Rescued a tadpole from a carnival. NEED HELP!

[MissyAmerica]

Hi Everyone!
I made the mistake of going to a fair last week... It was a mistake because I am a sucker for the poor poor animals they give away, and I always end up taking one home! Anyways I have never raised a tad pole or any reptile for that matter, and I am hoping to get some help. I am pretty sure my little guy is a bullfrog but I have no idea what type of BF exactly. If someone could let me know that would be a good start!
When I "won" him, he was in a bowl about 2 times the size of him. Since thn I have purchased a 10 gallon tank. I filled it about half way. put 1 tsp of conditioner in the water, and set him by the window. I live in So Cal in the Valley so it gets HOT. Is this an ok place for him? I also purchased a small floating island because I read online that as he changes he will want to crawl out. It is too small for when he becomes an actual frog so before I take it out of the box, I want to be sure I even need it. I also filled the bottom of the tank with some stones. (more for decor purposes than anything else) Is this ok? I do not have a filter, heater, or lamp, do I need these things? Also, when he does become a frog, is a 10 gallon tank big enough for him? and what modifications will I need to make to it?...Here are some more questions (I am full of them )
When can I expect him to become a frog?
When do I start feeding him live foods?
Do I have to feed him live food?
Even though I do not see him eat the food, is he eating it?
How do I know if he is healthy?
What temp should the water be at?
Can I and should I put other creatures in the tank with him (fish, beta fish, other frogs, snails,)
How often do I need to change the water?
When changing the water do I need to change all of it?
If I get a filter will I still need to change the water often?
Should I put anything else in the tank with him besides the floating island and the rocks?
He is always just sitting/laying in the bottom corner of the tank... is this normal?
I purchased both flake fish food AND tadpole pellets as well as tryed the lettuce method. which is best? (again I have not seen him eat ever!)
I attached 2 pictures, 1 being him close up in his origional tank, the other 2 are of his new tank with the black rocks and the island....
Thanks in advance for you help! I am sure I will have a million more questions as time goes by, I just want to be sure I am not killing the little guy!

[Kurt]

Welcome aboard. Since you live in LA, I don't think you will need a heater. If you use a filter, I think I would use something low powered. The tadpole should readily feed upon fish foods for now. It will eat live insects when it morphs and climbs out of the water. A healthy tadpole will have an appetite. You can do partial water changes, even if you have a filter, its still a good idea. The 10 gallon shall be fine for now, but I suspet the tadpole is a bull frog and it will need a much larger tank in time. I would not add any roommates to the frogs enclosure.

[Jace]

Hi Everyone!
I made the mistake of going to a fair last week... It was a mistake because I am a sucker for the poor poor animals they give away, and I always end up taking one home! Anyways I have never raised a tad pole or any reptile for that matter, and I am hoping to get some help. I am pretty sure my little guy is a bullfrog but I have no idea what type of BF exactly. If someone could let me know that would be a good start!
When I "won" him, he was in a bowl about 2 times the size of him. Since thn I have purchased a 10 gallon tank. I filled it about half way. put 1 tsp of conditioner in the water, and set him by the window. I live in So Cal in the Valley so it gets HOT. Is this an ok place for him? I also purchased a small floating island because I read online that as he changes he will want to crawl out. It is too small for when he becomes an actual frog so before I take it out of the box, I want to be sure I even need it. I also filled the bottom of the tank with some stones. (more for decor purposes than anything else) Is this ok? I do not have a filter, heater, or lamp, do I need these things? Also, when he does become a frog, is a 10 gallon tank big enough for him? and what modifications will I need to make to it?...Here are some more questions (I am full of them )
When can I expect him to become a frog?
When do I start feeding him live foods?
Do I have to feed him live food?
Even though I do not see him eat the food, is he eating it?
How do I know if he is healthy?
What temp should the water be at?
Can I and should I put other creatures in the tank with him (fish, beta fish, other frogs, snails,)
How often do I need to change the water?
When changing the water do I need to change all of it?
If I get a filter will I still need to change the water often?
Should I put anything else in the tank with him besides the floating island and the rocks?
He is always just sitting/laying in the bottom corner of the tank... is this normal?
I purchased both flake fish food AND tadpole pellets as well as tryed the lettuce method. which is best? (again I have not seen him eat ever!)
I attached 2 pictures, 1 being him close up in his origional tank, the other 2 are of his new tank with the black rocks and the island....
Thanks in advance for you help! I am sure I will have a million more questions as time goes by, I just want to be sure I am not killing the little guy!

Hi there and welcome to the forum. It definitely looks like you have a Bullfrog tadpole-I recently had one morph a few weeks ago myself and Poe looked exactly like your little one. Let's see if I can answer some of your questions in order starting with the top and working my way down:

(1) Bullfrogs can take a while to completely morph. Your tadpole looks fairly large, and though I can't quite see clearly, it looks like back legs have appeared. The back legs usually get longer and thicker before the front legs are ready to pop. You will be able to see where the front legs are coming in as bulges will form near the front part of the tadpole and you will be able to see movement under the skin. Once the front legs come through, the tail will start to get absorbed. It doesn't happen over-night, but once it starts, you will notice a change day by day. Water temperature plays a big role I discovered: cool/cold water (best for development) slows the morphing process, while warm water will speed it up. A quick morph is not always a good thing. Depending on back legs, you are looking at least a month, but it's always a guess.

(2) My tadpole did not look twice at live food. I used a combination of fish flakes and algae wafers and Poe did really well on them. Even if you don't see yours eating, if you see poop in the tank, then he is eating and doing his thing. You will not have to worry about live food until he has completely morphed and moved out of the water. Note: once his front legs are out, he will stop eating until the tail is absorbed. I worried the whole time, but Poe was fine. Once he morphs, it's live food from then on.

