My ADFs mate!

[Pekams]

I bought one male and one female ADFs this Tuesday, in the past three days I often heard they sing at night. And today I saw the male one
clasped the female one from back. Were my ADFs mating? How long will the female lay eggs? and what should I take care during ADF pregnancy?

[Jenste]

well your ADFs do not have pregnancy. They lay the eggs during mating, the female does not carry fertilized eggs.

You will have to separate the adults from the eggs immediately after mating - they will eat their own eggs and tadpoles.

ADF will often mate with out producing eggs...call it practice if you will haha.

Males will often call several times a week, they are persistent little fellas.


If you do have fertilized eggs, when they hatch they eat live organisms from the water, not filter feed like clawed frogs. For feeding they will need a live daphnia culture.

Also, make sure you have the equipment, time, and space to raise the possibly hundred of tadpoles.

They will need daily water changes and are extremely sensitive to water conditions.

[Pekams]

Thank you! Today I find that there are many dotted small black dots in back of some leaf of waterplants. Are those black dots eggs of ADF?

[Jenste]

yup, those would be eggs.

It is quite hard to raise the tadpoles so it is up to you on how you want to proceed. If you want to try, you need another tank - a minimum of 10 gallons but 20 is better and you need to start growing live food cultures today so they are ready when the tadpoles hatch and need to start feeding.

[Pekams]

Maybe I don't have such condition to raise them. However, I stll want to know how to gorw live food culture. Is it to culture live water flea?Thank you!

[rivkah]

I am mostly a fish keeper.... as such I make what is commonely called "green water", basically put some lettuce in a clear glass jar, place the jar on a very sunny windowsil. generally with a week or so, the water turns green, and begins to develop all sorts of microscopic critters which is used as first foods for newly hatched fish, as well as ADF tadpoles. I agree with 'jenna', raising a spawn is hard, it is keeping up with the feeding and water quality. But, I strongly recommend that you try -- nothing is more rewarding at raising that first group. You are already a head of most: you got eggs. Congrats!

The only other thing I would suggest: generally males can be rather persistent and will harrass the female.... depending upon your tank size you might want to think about adding at least one other female so that persistence will be spread around and make sure they has some hiding places to get away from him when they need to.

[Jenste]

The eggs were from Early October - - The best food for ADF is Baby Brine Shrimp and it is easy to do your self with an 2L plastic soda bottle, an airstone/aerator, aquarium salt, a lamp, and coffee filters.

[Jakub T]

I successfully reproduced the ADF's. One of the best food for the tadpoles is dried and grated to dust egg yellow, and the hatch of Cyclops. I had tadpoles in a 10 liter tank and never (or rarely) changed the water (loss of small, live food).

[rivkah]

Congrats!!! It the the best affirmation that you are doing everything right. You ADFs are happy and healthy and reward you for all your efforts with the most natural of behaviors.

There is no one right "best food", what worked for me could be very different from what works for "Jenna", both are right. I see that you found your own way that works for you. And I understand not changing the water often... sometimes to too clean tank will remove the micro organisim that naturally will occur in a tank.

Again congrats on your new additions