Help with RETF tads...

[ulyssis]

I have about 40 RETF tadpoles in a rearing tank at the moment. They are about 4 weeks old now. Seem pretty healthy. Growing, eating, swimming.

The past week, however, I've started getting deaths within the population. Not massive numbers. Maybe 1 a day if that. I think in total I've lost maybe 6-7 so far. But it's happening regularly it seems. Each day there is a new lifeless tad at the bottom of the tank. I quickly remove the decease from the general population. Some tads have been victims of cannabalism as when I find them they are missing their tails. Others are full tads.

Nothing has change aside from the fact that I add water to the tank to give them more space. I feed them daily, a mixture of tadpole pellets and tropical fish flakes. They don't have a problem eating. The water is distilled treated with blackwater extract, Java moss, indian almond leaves and duckweed. I have an external canister filter and water heater also. The heater and filter have been separated from the tads using a screen mesh.

Is this normal? At this rate I may not have any left once they are ready to transition out of the water.

[Diver]

Not normal, no. My rate of loss is close to zero when growing RETF tadpoles. Why are you using distilled water instead of treated tap water?

[ulyssis]

Not normal, no. My rate of loss is close to zero when growing RETF tadpoles. Why are you using distilled water instead of treated tap water?

I was advised to use either distilled, RO or treated tap. No reason other than that.

[Diver]

Can't say I've ever heard of anyone using pure water for tadpole rearing, if anything minerals are considered vital same as in frog water bowls. They don't live in pure water in the wild after all. It's the only obvious thing you're doing differently apart from mine get fed a lot more, at 4 weeks they should be emerging from the water. Do they have back legs yet?

[ulyssis]

No they do not. Hmmm. Under developing?

[ulyssis]

How often do you feed?

[Diver]

Four times a day with flake, but they also have boiled kale available at all times.

[ulyssis]

https://vimeo.com/144389706

This is what they looked like 3 weeks ago. The color is not true tho. Took it with my phone.

[Diver]

I'd do a partial water change for treated tap and feed a lot more, see how you go.

[ulyssis]

Will do.

[ulyssis]

Did a partial water change, about half, with treated tap water (ZooMed reptisafe), last night when I got home from work. Less than 24hrs (this morning, leaving for work) and I notice the tads more energetic and moving a lot more. Hopefully that's a good sign.

[ulyssis]

Diver, what should my setup be when the tads have spawned limbs and are ready to climb out of the water? I'm going to need to prepare that tank soon.

[jasonm96]

This might be a obvious one but did you let the water set for 48 hours before introducing it, this prevents gas bubble disease. Also water added should be same temperature

[ulyssis]

This might be a obvious one but did you let the water set for 48 hours before introducing it, this prevents gas bubble disease. Also water added should be same temperature

Nope and yes.

[jasonm96]

Could be gas bubble then, I know treated tap water needs to sit and degas although I'm not sure with bottled distilled water. I'd put cork flat for them getting out of the water. I wish you all the best, you gotta show us some pics of the froglets��

[elly]

I've heard of distilled water being used for dart frogs since dart tads are reared in bromeliads which just collect rainwater. Tree frog tads are more likely to be reared in puddles and ponds on the ground so they've probably adapted to a higher mineral content.

[jasonm96]

I donno if this was about my last response but it wasn't the type of water being used it was about gas bubbles that are in all water that's not been left out to sit which effects the gills of the tads but not sure if this is the same case with bottled, might be with treated tap

[elly]

Oh, I thought so. Just thought I'd mention it, (then decided not to mention it because OP said they'd used treated water.) Sorry about that.

[Diver]

Diver, what should my setup be when the tads have spawned limbs and are ready to climb out of the water? I'm going to need to prepare that tank soon.

You can keep them where they are if the tank has a lid. Something floating on the water or an island of some sort would be useful, but in practice they'll climb the glass. A top with ventilation is needed as you don't want the glass they are going to climb too wet or they might drown trying to climb it and slipping. When they've climbed out you can move them to their rearing cage.

[ulyssis]

No deaths since water change. Thanks Diver!