Are tadpoles safe near goldfish, do goldfish eat them?

Last Updated on November 26, 2021 by cmoarz

There are two types of people reading this article. The type who wants to purposefully feed their goldfish tadpoles, and those that are wondering if their pet tadpoles will be safe.

This article will try and cater to both questions.

Goldfish will eat tadpoles. Be it frog tadpoles or toad tadpoles, A goldfish will devour it just like any other small mosquito larvae or other insect larvae. Be warned that toad tadpoles can be toxic to goldfish and should not be given or allowed access to.

So if you intend on buying or breeding tadpoles for a food source, buy none toxic toad!

On that same note, if you are wondering ‘will goldfish eat the tadpoles in my pond’, yes, if you have a small pond or a goldfish pond, try to keep away any toads.

Frogs tadpoles are fine and the fish eat them as a supplement to their regular diet of fish food.

For the frog lover, I’m sorry to say, Your tadpoles will not be safe in a fish tank with goldfish. Fish eat them regularly.

You should rehome them immediately if they are in a tank with a goldfish if you want them to survive.

Why do goldfish eat tadpoles?

Because they are hungry! Or bored.

Goldfish already eat a variety of small insect larvae that swim around in a pond, and insects that happen to fly into or on top of the pond surface as well.

Many fish foods targeted at goldfish are also insect protein-based. While tadpoles aren’t insects, they are protein, and they are tiny.

This makes them a pretty nutritious snack that fish eat when they get the opportunity. You can even buy processed tadpoles for this purpose.

Crude protein in a tadpole ranges from 43-48%, 11% lipids, and 25% ash. Sodium, Calcium, and magnesium as well as some minor trace elements are also present.

Will goldfish eat adult frogs?

Another way of looking at this question is can goldfish and frogs live together in a pond at all?

Yes, adult frogs and goldfish can generally cohabitate together in a pond. The frog babies are at risk of getting eaten, but the adults are usually fine.

There are some exceptions to the rule, And that is very large goldfish have been known to eat entire adult frogs in their goldfish ponds.

Especially small tree frogs ( along with tree frog tadpoles ).

In a smaller aquarium, having a goldfish and a frog together usually is a bad idea.

The fish may bully the frog and attempt to eat it unless the fish is smaller than the frog itself in that the fish is in danger of being eaten by the frog!

In short, they don’t make good tank mates, but they do ok in a planted pond of sufficient depth and area.

How to stop goldfish eating tadpoles?

In an aquarium: It’s best to just remove the goldfish away or from tadpoles. Or not have a frog in with a goldfish, to begin with.

Consider getting a larger tank if you don’t want to split them up. With a larger tank you can add many more hiding places for the tadpoles. The eggs may still be a target.

In a pond: Add more live plants near the rims of the pond, and make sure there is debris at the very bottom for cover and to hide the eggs.

At the end of the day, there isn’t much you can do for an outdoor pond if you’ve got a lot of frogs trying to lay their spawn. The tadpoles are easy food for the goldfish.

Do goldfish eat frogs eggs (frogspawn)?

Your goldfish will not spare the eggs. The only thing they won’t do is ask for ketchup on their delicious tadpole egg omelet.

Do tadpoles eat goldfish?

There has been a somewhat silly myth floating around that your tadpoles will actually eat the goldfish!

While it is true that tadpoles are omnivorous, when they are very young and small all they eat is algae (after their yoke has been depleted).

Picturing a tadpole trying to eat a full sizes goldfish is quite funny as I’ve so kindly illustrated below!

Goldfish fry are also considered a delicacy by some older larger tadpoles. But said tadpole is usually struggling to survive in an aquarium or pond with goldfish around. They are rarely the aggressor in these cases.

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