What Was I Thinking?!

[Wood Nymph]

I got myself into a heckuva mess a few days ago. My boyfriend wanted to empty out an old boat full of rainwater to dispose of it. You probably already see where this is going. This is mid-October and there were tadpoles in it. Most of 'em didn't even have legs yet. It's been a weird season here in Indiana. Didn't figure they stood a chance with it being so late in the season. So, I told him that I wouldn't mind saving a few of 'em because it's likely to frost at any time. Now my definition of "a few" is like ... five or less. He comes back to me with a Tupperware container holding about forty! Maybe more. And a half dozen aquatic snails. He'd already dumped the boat. *sigh*


These are most likely leopard frogs. ??? They leap out in front of him when he mows his lawn. They're getting scarce these days. What could I do? Luckily Pet Smart had an aquarium sale of $1 per gallon. I picked up a 40 gallon tank, gravel, an expensive fake log and cheap plants. Already had an extra basking light setup and a water filter on hand. Oh yeah - I also purchased a hinged screen cover and locks!


After I covered the bottom with gravel, I built up a high area by covering a small plastic crate with substrate mesh and then artificial moss cloth. I arranged flat rocks in a step formation to hold all of that in place and created additional pebble slopes leading up to the terrestrial area. The maximum water depth is about five inches. The land area can be extended much wider when I have froglets. These are gonna have to live in my home until spring when I can release them in one or two of the horsetail swamps down by my large creek.


For now they seem happy. No casualties yet. They are eating boiled spinach, algae pellets, freeze-dried blood worms and fish food like it's going out of style. Gonna need to increase my cricket culture!! I imagine that tiny/small crickets, fruit flies, isopods, and small phoenix worms will do at first. Right? Worms and larger crickets for later.


Anyhow - here's what it looks like. All of the plants are fake except for the leaves and duck weed. The split log is elm. I think that should be safe. Any feedback or advice would be appreciated! How did I do? I'm in sooo much trouble. HELP!!

Front view


Aerial view


Right side views






Left side view (filter hidden behind plant)


Miscellaneous (two with hind legs and an aquatic snail)

[jasonm96]

Hey!

In a large tank the frogs may have a hard hard time catching the insects before supplements wear off and this is why breeders raise froglets in small tanks. This can be combated by gutloading the insects with a good diet consisting of a commercial gutload and fresh veg and fruit mixed with calcium, which should ensure they'll still get some nutrients should this happen. It's probably also best to feed in smaller amounts several times a day. You might want to use a 5% UVB with these guys as well, since they're heliotherms they get vitamin D from the sun like a reptile would whilst basking.

Good luck and keep us updated

[Wood Nymph]

Thanks! Good to know about the 5% UVB. I always gutload and feed my crickets produce. They, (and all of my other feeders) are sprinkled with calcium and multivitamin powder. Really don't know how all of this will turn out. I could pick up small tanks for the froglets. This is gonna be like a 3-ring circus!!

[elly]

Once they lose their tails they'll be hungry. It might not be a bad idea to release them then. Either that or get more fruitfly kits than you think you'll use.

[jasonm96]

I think you should be fine with the tank you've got then, I wouldn't bother

[Wood Nymph]

Once they lose their tails they'll be hungry. It might not be a bad idea to release them then. Either that or get more fruitfly kits than you think you'll use.

Elly, by the time they lose their tails, we'll probably be into November. There would be no outdoor bugs. We could well be snow covered. I dunno if they'd have enough reserves to go into hibernation. I think I'm stuck. Anyone want free froglets? LOL

[Marinecrab]

That's a very nice setup, does it come with the froglets?

I live in Florida so its pretty warm all round.

[Wood Nymph]

That's a very nice setup, does it come with the froglets?

I live in Florida so its pretty warm all round.

LOL! I think it would take a crane to lift it. That tank is 36L x 18W x 24H. It's a beast. Imagine what the shipping would be!

[Marinecrab]

LOL! I think it would take a crane to lift it. That tank is 36L x 18W x 24H. It's a beast. Imagine what the shipping would be!

I can just drive my forklift across the states!