(3) If he is active, pooping and growing legs, he is healthy.

(4) Room temperature water is fine, though if you can keep it on the cooler side, it would be better. I had to move Poe from my living room (room temp of 30 degrees Celcius) to the kitchen with the air conditioner (a drop of 10-15 degrees) as his water was like my bath water. Still, Poe morphed real quick but no damage was done (hopefully). I would not keep the tank in the window, either. It might encourage algae growth which your tadpole would enjoy, but it could cause temperature fluctuations in the water and direct sunlight could hurt your tadpole.

(5) I did not use a filter or heater. Poe's water was no more than 4" deep when I first got him and then I lowered the water level to just barely covering him once he started sprouting legs....too shallow for any filter. I changed his water three times a week until I noticed his front legs were out. Then I did a water chance once a week until he came out of the water-less stress while he was morphing.

(6) Bullfrogs love to hide, so floating plant coverage would be ideal. I also purchased a small floating turtle dock and set that up in the tank. It provides a bit of extra cover to lessen stress, plus allowed a spot for a newly morphed froglet to get out of the water. Even with the dock, I kept the water level at around an 1" once all the legs were out as some frogs can drown if they do not have access to a land area. I did not keep any other fish or animals in the tank either. One, the water is not deep enough to support anything else in there, and two, Poe was stressed enough some days without something else in the water splashing him. Bullfrogs do not have strong nerves!!

(7) Your tadpole sitting on the bottom in the corner is normal...Poe did the same thing. A few times I thought he was a goner until I put my finger in there to make sure he was all right. Then he would spazz, splash water every where and make me jump...I guess my nerves are shot too! I blame Poe...

I am a worrier myself, and several wonderful members on the Forum have told me to just relax, enjoy watching the tadpole change to a frog and let Mother Nature do her thing. I still worry, so if you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I've included a few pictures of Poe in his various stages to give you and idea of what to expect. It really is a cool process to witness, so I hope you can witness it all! Oh, and have you picked out a name yet??

[bshmerlie]

That's great info thanks Jo-Ann

[JimO]

I just wanted to point out that when the front legs pop out, the morphing tad/frog is converting its gills to lungs, so it will need someplace to climb out of the water or it could drown. As it develops, you might want to lower the water level and have a rock or some moss for it to climb onto.

My son and I rescued three similar tads from a pool of water that was drying out and pump them in a decent sized lined pond we built this spring for some goldfish. I was thrilled a month or two later to see a couple of small bullfrogs hanging out on the shore. They are pretty shy and jump in the water if we get close.

Oh, and welcome to the forum.

[Deku]

Hmm here is my opinion and experience. I have caught and kept tadpoles constantly. Most of which morphed in to frog/toadlets. Only problem I used to had after that was finding fruit flies so id let the frogs go since they were native. Anywho as for caring for this little guy here is what you may need:
-10gallon tank
-Low powered filter(a hang on the back filter has lower suction, also the fluvals infilters are also good its all preferance). Just make sure the filter cleans up all t he waste but isnt strong that the tadpole is constantly fighting against a current.
-Air pump with air stones: this produces extra oxygen in the water which is a good thing to have.
-Pea sized gravel is really good because they can forage on it and it wont crush them. You can also use sand. Ived used sand before.
-Live aquatic plants: Provide some shelter and a secondary source of food.
-Food: I use spirulina waffers, algea waffers, shrimp pellets, fish flakes. You can also try dropping a small piece of fruit in every once in a while. Iam sure theyd appreciate that. I just avoid anything citrus.


You dont need a heater because they come from temprate regions. Which have a higher oxygen level because its colder. Colder water=higher oxygen. Warmer water=lower oxygen.

Warning!!!:
-DO NOT!!! Release this tadpole into the wild!!!! Bullfrogs are an invasive species!

Also frogs/tadpoles are not reptiles. They are amphibians.

Also you may and should get acquainted with the cycling proccess for fishtanks. Ammonia could possibly kill your tadpole.
Ammonia:Found on poop, urine and dying matter. Which your tank is not made for dealing with it. So again id get educated. Look onto a site called "fishforums.com" they SHOULD explain to you perfectly well on the cycling proccess. I mean id explain it myself but I dont know the exact phrasing for it. I just know how to cycle a tank.

I recommend you also heavily plant the tank. In my experience they feel more secure. Again thats just what I think. I mean I use duckweed, anachris, and a few other plants when I had tadpoles. They were fairly easy to keep. Id buy a plant light also itll keep the aquatic plants alive which will provide shelter for the tadpole and some grazing.

Temps should be around 72. Try not to get it to go more than 80 at most. That may be a little TOO warm for it. Ideal temps are 68-72. I could be wrong on that fact though because thats just the water temperature from my region which bullfrogs are native to.

Good luck and hopes this helps.

[JimO]

Warning!!!:
-DO NOT!!! Release this tadpole into the wild!!!! Bullfrogs are an invasive species!

If it's an American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), it is not considered an invasive species in LA, although it is a non-native species introduced in the 1920s. Here is a map showing its current range.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bullfrog_range.gif

It's range is mostly limited by high elevations and dry climates.

Here is a good California site about American Bullfrogs, with lots of pictures.

http://www.californiaherps.com/frogs...tesbeiana.html

[Deku]

If it's an American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), it is not an invasive species in LA. Here is a map showing its range.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bullfrog_range.gif

It's range is mostly limited by high elevations and dry climates.

Here is a good California site about American Bullfrogs, with lots of pictures.

Rana catesbeiana - American Bullfrog

Hm I stand corrected. I just thought they were introduced in the west(us) where they are becomming an invasive species.