Cane Toads?

[MICKAUS]

How do people deal with Cane Toads?
I will have to upgrade one day from my 2 x 2000L ponds to a single 5000L for my Koi friends, will I have to go above ground as my tanks are now?
How much to setup a 5000L besser block pond? not including filtration, but with a separate space to grow above water plants (dwarf papyrus, water irises, elephant ears).
What sealer to use? This local one has terrible reviews, https://www.bunnings.com.au/crommeli...ealer_p0960196.


Mick

[SouthernStarr]

Here in Florida, Cane Toads are invasive. We are told to kill them. One lick can kill a dog or cat. I have them in my yard. They make all kinds of traps but I’ve never tried them.

[Matt24]

Regarding the first question, while we don't have cane toads here, we do have small gray toads, big bull frogs, and somewhat large leopard frogs that may hop on over from the nearby stream or one of three nearby ponds. Sometimes I will go out to my koi ponds at night with a flashlight or head-lamp and use a game-fish net to net them and then relocate them down near the nearby stream. The don't all stay away, but this method seems to keep them somewhat under control.

[richtoybox]

Look at https://www.koiphen.com/forums/showt...d-construction or some other "block wall pond" builds in search feature at the top.

[MICKAUS]

Here in Florida, Cane Toads are invasive. We are told to kill them. One lick can kill a dog or cat. I have them in my yard. They make all kinds of traps but I’ve never tried them.

Invasive here too. My cat used to catch frogs at the last place, now we are somewhere with Cane Toads, I go out at night a couple times a week and kill them. I'm worried if I dig out a pond and use a liner they will jump strait in.

[Orlando]

Invasive here too. My cat used to catch frogs at the last place, now we are somewhere with Cane Toads, I go out at night a couple times a week and kill them. I'm worried if I dig out a pond and use a liner they will jump strait in.

I don't think cane toads are amphibians they belong to the terrestrial group of toads but could one accidentally fall in the pond I believe the odds are high that could happen.

[Orlando]

Invasive here too. My cat used to catch frogs at the last place, now we are somewhere with Cane Toads, I go out at night a couple times a week and kill them. I'm worried if I dig out a pond and use a liner they will jump strait in.

I don't think cane toads are amphibians they belong to the terrestrial group of toads but could one accidentally fall in the pond I believe the odds are high that could happen.

[taxijim]

I’ve had some experience with cane toads around my ponds, and honestly, the best way to deal with them is to put up some sort of barrier. I’ve used a fine mesh around my smaller ponds, and it works well enough. For your 5000L pond, I’d say going above ground is a solid choice. That’s what I did when I upgraded, and it’s much easier to manage. For the block pond, I’d estimate it’ll cost you around $1000-1500 for the materials alone (excluding filtration), depending on where you’re getting it from. As for sealers, I’ve tried a few, and I’d definitely avoid that one you linked with the bad reviews. I’ve had good results with Sikaflex and Aquaseal — both are made specifically for wet environments and hold up really well over time.

[aquaholic]

Hi Mick, Winston from QLDAF here.

You need at least 60cm height to stop cane toads but you might be able to go lower height if your top coping sticks out far enough to prevent climbers. Forcing them to climb into negative space/backwards. (Risky in my opinion). My treated pine sleeper ponds are 60cm high with hundreds of toads drawn to the moisture but not able to get in. Why don't you work out what's a comfortable sitting height for your walls?

Besser or brick or blocks make terrible ponds, especially if your soil swells. (Speaking from experience). Besser blocks aren't water tight and each mortar bead is a potential leak point. What I recommend instead is permanent PVC formwork for the walls - such as dincel or permaform. These are waterproof without needing membrane or coating. However you can add a crystalline additive like Penetron or Admix to make the concrete itself waterproof. Or use a high strength / high density concrete mix (say 40 MPa) or both. The formwork can still be rendered, painted or waterproofed over if you wanted a third layer of waterproofing. Or to change colour.

If you can't pour the concrete base at the same time (monolithic) as filling the formwork walls, add a water stop such as penebar between base and walls.

Send me a Private Message with your email address and I'll send you some technical specs/literature/installation manuals and contacts for products.

For a low height such as pond, you could probably pick up PVC formwork as builder surplus or off cuts from building demolition but it's not that expensive anyway. Simple enough to DIY if you are handy. You only need to support brace one side - usually the outside if your doing a monolithic pour with base.


EDIT: I manage toads with a trigger spray bottle of 50% diluted dettol.
A great trap is a buried 20 litre bucket with a swinging lid on string and solar light to attract bugs. The lid looks solid until they land on it and when it swings back it stops them leaping out. Add 5cm of salty water to kill them and a rope to let lizards out.

[MICKAUS]

Hello Winston,
I had this saved from QLDAF,


Thought it might be the way to go (probably not worry about the window due to costs and add a waterfall/feature part in the future if I felt like it), but keep the plant section.
This would be the cheapest option for me, so worth considering,
https://bladder.space/product/5000l-...r-fish-shrimp/


(The 5000L or 7000L)
I haven't heard about PVC formwork, do you mean to add the concrete into? then keep the lot?

[aquaholic]

Permanent formwork made of PVC. It's a hollow shell (formwork) to pour concrete into. Steel rebar is used in traditional manner but it will self center the steel rods. You don't dismantle the formwork afterwards. The PVC skin is 3mm thick - very sturdy but lightweight, easy to click together, curve, cut, drill etc. Can expell air pockets without vibration.
A thin wall - 110mm is fine unless your pond will be deep but a thicker wall is more comfortable to sit on or walk on.

https://dincel.com.au/products but they are all similar. Permaform less marketed - less known - cheaper. There would be other manufacturers most likely.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_tz4qdesMG0

[MICKAUS]

I did look them up, that vid gives me a bit better of idea. Pity the smallest length is 1200mm not 1000mm or a bit less. I'm not sure about Permaform do they only come in 6m lengths?

[Matt24]

Here in Florida, Cane Toads are invasive. We are told to kill them. One lick can kill a dog or cat. I have them in my yard. They make all kinds of traps but I’ve never tried them.

Is there any danger of a bunch of them poisoning the water and harming the koi?

[coolwon]

Like an octopus secretes black ink to protect itself while being chased.

It appears a cane toad will secrete a harmful horrible tasting mucous through glands on its back.

Two smooth ridges of flesh on South African frogs and toads. Not poisonous enough to kill.

Which could be harmful enough to make an animals mouth foam,like cats and dogs if they are persistently attempting to harm

the cane toad.

It could poison a small amount or quantity of

water, which could be detrimental to fish and aquatic life if one is attempting to catch it.

[coolwon]

Cane toads lay their eggs in water,which mature into tadpoles and eventually hop away.

Horses for courses.