Haha, I only kid. Again, beautiful setup.

[Wood Nymph]

I can just drive my forklift across the states!


Haha, I only kid. Again, beautiful setup.

Yeah - I knew ya were kiddin'. But, thank you. I only hope that they like it. Dunno for sure. They aren't swimming around foraging like maniacs today. In fact ... they are being pretty darned sedate. This could mean any number of different things (I think):

A - They've calmed down and are getting accustomed to the paparazzi.
B - They don't like the way that I cook spinach.
C - They've eaten so much that they aren't as hungry.
D - They've eaten too much and aren't feeling well. I sure hope it isn't this one. I've been giving them three small meals a day. Don't wanna foul the tank too much.

It seems to me that, in their natural state, tadpoles don't move around a whole heckuva lot unless they are freaked out or hungry. Hopefully they have just calmed down and making themselves at home secure that they are now safe from raccoons and don't have to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

[Marinecrab]

I can't imagine any semi-aquatic frog species that'd hate that setup, if you find one that does let me know so I can slap him into reality. I had the same experience with tadpoles as you are currently, found them in an old fishtank we had sitting outside during the rain season here in florida and it was full of large tadpoles, Girlfriend pulled the "But they're so cute, please" with puppy eyes and we decided to keep them during the hurricane, after about a day or so of keeping them my girlfriend stated that they didn't move around as much and it started to worry her, just keep it up, try lettuce too tear it into tiny bits and let it fload, i've heard about people using algea waffers, but i've never tried. Between you and me I think it really all depends on the type of frog/toad.

[Wood Nymph]

I can't imagine any semi-aquatic frog species that'd hate that setup, if you find one that does let me know so I can slap him into reality. I had the same experience with tadpoles as you are currently, found them in an old fishtank we had sitting outside during the rain season here in florida and it was full of large tadpoles, Girlfriend pulled the "But they're so cute, please" with puppy eyes and we decided to keep them during the hurricane, after about a day or so of keeping them my girlfriend stated that they didn't move around as much and it started to worry her, just keep it up, try lettuce too tear it into tiny bits and let it fload, i've heard about people using algea waffers, but i've never tried. Between you and me I think it really all depends on the type of frog/toad.

I got a chuckle out of the "But they're so cute, please"!! Made me giggle. Good idea with the lettuce. I just gave them some. They like the algae wafers. However, my boyfriend and I are going down to the creek today to collect a few rocks with growing algae in the area where the wild leopard frogs hang out. I also procured some pelleted tadpole food. The jury is still out on that stuff. I added a small floating lily pad to the tank yesterday. Who knew that some tadpoles could be so expensive!

[herpdoc]

These guys look like some sort of tree frog tadpole (could be a Green Tree Frog, especially since they tend to breed later in the summer). If you look closely the ends of the developing feet look a little rounded which suggests this. the big trouble is feeding them when they morph (you can start off with flightless fruit flies (make sure your tank can close tightly) and then pinhead crickets.

[Wood Nymph]

These guys look like some sort of tree frog tadpole (could be a Green Tree Frog, especially since they tend to breed later in the summer). If you look closely the ends of the developing feet look a little rounded which suggests this. the big trouble is feeding them when they morph (you can start off with flightless fruit flies (make sure your tank can close tightly) and then pinhead crickets.

Could be tree frogs. I know that we have grays in the area. Never saw greens, but that doesn't mean they aren't here. The only times that I see tree frogs is when they paste themselves to my picture windows to collect night flying insects. I usually have three at a time patrolling each window until the weather cools. I've got three large fruit fly cultures going/producing, and the media to produce much more. I also raise pinheads but am ramping up production. Yer right: they are no trouble right now. The real trouble comes when they morph. Eek!

Now about preventing fruit fly escape: How do I do this? I won't be able to lift a 36 x 18 sheet of glass as a topper. What I have now is a hinged screen cover. Anyone tried "Bug Blade"? I got it from Josh's. It's supposed to form a barrier that small insects can't cross. ??? So far it's been keeping the fruit flies from escaping my mantis terrarium. But it's a diatomaceous earth powder that would be difficult to apply to the inner rim of a huge tank. Hard to keep in place too. Any thoughts on a thin barrier of petroleum jelly around the inside inner rim? Sure could use some opinions.

