O

I was worried about the fish eating tadpoles and baby newts and that
is why I fed them a lot instead, which seems to have worked with the
newts but not the tadpoles. The latter have disappeared completely and
here is not even any young frogs, though several adults.

Doug.

This is the natural way of things. The spawn and initial flush of
tadpoles would produce a plague if they could all manage to survive.
There is a "natural selection" that takes place which benefits the
amphibians and the fish.

Too many fish will skew the ballance to the detriment off the
amphibians, and I address this with section of the pond where the fish
are excluded. The large number of frogs and newts in my pond and garden
bear testiment to the fact that this system is efective. Sad to say I
see no toads at all. They tend to be highly territorial, so I am told.

Now all I need to do is to persuade the little beggars to eat more of
the blasted slugs that have decimated my plants this year.