Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just mated the offspring of a previous cross of Albino x 'Normal Dark' Xenopus laevis. These two parents were neither albino nor 'normal' dark colored, but looked to be a blend of the two colors. It will be interesting to see the coloration of this brood!

My question: several hundred hatchlings are just today starting to attach to the sides of my aquarium, where they will spend a several days growing larger and stronger, before free swimming / feeding. Xenopus breeders have emphasized to me keeping water clean and oxygenated. But when I turn on my air pump / air stone, the turbulence it creates knocks many hatchlings off their attachment site. The hatchlings then get caught up in the water current, and just tumble around. This can't be good! Should I use this air pump / air stone, or just forget about it? thanks!

You have to reduce the air current so that there's only a gentle flow. You can find more information on this topic if you click here.

I created a lesser air current by getting one of those adjustors that allow you to, well, adjust the airflow going to the stone. They hang on the rim of the tank and have a little knob that you turn to increase/decrease air flow. They are pretty cheap at aquarium stores. For the tiny hatchlings, I had nothing but the slightest aeration, but I increased it as the tads grew. Some air pumps have a screw in them that you can tighten/loosen to do the same thing, but I think the newer ones don't usually have this.

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2.1 Ball pythons: Goblin, Nothing, and Bela
1.0 Boa Constrictor Imperator: Apache
0.1 albino Cranwell's horned frog: Bene
1.0 Tiger salamander: Slasher
1.0 black kittycat, Inky
A bunch of Oscar cichlids, one giant pleco, huge breeding lot of "fancy" (read: deformed) goldfish, and me an' the boyfriend.