How to make a frog pond in your garden

mich1972

Watch this space friends as we convert this old bathtub into a beautiful Frog Pond 🐸🐸🐸 We have three small frog ponds in our garden and now it’s time to upgrade to a larger one 🐸💚🌿 I’ll show you step by step how it’s put together 😄

#FrogPond
#Frogs
#Recycle

#ReUse
#PondPlants

frog pond.jpeg

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Comments

MitchellMc

It sounds like a fascinating project @mich1972. I can't wait to see your results. As someone that very rarely chlorinates my pool in the off-season, I'd like to provide a home for my friendly frog companions, which is ideally not my pool. This sounds like a great option, and I'll be following along.

Please keep us updated.

Mitchell

mich1972

Good Morning Workshop friends.

I would love to share with you how easy it is to repurpose what you have in your garden and shed !!!!! So think about what you you do with that item before putting in the bin.

We have three small Frog Ponds in our garden and it was time to go larger !!! Everything I have used is repurposed. The only ONE thing I bought was a Native Blue Flax Lily but I will talk about that in another blog 😊🐸🐸🐸😊

Old bathtub that I had from Worm Farms. I have condensed our Worm Farms down to one bathtub now as our scraps go to our Chooks.

Old bricks we have, to build up inside the tub to give height.

Old terracotta pipes that I had been using for a Native Bee House but I have changed that up.

All the water plants are from the other ponds that I divided up.

Old blue metal I used to weigh down the pots and also used it for the hard landscape mulch around the tub. I had it in the old worm farm.

Old plastic pots for the water plants.

Old bamboo stakes and twine I used to make a screen to create some shade for when I add native fish that will eat the mozzie larvae and not the tadpoles. Will blog that when it happens.

We placed the bathtub where it will get partial sun.
I had an old sink plug that I used silicone to secure it in so it’s water tight.
Sat some old bricks stacked up for height to sit the terracotta pipes onto.
Divided up water plants and placed into pots, put some blue metal in to weigh them down. You can use pebbles or scoria.

I added some old driftwood that I had in the other frog ponds.

Made a bamboo screen , nothing fancy pants, it’s just to provide shade and some protection.
Then added blue metal on the ground as a hard mulch and placed our potted plants around it.

I must tell you if you have children you MUST put a strong mesh screen on the top of the tub with a few bricks to hold it down. The plants will grow through it. And only partially fill up the tub with water. Add a fence around it to be safe.
SAFETY FIRST when it comes to water.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/13397#Comment_13397

That looks sensationally @mich1972 and has all the required elements for a successful tadpole breeding ground and frog sanctuary. It's also fantastic that you've repurposed all the elements, so this would be a super cheap and easy project for anyone to make.

Many thanks for sharing, and I look forward to your updates about the frogs moving in. Great work!

Mitchell

redracer01

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/13397#Comment_13397

Hello @mich1972

It's always a pleasure to see your creations here on workshop. I well and truly agree and believe that repurposing is the way to go. It always saddens me when every year at the curb pick up by the council you see tubs and basins that would make perfect frog ponds. They all just end up at the tip. Hopefully our current and new readers will see other uses for their items at home that they could possibly use in the garden. I love that you've used different media in your creation of the habitat and not just plants. It gives it such an organic look and they blend in so we'll. Hopefully it will soon be full of tad poles!

Cheers,

Red

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/69211#Comment_69211

Thank You @MitchellMc Yep we are happy with it and also happy to repurpose !!!!!! Will update when we add the fish 🐸🐸

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/69212#Comment_69212

Thank You @redracer01 Im always at the tip seeing what I can reuse in the garden 🤣😆🥰🥰

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/69211#Comment_69211

They are in !!!! White Cloud and Gold Cloud Minnows 😍 These bad boys will feed on mozzie larvae and not harm tadpoles or frog eggs

MitchellMc

Great work, @mich1972. I look forward to hearing about how well these fish keep the mosquito larvae under control.

Have you spotted any frogs scoping out the new pond?

