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tadpole has changed....

Nicesharck Aug 26, 2003 03:57 PM

Hi,
I need some advice. I have raised bull frog tadpoles to frogs but this is a first time I have raised grey tree frogs. One of my tadpoles now is a tiny frog. he still has a tail. I was wondering if he could be in with the two adults that I have or if he is too small? also, if he can not when is a good time to put them together? I do not what the adults eating them.
How soon does this one need to eat? I also noticed that he does not swim very well. Is this common? I have added more "land" so he can stay out more but when he gets scared he tries to swim. Will he drown? Thanks for the help.
Robyn

Replies (6)

wtfgirl Aug 26, 2003 09:41 PM

Tha basic rule fot mixing frogs of the SAME speices but different sizes is that if one can fit in the others mouth, don't do it. I'm betting your little morph could fit in the adults mouth so I wouldn't do it. It's not that the adults are horrible, frogs see movement, they eat. They won't distinguish between a baby one of them and a piece of food.

If it is a morph, having both front legs and a formed mouth get him out of the water totally and drain the water away or he'll drown.

He may not have an appetite for a few days, maybe a week, whilst he absorbs the nutrients from his tail. Once the tail is almost gone try him with seom fruit flies or tiny crickets.
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Nicesharck Aug 26, 2003 09:55 PM

Hi,
thanks for the info. I do not have a place to put him right now other than the tank he is in and the adults.
What I will do is take the remaining 5 tadpoles with back legs and put them in a dish in this tank and let the froglet have the rocks and fake trees. he is in the tree now and this morning he had a small tail and now it is almost gone. I put in some tiny flies and I am trying to catch some gnats. How long will the others take to get their front legs? I never thought that they would be that small as the tadpoles seem big compared to the froglet. I know they are the same as the tadpoles looked alike until they started getting legs. Now they are different sizes. How many pincrickets do these little guys get. I have never had ones so small.
Thanks for all your help.
Robyn

cheshireycat Aug 27, 2003 12:11 AM

Can't you put the individual tadpoles into plastic cups so that you can take the water out of the enclosure the froglet is in? I keep hearing about people's froglets that drown, so if it's breathing air, don't risk it.
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Got hips like Cinderella / Must be having a good shame / Talking sweet about nothing / Cookie I think you're Tame

wtfgirl Aug 27, 2003 01:04 AM

Put the tadpoles in a bowl, container, jar, glass goldfish bowls are good and cheap.

Make the tank that they were in a land tank and get the changed morph into that.
The others may take longer to turn, depending on many factors.
If you do this set up, then when they change you can just stick them in with the other morphs.

He still may not eat for a couple of days.

My pinheads for my morphs are the size of ants!!! they are a bit hard to handle lol.

I feed mine about 10 every 2 days. Calcium dusted every 2nd feed.

Morphs need a large amount of food to put weight on and grow but just be careful they don't get too obese.
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ellasmommie Aug 27, 2003 01:49 AM

You can also use a shoebox sized plastic bin for your tads as well. You'll just have to check on them often and watch for those front legs to come through or they will just climb right out.

Set up the othet tank with just damp paper towel on the bottom (use treated water of course) a few plant clippings and some thin branches. Also, make sure that if you have a screen top that he can't squeeze through it!!! I know I had a few of my Cubans escape through the screen top when I caught one working his way through. I had no idea they'd be able to fit through that tiny opening but they did. (I just hope I don't find little dried froggies when I start packing)

Depending on the size of the froglet you can offer them 4-5 pinheads a day rather than a larger amount every other day. It's easier on their systems and digestion. Dust the pins every 3rd or 4th feeding with vitamin and calcium powder. Give him a couple days after his tail is completely gone before offering any food. Some will eat right away (My Cuban froglets were eating before their tails were completely gone) while others will take a while. (My Loepard frogs took 3 weeks before eating)

If you are able to raise the temp of the water with the tads to around 76-78 they may develope a little more quickly, but don't rush them, they are stringer and healthier if they are alowed to take their time.

Good Luck!
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Heather

Nicesharck Aug 27, 2003 10:49 PM

Thanks for all your help.
I can not seem to find pinheads at my LFS but they have very small crickets. I have been stunning flys and puting them in the cage and they seem to be gone. I do not think that they have gotten out. I will have to find some so that my husband and kids can feed them as I am having surgery friday.
I did take out all the water except for a shallow bowl that the tadpoles(with back legs) are in. I have a small rock and one end of a branch in this bowl. Hopfully if the froglet gets in he can get out and when the tads change they can get out also. The floor right now is just the slate bottom of the tank. this is a old tank- back when they made them with slate bottoms and metal frames. I am getting some moss for it tommarow.
The tadpoles already raise themselves up on the rock a little mostly when they are eating. but so far only back legs.
The froglet looks fat sometimes then really thin the next. Do they process their food fast? Sorry about so many questions but I never realized that they would be so much smaller than the bullfrogs,this little guy is about the size of a dime. Makes you relize how much you should learn before you get a critter. I just did not want them to die in my pool. I do not what him/her to starve so I will get some small crickets or pinheads if I can find them before friday. If not my husband said he will look for me.
Thanks again for all of your help.
Robyn

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