Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Do Yellow Perch eat Tadpoles?

I have a new pond that was just stocked this spring with 4-6" and 6-8" Yellow Perch and I have noticed that here are thousands of small tadpoles swimming along the shore. I was wondering if perch eat tadpoles?

Several folks have indicated that some tadpoles are distasteful to fish. I also have quite a few tadpoles in my pond with perch and a few SMB. I seem to have a much higher density of tadpoles in the settling pond with no large fish though, so maybe the fish take some tadpoles out before learning that they taste bad.

I think its the toad tadpoles that taste bad.

Some of mine are pretty big, so I think they are bullfrog tadpoles.

"They are distasteful to some fish as well which allows them to live in permanent ponds with them."

http://capitalnaturalist.blogspot.com/2015/05/american-bullfrog.html

My experience is yellow perch nor walleyes do not eat tadpoles. Bullfrog tadpoles are abundant in my pond with a high density of YP and WE. Cover for tadpoles is minimal and tadpoles as very vulnerable forage freely swim among large YP that are actively feeding.

I have observed the same as stated above. One thing that will eat up the toadpoles is the black birds. As soon as they get piled up on the shore and when they get their little legs and start hopping around the shore the black birds and redwing black birds eat them up.

Wonder what effect the tadpoles have on the water plankton the baby fry would eat? Is it enough one should scoop out all the tadpoles you can?

Don, I have noticed a lot of blackbirds along the shore now that you mention it. Might be a real good idea to remove some of them as you suggest to reduce the competition from the young fish.

Will those humongous tadpoles eat perch fry? I have a bunch of those this year and the frogs/tadpoles seem to be enjoying the same Christmas tree habitat that I put out for the perch.

Tadpoles are herbivores and eat primarily attached algae not plankton.

Don, we've been covered in the red winged blackbirds this year. We were wondering what they were eating. They perch on our reeds around the pond. Thanks for that info.

I don't know of anything (except starving fish) that will willingly eat any tadpole. Some (most?) tadpoles, like the American Toad have toxic chemicals in the slime, or release it when molested...

I put in my pond 100 perch a couple of months ago and have not seen them, even as I feed my minnows every day. My pond is full of minnows so I suspect they are feeding on them. I have lots of Red Wing blackbirds living in the cattails of my pond and perhaps they eat my numerous tadpoles. Since I let my pond grow spatterdock lilies I to know they eat lots of bugs and spiders that live in the spatterdock.

Thank you for posting another great pic!