[herpdoc]

When I used to rear wood frogs from tadpoles (these are the smallest froglets I've dealt with), I put the froglets in a tupperware container with a few small holes with fruit flies. The froglets then go to town and usually finish eating within 10-15min. I then put them back in the tank. Alternatively, I think pinheads would probably be ok and this would be the easiest step.

[Wood Nymph]

When I used to rear wood frogs from tadpoles (these are the smallest froglets I've dealt with), I put the froglets in a tupperware container with a few small holes with fruit flies. The froglets then go to town and usually finish eating within 10-15min. I then put them back in the tank. Alternatively, I think pinheads would probably be ok and this would be the easiest step.

Excellent! That sounds like a great way to deal with the fruit fly issue. That is a lot of frogs to wrangle though. I'll also be using pinheads and x-tra small phoenix worms. Those would be okay in the tank since they can't climb. Just didn't know how to handle the fruit flies. Thank you!

[herpdoc]

Regarding how to get the fruitflies in the container, I would encourage them to come near the top of the jar where I kept them and then quickly open and then tap some into the frog feeding container then quickly close up both containers. You have to be quick and accept that a few fruitflies will get loose. Hopefully these are the mutated flightless type.

[Wood Nymph]

Regarding how to get the fruitflies in the container, I would encourage them to come near the top of the jar where I kept them and then quickly open and then tap some into the frog feeding container then quickly close up both containers. You have to be quick and accept that a few fruitflies will get loose. Hopefully these are the mutated flightless type.

Oh yeah - these are the flightless types. Both melanogaster and hydei. I feed the melanogasters to my dead leaf mantis nymph and use much the same procedure as you described. A slippery funnel makes it easier for me. So does putting the culture in the fridge for 5 minutes beforehand. Slows those puppies down a bit! But not for long. Those escapees are swept up by the edge of a piece of paper before they can get too far.

[Marinecrab]

Wish I could give you advice, but we were lucky enough to not have tree frog tadpoles, just Florida Southern Toads. But yes, its funny how even the most cheapest species of frog can end up costing you hundreds I feel like that's the catch, having you spend more money at their stor I have Four Fire bellied toads, my girlfriend named them all. They all cost 7.15 per frog and ended up costing me more than $400, the main cost was the gravel and decorations. We actually picked up the 55 gallon tank with its stand and screen for 55 bucks at our local family owned petstore, was great and looks great. We plan on adopting the last Fire Bellied this weekend.

Excited to see how it goes and I will check up on this thread every day or two!

[Wood Nymph]

Wish I could give you advice, but we were lucky enough to not have tree frog tadpoles, just Florida Southern Toads. But yes, its funny how even the most cheapest species of frog can end up costing you hundreds I feel like that's the catch, having you spend more money at their stor I have Four Fire bellied toads, my girlfriend named them all. They all cost 7.15 per frog and ended up costing me more than $400, the main cost was the gravel and decorations. We actually picked up the 55 gallon tank with its stand and screen for 55 bucks at our local family owned petstore, was great and looks great. We plan on adopting the last Fire Bellied this weekend.

Excited to see how it goes and I will check up on this thread every day or two!

Fire Bellied Toads are a riot to watch. I have four as well (all named - LOL!). They didn't cost me as much as yours. Picked up a $5 used aquarium at Goodwill complete with light strip and filter. That setup was turned into a paludarium complete with two green cory cats and a couple minnows to clean up the watery world beneath. The most expensive parts were the screen cover and locks. Those little devils are escape artists! Good luck with your new FBT this weekend.

The Tadpole Team still seems to be thriving. My boyfriend and I collected algae covered rocks this last weekend. I added them to the setup, and the tadpoles are munching away. There are faint bulges where the front legs will appear on some of them. Still no casualties. A water change is due today. I have to wonder about some of the tadpoles that are so much smaller. A different species perhaps? We shall see ...