I realized I never came back to this thread after looking up info on tadpoles. I thought they would eat both algae and "prey," and it turns out they do, but at different points in their life cycle. Smaller tadpoles stick with algae. Once they start growing legs and turning into frogs, though, they become carnivorous and will eat anything that fits into their mouths.
I have 5 fat late-season tadpoles in a clear plastic container in the house right now. We fished them out of one of the water garden pots just before the first frost. We've been rearing a few in the house all summer, letting them go when they turn into frogs, catching a couple more... but I'm not sure what to do with these. I'm hoping they'll metamorphose before the weather turns really cold, so they can be released to go wherever tree frogs go for the winter!
