which is very strange to me b/c they would show up like clockwork. I have seen frogs in the water, but no tadpoles over the next few days like usual. I wonder where they went. Are frogs that smart to know what I did to the previous tadpoles? (LOL) How come the goldfish/shubukins did not eat the tadpoles? I have read that either they didn't like the taste or the tadpoles did not bother them enough, is this true? I have also discovered that my goldfish have produced offspring, could this be the reason? My pond is only about 6 ft. deep, and I have added a few water lilies. Is it practical to expect for them to grow? My pond has a liner and there is not any dirt. Is it vital to get a pump now? I have a fountain that I turn on from time to time-and my fish seem to be doing well. Thanks for any help you can give.

Answer
Hi Felicia,
Thanx for your question.  If you live in North America, most frogs breed in the Spring in the North and until about October in the Southern U.S., so, it's nearly the end of August, I would think that much of the breeding is probably over in most of the U.S. except in the deep South.  Goldfish will eat tadpoles, but if they're too big they probably will opt for easier food such as insects.  Also, if you had a ton of them there may have been too many of them for your fish to make a dent in the population.  If you are putting water lilies in the pond, make sure they are planted in a good sized planter with a few inches of pebbles on the top of the soil to keep the soil and plant from coming out of the planter.  I pump and aerator is always helpful in keeping the water oxygenated and a filter will help keep it clean.  You'll need to determine how much water you have and then buy the appropriate sized pump and filter.  Check out this URL.  http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/homelandscape/watergarden/index.htm...  If you have any other questions. Let me know.
I hope this helps.
Tom