They most likely have hatched into tadpoles. It just takes a few days for this to happen. The tadpoles usually hang around where they hatch for another day or two, but are very hard to see. Your fish may eat the tadpoles. Tadpoles are one of the best natural algae controls you can get. Of course when they morph no more algae control, lol.

You won't need rocks actually IN the pond for the toads. They're air breathers, and they will prefer to sit in a sheltered, cool area outside the pond during the day. When you initially fill your pond, go ahead and use tap water. The chlorine will evaporate before the toads and frogs find the new pond. But when you need to "top off" the pond, that is add water after some of it has evaporated, you can "age" the water by putting water in a bucket and allowing it to sit out for 24 hours or so before adding it to the pond. That allows time for the chlorine to evaporate. Yes, you are correct. A liner is a strip of (usually) black rubber, very flexible, and can be shaped to the size you want. Mosquito dunks are donut shaped objects that you place in the water to prevent mosquito larvae from hatching. You can find them at any garden center, but if you have a small pump in your pond to keep the water moving, you won't need them. Mosquitos cannot lay their eggs on water that has a current. If you can get at least two feet wide and 12 inches deep on your pond, I think you'll be okay. Remember, the smaller you go, the bigger the water loss due to evaporation, and that will make it harder to maintain a healthy balance for the tads. You will get algae in the pond. Tadpoles eat algae, so if there is none, you can buy algae wafers at pet stores to feed the little guys.

But I don't know if I have ever seen one here.Sherry it is good to see you On this forum.I have been slaving away in my Butterfly Garden and planted Seven young Sassafras last week for thicket shrubs for the Spicebush swallowtails.I followed your thread on the swallowtail photo and was very Amazed at the Lepo man's depth of Taxon storage.Anyway abt snakes I Wish you had been with me with your photo skill back when I was keeping Rat dorms in my pool shed and had a great encounter with one of the local Rattlesnakes.Since I live so deep down in South Al and also between two Cypress swamps we call our rattlers Canebrakes because they look a little Different from more upland Timber rattlers to us being very pinkish Gray And they have russet dorsal stripes.They are beautiful snakes and this was A big one.This is what happened.I already knew that I had a rat loose and That it had been running a line between the swamp and the firewood stack Beside the pool shed.It was a big brown and white spotted male and was The first thing That caught my eye when I stepped off the front deck of My house and started down the west wall.Since the rat was lying on its Back with its feet sticking up I scanned the ground around it as I walked Much slower and quickly spotted the snake which was abt two feet away From the rat.It was stretched out but still and seemed to have been approaching the rat when it saw me step off the deck and it had "frozen". I went slowly on the scene and stopped abt ten feet away and sat down On the grass very slowly and did not move.After looking me over by turning It's head in my direction and taking a few tongue flicks in less than five Minutes it decided not to concern itself and moved to the rat,located its Head and swallowed it down.It then departed in the direction of the swamp. I know that these big rattlers are dangerous.But I do not think they are agressive.I see them sometimes at a distance crossing the road taking a calm straight track with the rattle carefully held aloft.I am looking forward To the warm weather coming and the snakes that live around here will be Out and abt again. DD

I live in zone 7 at a mile high elevation in a large city. How these toads got in our walled in yard I have no idea! I also didn't know toads liked water ... these will dive to the bottom of the small 250 gal. freeform pond, stir up the sediment & scare the goldfish! One during the day lounges on a lily pad with just his head above the water & I found one in the near by strawberry bed ... hopefully eating some of the bugs there. I can take one in my hands & so unafraid & the dogs look but seem to have no interest in them... prefer chasing all the blue tail lizards in the yard! I hope (!!) that when I dig up the garden in spring that the toads if there will have already come up & wander elsewhere.... I can understand what you must have felt when that happened to you that spring!