Tadpole with odd swelling...

[Jace]

Thank you, Ebony. I am pretty worried. I didn't think I would get so attached to a tadpole. I hope he (or she) is a fighter....

[Iratus ranunculus]

If it is an infection, your options are limited. You may be able to clear it by increasing salinity a bit. You should be able to find articles online about what salinity to use, but pathogens tend to be a bit more sensitive about that than the frog.

If you are willing to risk it, Tetracycline is available for fish OTC in water soluble capsules(Marketed as Fishcycline). It is broad spectrume and may work. Tetracycline though tends to cause skin damage to amphibians.

[Jace]

Thank you for the information, Iratus. I have used Tetracycline in my fish tanks in the past and would prefer to stay away from that if at all possible. Poe is eating constantly, but the swelling does not look good. I don't know if it is just me, but if I look at him straight down, it looks like his tail is attached crooked to his main body, almost like his spine is twisted. I am wondering if there is a genetic component that is completely out of my control? I will still look into the salinity aspect, though, as I am willing to try anything. I included a couple of pics I took tonight as he was feeding....you can see that it just looks off....

[Ebony]

This looks like what I was saying in the other thread Jace.

[Jace]

Thank you Ebony. I feel better knowing that just because he is kinky on the outside, it won't affect the inside of him. I just wish the swelling would go away, though. In every other aspect he is behaving normally, so I am hoping for the best despite this oddity.

[Iratus ranunculus]

Thank you for the information, Iratus. I have used Tetracycline in my fish tanks in the past and would prefer to stay away from that if at all possible. Poe is eating constantly, but the swelling does not look good. I don't know if it is just me, but if I look at him straight down, it looks like his tail is attached crooked to his main body, almost like his spine is twisted. I am wondering if there is a genetic component that is completely out of my control? I will still look into the salinity aspect, though, as I am willing to try anything. I included a couple of pics I took tonight as he was feeding....you can see that it just looks off....

Yeah, from that angle it looks like a developmental malformation. They happen all the time in amphibians. If that is the case, as he absorbs his tail during metamorphosis it should go away.

[Jace]

Well, then I will hope for a somewhat speedy morph then. Thanks for the advice and positive feedback. I hate playing the wait and see game, but I really have no other choice. I will make sure he has clean water and regular feedings. Thanks again-I appreciate it.