Mitchell

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/13488#Comment_13488

@MitchellMc 😂 no not yet mate. We have frogs around the existing ponds, so hopefully they will find the new one as it’s only a couple of metres away 🐸🐸🐸

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/13397#Comment_13397

Morning Workshop Community Friends, here is a follow up on our Bathtub Frog Pond

Found a second frog that’s moved into the Bathtub Frog Pond 💚 🐸 💚 The White and Gold Cloud Minnows are happy in there. NO mozzie larvae at all. No pump and that’s ok as there are plenty of plants in there. All good 😊 🐸🐸

Woodflower71

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/71258#Comment_71258

I’m wondering what state you’re in…I adore frogs I love your post and pictures…I’m from Darwin and grew up with green tree frogs living in the toilet bowl and hanging recklessly from the shower head…and…their not so wonderful poo parcels…anyway now living in suburban Perth…not a froggie friend in sight 🐸…how besides putting in a frog pond do I overcome this problem, where can I get a frog or two and how does one care for them esp over winter?

Best

Louise

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/98850#Comment_98850

@Woodflower71 Hi Louise, oh you would of had beautiful frogs in Darwin !!

we started quite a few year’s ago with a few frog ponds in our backyard. Using old laundry sinks and also kids sandpit shells.

A friend had given us some tadpoles to start with. The shallow ponds are surrounded by plants to protect them and we do not use any chemicals in our garden.

Prawns

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/116203#Comment_116203

We put a small pond in, and frogs found it pretty fast in our case and pretty much take care of themselves Louise 🙂 Its great to see your frogs are happy mich and the tubs working great 🙂 We get green tree frogs and marsh frogs here (see frogs eggs occasionally they lay on the plants) Crikey they can get loud on a quiet night hahahahha but I love the sounds

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/126112#Comment_126112

@Prawns absolutely gorgeous !!!! I love it 🐸💚

mich1972

Added a few Native Pygmy Perch to our Bathtub Frog Pond. They are with the Gold Cloud and White Cloud Minnows, eating any mozzies and larvae. Not harming the frogs or tadpoles.

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/19635#Comment_19635

Hi @mich1972

Thank you so much for the update on your frog pond. That added fish should be perfect for keeping the mozzie larvae in check. Have you thought about investing in an Aquapro AP300SP Solar Pump Kit? This would help in oxygenating the water for your fish.

Eric

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/72476#Comment_72476

I have just left it natural @EricL , there are so many plants in there that help to keep the water clean . The fish seem happy I think 🤔

mich1972

Hi Workshop Community Friends, here’s an update on our Bathtub Frog Pond 🐸

I spotted three baby frogs in there this afternoon. I’m sorry I’m not sure what species they are. But they are beautiful ! Really happy with the Ecosystem created in this area of our Garden. The Native Pygmy Perch, Gold Cloud Minnows and White Cloud Minnows are doing well in there as well. The tiny fish eat any mozzie larvae in the bathtub but don’t attack the tadpoles. Frogs seem really happy and protected there.

Jewelleryrescue

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/69261#Comment_69261

Hi @mich1972

Nice project as a frog pond , having built one myself I hope you dont think I am intruding when I say fish will eat moquito larve and frogs spawn. This is the reaility of nature at work and it keeps species numbers in check But it looks like some smaller species of fish are finding a balance with you lovely looking frogs. Mental update goldfish size fish and frogs might not coexist well.

Great @mich1972 you have some climbing structures in you bath for frogs should be able to climb out of the water great stuff, But for others doing a bath project please provide a sloped ramp into the water or some thing flat low and floating they can climb onto as frogs can not easy get out of a slippery steep bath as was my first rookie mistake heaps of years ago when i had a pet dinosaur called 'asteriod' (furphy)

The bigger the fish species gold fish eg and the more fish you have the more filter resources and oxygen you need as the natural eco system defined by pond size is pushed beyond its local limits.

