ACF tadpoles with kinked tails?

[Kyryah]

I purchases these tadpoles a couple of weeks ago, since when they have grown and advanced by leaps and bounds. They are over 2" long, all have budding rear legs and are the largest, healthiest, hardiest I have raised to date. They are fed currently a slurry of soaked (in tank water) agar wafers, crushed flake, Reptomin, spirulina power and fly meat pellets.

So I wake up this morning and four have developed kinks over night. I have a chair by their tank and I sit and observe them at length, so I know for a fact that it was really that sudden. So far I have added some calcium supplement to their food, but I'm looking for answers.

Tank is cleaned daily, 50% water change, almost 100% every other day. The water is treated with Seachem Prime. I haven't lost a single one and up until now they've done great.

So anyone that has had this problem, have you discerned the cause? What was the fatality rate with kinked tads, and how did they continue to develop? Did any make it to froglets? How healthy were the froglets?

Thanks in advance!

[Kyryah]

Well I haven't got any answers, but I'll add this. I did a thorough tank cleaning and water changed, and added some epsom salt and calcium carbonate to up the GH. They appear to be straightening out. I'm not holding my breath, but I am hoping this works. I counted 7 with kinks out of 34.

I would still appreciate any input.

[celticstarb]

Kinked tails are really common with ACFs. Sometimes the reason isn't obvious. Nutrition, overcrowding and tank parameters are just a few contributing factors.

I sugest switching to the tadpole food sold by Xenopus Express. I use it and have noticed a marked decrease in kinked tails ans mortality. Their food is very affordable, even with shipping. I buy large amounts and freeze it to use later. If not frozen, it lasts around a year.

If caught in time, kinked tails shouldn't cause any problems with the frog after they become froglets. Once they grow front legs, I start to add small amounts of sinking xenopus pellets for the froglets to eat. Once their mouth starts to change, they can no longer filter feed. A pic may give us a bit more to go on.

[Kyryah]

This isn't my first time raising them, and the first two times i had 100% success. The only difference is that I purchased these, and I don't think they were being fed enough. I started three weeks ago with 34, and still have 34, while a week ago the person I purchased them from suffered a massive die off, lost 100 with only 15 remaining.

I've been very conscientious with water quality and use Seachem Prime daily to lock ammonia. Unfortunately the food I have is the food I have at this time. I've not had issues the previous two times. The tank is 20 gallons filled to 12 gallons capacity.

I'll try to upload a couple of pictures I took earlier in a separate message. It's a difficult process from my phone.

I do not want to lose these guys. What can I expect as far as survival, even with the kinks?

[Gemma]

The same thing happened to some of my ACF tadpoles. They were developing normally and then all of a sudden a few of them got kinked tails. Like yours, their tails straightened out quite quickly and I didn't have any fatalities. All of the tadpoles developed normally from that point onwards and I couldn't tell that they were ever like that. Hopefully yours will be fine too.

I posted a thread on here when this happened to mine, and I remember someone suggesting that it could have something to do with a mineral deficiency in my tap water as I live in an area with soft water, but I don't know for sure what the cause was.

It sounds like you're doing a good job with them. I hope they develop normally now that they're straightening out.

[Kyryah]

I just did the major obligatory tank clean. I still have a few with kinks but it's strange. The kink doesn't involve the top spine line. That is straight. It's just the tail itself. I've had no fatalities and no more have kinked. Strangely only my dark tads were affected, none of the albino. All of the kinks are well past the pelvic point so I have hope they will develop normally. They are approaching three inches and starting to move their legs autonomously.

I'm sorry I couldn't upload pics, it just wouldn't work.