Mantella betsileo tadpoles growing...need feeding advice.

[MantellaGuy]

Hi Rebel,
Welcome to Frog Forum.
I don't keep Mantella.
BUT.... someone very special , here on FF does
View Profile: MantellaGuy - Frog Forum

He may be away ?
I left him a visitor's message w/ a link to this thread?

Thank you for the notification Lynn

Special needs more like :P haha I'm kidding.

Firstly, Hi there Rebel and welcome to the amazing world of Mantella!

I will break down your post into smaller chucks as I find it easier to read and understand what is in reference to what.

I have about 8 tadpoles from about 100 eggs laid by Mantella betsileo.

Do you happen to have photographic evidence of this? As 100 eggs is incredibly precise and impossible for both M.betsileo and M.ebenaui to lay, unless you are talking about multiple clutches of spawn?

They hatched about a month ago and I've been feeding them crushed Spirulina tablets and ReptoMin.

Sounds good to me, but in the future (for future reference), I would use Tetra Pro Algae, as I use solely this and produce a lot of healthy offspring yearly.

They seem to be growing quickly. I am concerned about the metamorphosis.

Do you know how many days it has been since they have hatched? Full Metamorphosis is completed at a 44-46 day stage, at this point their tails would be quite small and practically gone.

I have a tank set up with an inch or two of water and many Java moss "islands," but not sure about feeding.

I would recommend placing the Tank that they are in, at an angle if possible and having the area which is absent of water covered in moss. This prevents any accidents such as metamorphs getting stuck underneath the moss which would be partly submerged, it happens.
Feeding though is not an Issue, they will feed very happily on Springtails (Folsomia candida) and possibly Hatchling (1-2mm) Black Crickets (Gryllus assimilis). The Metamorphs will be around 9-10mm maybe a bit more so they won't be the smallest of Mantella morphs, there are one that are even smaller out there. haha

The adults are barely able to eat fruit flies.

They definitely shouldn't and wouldn't be struggling to eat Fruit Fly at an Adult stage considering they are one of the larger species within the Mantella genus. Mantella bernhardi are probably one of the smallest species within the genus of Mantella, and they have no issues eating Fruit Fly;

Mantella bernhardi
♀ - 18-21mm
♂ - 15-18mm

Mantella betsileo
♀ - 22-28mm
♂ - 20-26mm

Fruit Fly
♀ ♂ - 2-3mm

So I wouldn't worry at all, you will be fine some Fruit Fly are bigger than others however, If you stick to what was recommended in the above quote it will be fine.

Plus, when should I transition them from the dish to the vivarium?

Dish? Slightly confused as to what they are in currently, any photographs? You are best off with a Really Useful Box (RUB) or an Aquarium with an incredibly secure lid as those guys will climb.

Hope this helps and feel free to ask any questions.

Kind regards,

Joshua Ralph

[Rebel]

Hopefully you can see my pics, tho probably they are sideways. One shows some of the eggs. I see 50 or 60 but some are hidden. They laid the eggs outside of water so i moved them to a container. I may have caused some damage because i didnt know the best way to lift them. I thought they were dead because thry took over a week to hatch, but my basement is mind of cool. I put the container on a heat cable and covered it with a piece of glass. I have 2 aged 10 gallon tanks available, one mostly aquatic and one mostly vegetation. I have lots of available java moss to add if needed.