But not required generally speaking for small fish in a bath tube have a huge natural ecosystem vs there size and plenty of oxygen at the surface exchanging . (deeper into the bath bottom will be more anaerobic ) but frogs fish swimming hot cold currents and wind on the water etc will help mix water. Plants add oxygen and shade to the water at day but can consume some oxygen at night but they are the consumers of nitrates which should diminish the potentials for algae bloom (green water). Natural good bacteria on bath sides and structures converts small quantites of ammonia and in turn nitrite, and in turn Nitrates for plants. An Eco balance can be achieved.

There are many other factors in a pond at play but dont tell your happy balance ecosystem and it will never need to know

Enjoy your pond projects

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/101241#Comment_101241

@Jewelleryrescue @Thanks heaps for your advice !!! The tiny little fish in there are so small the people at the aquarium place told me they will not interfere with the frogs so that’s interesting. Yes the frogs have plants to climb on and the driftwood ect. I like the idea of a ramp as well. Thank You. Would love to see a photo of how you have set your pond up 🐸😊🐸

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/117545#Comment_117545

Those little froggies look really happy, @mich1972! Thanks for sharing your update.

Mitchell

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127003#Comment_127003

Morning Mitch

Thank You and it was so exciting seeing three of them. 🐸🐸😊😊

Jewelleryrescue

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/117545#Comment_117545

Its great to hear @mich1972 the small fish and Frogs are working out.

First pond was a plastic sheet in a hole i dug into the ground for the 2 ducks we have for a short while before they stared to try mounting chickens . I seeing a therapist about that.

Wow this was 25 years ago in a rental property I am only showing this as you kindly asked. Now I look back I was going through a pond learning stage.

Water was split and pumped up into the tree 1.5 m up approx and it cascaded down to 2 splayed out tree limbs meeting at the middle (Via mini ponds mounted in tree with water fall like spouts. About 8 teirs in all up you can just see two of the lower ones in photo working pouring into a raised fiberglass pebble crete pond wrapped with timber edging that poured out into a japaness water balance I made ( it fills with water then tips out periodically ) onto a ramp into a lower frog pond another buried fiberglass pond which then flows into the bath tub aka the fish pond gold fish and they do eat just about every thing.

I was young and advernturous this pond far to busy for my tastes today. The water cascading in the tree is nice I was unique but not good in wind so had to put in by pass valve and only use tree supervised.

I dont think any frogs showed up in the pond but who knows if they live in the area anyway? We never heard any in the region at night, a little disappointing but projects never come with GTs Birds lizards yes maybe the lizard s where a deterent.

Water cascades down tree fork via waterfall dishes

But a bath tub like you have is as every bit as enjoyable and nice to watch and more frogs than me lol

Because it was a rental we simply put in black plastic weed mating on fence and we took the ponds with us I am still using the bigger150L pond as a koi treatment tank less medicine used versus 7000L Next pond evolution.Indoor pond and plant garden to noisy indoors.

7000L gold fish pond

Now I am stalled on the enlargemnt of that pond as I want to run koi and have the water and koi come right up to the top of the steps in the foreground. I hope that will be my last pond its a huge learning curve going bigger in so many areas.

You asked for one pond and ended up seeing my pond hobby evolutions . Your Bath pond is huge value for your enjoyment. Equal to my efforts as we are making whole eco systems.

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/127006#Comment_127006

Thank you for sharing your photo and your advice. Sounds like a good set up at the time 😃

Jewelleryrescue

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133279#Comment_133279

Hi @mich1972

sorry I got carried away and added my pond evolutions.

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/133277#Comment_133277

Morning Community Workshop friends. 😃 This is our Frog Bogs - shallow water, heavily planted up , that’s right near our Bathtub Frog Pond . This area is very leafy and protected. Please note, these bogs are very shallow, filled with plants, driftwood, timber stakes.

Jewelleryrescue

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/137153#Comment_137153

Hi @mich1972

Lovely all round environment for you and your frogs luxury living space they will be queuing to get in. Do you have a nice seat out there to be able to just just sit wait and watch would be ideal at my place.

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139817#Comment_139817

Ohh that’s a great idea, will need to get a nice bench 😊😊

mich1972

Well the Frogs are enjoying the extreme hot weather here in Perth !!! 💚

mich1972

Good afternoon friends. Our frogs in the backyard 🐸 🌿

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