Unknow tadpole?...help please!

[mogomoss]

Hello all,


A couple weeks ago I found a random tadpole in atank at the local pet store. I’ve always wanted to raise a tadpole since I wasa kid so I asked to buy it. The employee at the pet store said it came in a shipmentwith their feeder fish by accident. So I’ve been keeping it in my fish tank forthe last couple weeks. I’ve look up tadpole charts to try to figure out whatkind of frog it’s going to be but it’s very difficult to know for sure. Theonly reason I’m worried about it right now is because it’s just started growinglegs and I’m trying to figure out how to set up its habitat correctly. Rightnow I have a 10 gallon tank, water filter, screen top, 5.5” reflector clamplight and a turtle dock. Any pointers on figuring out what I need or figuringout what kind of frog my tadpole may be?

[Mentat]

Hello and welcome to FF! Sorry; but without pictures, size, and origin location it's impossible to provide an identification. Most tadpoles arriving on pet shops are American Bullfrogs. If your tadpole is greenish and pretty large (2-3 in. in length), it's probably that. A 10 gal. tank set up 75% wet and 25% dry would work for first month or so. If an American Bullfrog it will need a large tank as an adult; specially if a female. Good luck !

[mogomoss]

Here is a picture. I would say it's dark green maybe? with black spots and closer to 4in in size

[ColleenT]

looks like a bullfrog to me.

[Mentat]

At that size and from pic; tadpole is Rana catesbeiana, an American Bullfrog. Here is some discussion about them: http://www.frogforum.net/care-sheet-...caresheet.html. Pretty much you will need a large tank, a single male will do OK in a 55G, a large female will require a bigger tank still. Either 75:25 or 60:40 water to dry ratio will work OK. They spend lots of time at water's edge and are very shy frogs. Planting tank or decorating it to provide retreats will help the frog to relax.

Although different scale and dry to wet ratio, this article shows some pics about how to build a split tank: Frog Forum - Building Dart Frog Terrariums / Tropical Terrarium Construction. Other options are to use a false bottom or using aquarium silicone glue and a pane of glass to build a waterproof dam. The main concept being that you need to keep the dry section substrate (either shredded coco or ABG soil if going with live plants) dry or it will become waterlogged and a bacteria breeding bog. There are many member builds in the vivarium section that illustrate the different methods. Good luck !