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Thread: What is killing my grey tree frog tadpoles?

  1. #1

    Default What is killing my grey tree frog tadpoles?

    Photo album of my tadpole setup: http://imgur.com/gallery/LuD7i

    I allowed my setup to cycle for about a month prior to adding anything - I used a filter from a coworker's 50 gallon goldfish tank to inoculate it, confirmed that all the water parameters were correct (and then went to the local fish store for them to confirm). I got 9 grey tree frog tadpoles from someone's above ground pool on Wednesday. I mixed some of my water in with the water they came in and let them acclimate for a few hours, then put them in this setup (which at the time had a lot more algae and no airstone). Thursday everything was fine, Friday three died and I panicked, thinking that maybe they weren't getting enough air with just the filter so I added the airstone, and today (Saturday) one more has died. they act normal and healthy until they die. I've been trying to get them to take boiled lettuce or zoo med tadpole and aquatic frog food, but all they seem interested in is the algae on the sides of the tank.

    What could I possibly be doing wrong? I'm very close to just tearing down the whole tank and starting from with freshly treated tapwater, but I'm worried that if I do they won't eat (since so far all they've wanted is the algae)

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  3. #2
    100+ Post Member elly's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is killing my grey tree frog tadpoles?

    I don't know, but I would check the temperature and suspect that the algae's toxic. Are the tads bloating up? Sometimes that can be caused by ingesting air with food.

  4. #3

    Default Re: What is killing my grey tree frog tadpoles?

    Quote Originally Posted by elly View Post
    I don't know, but I would check the temperature and suspect that the algae's toxic. Are the tads bloating up? Sometimes that can be caused by ingesting air with food.
    The temperature is 74.5 degrees F, I'm not sure how to figure out if the algae is toxic (google suggests that it's green dust algae, or maybe fuzz algae? It looks very fluffy, grows to a length of a little under a half inch, and then starts peeling off the glass under its own weight - I also used to have a little surface algae but they ate it), but no the tads aren't bloating up. I crossposted to a few different forums, and someone suggested that they might be starving? They suggested adding spirulina algae and brine shrimp, do you think that would help? They do have access to tadpole food, they're just not eating it. I tried giving them peas and one of them seems to like them. The same one sort of glided over a boiled lettuce leaf making sucking motions for a while but I couldn't tell if he was actually eating from it.

  5. #4

    Default Re: What is killing my grey tree frog tadpoles?

    FYI: I solved the problem, it ended up being a pH issue, see link: http://imgur.com/gallery/prDZi

    I figure if anyone else is googling "tadpoles dying" in a panic several years from now, they should have the solution too.

  6. #5
    100+ Post Member elly's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is killing my grey tree frog tadpoles?

    Thanks for updating, you might have helped someone else.

  7. #6
    100+ Post Member daybr4ke's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is killing my grey tree frog tadpoles?

    Hi! Unfortunately I missed your thread when it was posted, but the ph issue makes sense and I'm glad you caught it. Personally when I keep tadpoles I initially keep them in the water they were found in, which I manually cycled out for treated tap water every other day or so, removing around 20% each time, to allow them to acclimate to the new water conditions. I keep them in small groups in deli cups. Once the water is essentially just tap water I can make full switches easily. To be honest though, the work to maintain them that way, especially with a lot of tadpoles is a bit much, and I'll probably be using a filtered tank next time myself. I'm really glad your tadpoles pulled through and made it to metamorphosis. Also, nice imgur album.
    Edit: almost forgot: Over here in California Greys are a fairly common cheap treefrog in the pet trade, while the local frogs I keep, Pacific Treefrogs are nowhere to be found(saw some once at a shady pet store, likely wild caught or collected as tadpoles.). It makes me wonder if in other parts of the US Pacific Treefrogs are commonly available.
    1 Male Giant African Bullfrog
    2 Woodhouse's Toads
    11 Pacific Treefrogs
    1 Dubia Roach Colony
    2 Australian Green Treefrogs

  8. #7

    Default Re: What is killing my grey tree frog tadpoles?

    No, even here on the East Coast I generally only ever see green tree frogs (Hyla cinerea) and dumpy white's tree frogs. It's funny that you have a lot of greys available, though. I guess pets available for sale can be very regional!

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