Help: tadpoles dying off

[Jack Flanagan]

Hi, first time poster, coming with a somewhat distressing story.

I have three Bombina. They've bred successfully (in what, one assumes, is a happy menage a trois) before, and I got about ten frogs out of it, which I gave away.

I presume it's normal that the female staggers her laying? Anyway, during this generation, the last set of hatched tadpoles, without exception, died. Or rather: disappeared over night. Given I was already looking to rehome ten froglets, I was'nt too upset about this...

Maybe it's worth mentioning what else lives in the tank. Apart from incidental creatures, like springtails and woodlice in the soil and microscopic water bugs in the water: two Amato shrimp, two Hatchet fish and one albino Cory. The tank has tons of java moss growing in it, as well as debris from the land like plant leaves and dead insects falling into it.

Anyway: they've bred again. But I've just discovered that the original twenty or so of the first hatching have slimmed to only three (!), plus the next hatched group, of about ten remaining, of which group there were twenty only yesterday. What could be happening? The ones which are dying are quite large, perhaps now half-an-inch length. It's been about two days since I last checked on them, and I've just discovered this incredible mortality tonight.

The only thing I can think of is that I didn't feed them at all yesterday, but they've been eating the java moss, as far as I can tell, and they've definitely been eating the algae. There are no bodies.

I've read around and I don't seem to be straying from the beaten path much, although I'm now concerned the (long-dried, aquatic-safe) sealant I used on the tank has been eaten by them... but that doesn't explain why ten made it through last time.

Tl; dr: FBT tadpoles are dying, apart from possibly starvation, I don't see any cause.

Any help really appreciated. I'm going to be more diligent with feeding, but I'm stumped.

[irThumper]

Disappeared? As in no carcasses? The only thing I can think of is they are either cannibalizing each other as they die off or something else in the tank is. Tadpoles don't just disappear into thin air... (or water) short of metamorphosized froglets escaping up out of the tank, which they can do as soon as they have all four legs

[Frogman1031]

Agree with Lisa. Something must be eating the tads. I would recommend putting the tads in their own tank.

[BrittsBugs]

Separate your taddies always, it sounds like you have too much going on in the tank to give a definitive answer. The options for who could be eating your taddies are endless.

Not to mention it's not uncommon for adult froggies/toadies to eat their own young.

(: Plus separating them and putting so many taddies to so many liters/gallons of water is better on the taddies health, and increases their chance of survival.


-BrittsBugs
Reptile & Amphibian Enthusiast
Insect Breeder
Former Rat Breeder
Pets: 6 AUS WTF's, 1 Hon Milk, 1 SM Corn, 1 BP, 5 H.Crabs, 1 C.Gecko, 4 RB Newts, 6 Betas, 5 MH Roaches, 1 L.Gecko, 1 W.Hognose, & so much more