I have baby grays! What should I do next?

[hydra311]

You're gonna have losses. It's a cruel fact. No matter WHAT you do. I tried for 4 yrs. to raise them and was not until last year I had success. But even then, a good many losses. 130 got released and 5 spent the winter with us because I REFUSED to let them go after the first cold snap hit. They got turned loose the day after Mother's Day this year. The trickiest part is the transition between the back legs and front legs coming in. Bare in mind now... I'm working with HUNDREDS of these suckers! The eggs are laid in hard shelled kiddie pools and it's not until they start getting pretty good sized and 'pudgy' I start separating. As soon as they start sprouting back legs they go in a plastic dish tub filled about halfway with water. DISTILLED or chlorine removed! As soon as I notice the back legs getting bigger and stronger looking I move them to another container with maybe 1/2 to 3/4" of water. That's when they start to kind of 'shrink' and look like they have 'chipmunk cheeks' because the front legs are getting ready to pop out. I also put a rock or something they can climb up on just in case one gets overlooked. As soon as the front legs pop out they go to another container that has maybe 5-6 smallish flat rocks with less than 1/2" of water. Tree Frogs are NOT good swimmers even fully grown so if they are in to much water they're going to drown. I try to make sure that they can 'hop' along the bottom but still get their head above water to breath. I also have a screen over this container because usually it's only 24-36 hrs. if that long before they start climbing the sides. The rocks give them something to sit on when they decide to hop out of the water too. I usually wait until the tail is absorbed and then move them into a container (kind of like a 'critter carrier') but with a small jade plant ('trainer tree') and small dish with just a tiny bit of water and the Eco Coconut ground cover. I also put a piece of VERY fine mesh tulle between the container and the lid because those little suckers are crafty! They can squeeze through those small vents!! Then from that point on I keep the container misted and they start getting fed the flightless fruit flies. After about a week or so I transfer them to the "Big Frog Nursery" which is a larger vivarium type container. Lather, Rinse, Repeat with the misting & fruitflies and I do still have a shallow dish of water in there that they do like to hop in and out of from time to time. After a few weeks in there and I know they're ok it's off to find their Mom's & Dads! I had 13 waiting at the top of the container this morning ready to be transferred to the first 'nursery' and there's probably gonna be at least 5 more by morning. I will say that doing it like this cut the mortality rate I was having by about 80%!