Tadpoles, my have they grown!

[charlamanda]

Since I have taking the tadpoles in from the pool they have been growing fast. I now have 30 and most have doubled, tripled and even quadrupled their size. Here are a few pics from 10/21 and when I first took them in for comparison 10/13.
I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions what to put in the tank with them so they can climb when they grow their legs. None have any yet, but I am sure they will start very soon at this growth rate.
The first 3 pics are from 10/13 (21) and the rest are from 10/21 (30).
I am changing the water every other day and I don't treat it, since it's well water, I only let is sit for 24hr to bring it to room temperature. I am feeding them fish flakes I add water to and swirl prior to dumping into the tank so most of the flakes will sink to the bottom. I only feed them once a day, which seems to be enough. I don't have too much experience, since the last batch I left in the pool and only had to add water to the pool when it got too hot or evaporated, There was plenty of algae and leaves for them to eat.
Any advice or suggestions would be helpful.
Thanks.

[Greenlove]

Here's what I did when I rescued mine: The fish tank was empty when I did this (because I was afraid that I would crush them in the process, they are very fast swimmers). Anyways, I bought a twenty gallon tank and a large bag of aquarium gravel, I think it was called polished pebbles. I dumped the gravel in on one side of the tank until it was half way filled up, then sloped it kind of steep (but not too steep), your want them to be able to crawl up the hill of pebbles. The hill only took up maybe 1/3 of my tank. You'll notice (if you choose to do it this way), that the tadpoles like hanging out around the hill. I then filled up the tank with water until it was about 3/4 of an inch above the top of the hill of gravel. The tadpoles even like to go to the very top and sit, so I had to check every day that the water level was sufficient. I did not have any problems with this method. When they were ready, they just climbed up the hill and then up the glass. Hope this helps. Make sure to always wash the gravel first!

[charlamanda]

Sounds like a good idea. In the pool there is a dry patch, since I didn't level it too well, that is the same type of set up. They always seem to hang out right at the waters edge too. I have plenty of gravel from keeping fish so this will work nicely. Thanks.

[Rae]

Wow theres sooo many... keep the pics coming

[Kevin1]

what species is this?

[Greenlove]

Sounds like a good idea. In the pool there is a dry patch, since I didn't level it too well, that is the same type of set up. They always seem to hang out right at the waters edge too. I have plenty of gravel from keeping fish so this will work nicely. Thanks.

Your welcome.

[charlamanda]

They are Gray Tree Frogs, I took 14 more in yesterday. The pool is almost completely filled with leaves now, making it difficult for them to swim around. Most of them have congragated under the sides that are folded down over the water, but can still manage to get through it if they really want to. It's very warm out today and yesterday so they're easier to find and collect, much easier than it has been when it was colder....27'F colder!!! I was worried, but figured I few very cold night would be ok since they are so hardy, but too many or the water freezing solid would kill them, which is motivating me to find them. Unless I empty the entire pool out I won't find them all, but I am trying to get as many as possible. Now I have 44 so I will set up the big tank I have on standby, with water and gravel, for now, then once they leave the water, I'll set it up like I did for the adults, but with different substrate other then soil. Then I will feed and fatten them, than hibernate them until spring! Hopefully my plan works and they survive....so far so good! I'll keep posting the pics of their progress and transformation.

[charlamanda]

Update..I think I have most if not all of the tadpoles out of the pool. Last count is at 100, but yesterday when I changed their water I found one had died. This one was really, really small and another about the same size, never looked so good when I took them in. I think the other may have also died or is very close to it. The rest are looking really good though. I found a see through storage container that I am using for the bulk of them, I have the very small one and two others that are small in a separate container since I think they had been nipping at them. I have the largest ones, that should be getting legs soon, in the original container, which I am keeping an eye on so I can put in gravel for them to climb up on so they don't drown. So far I don't see any legs, but it's difficult to see if there are any under the skin.
I know many of you have cared for tadpoles so I have a few questions.
***I read that the water should be changed daily, but that seemed unnecessary, so I've been changing it every other day. It seems so stressful to them. The water still seems ok even then so I am wondering if I can go a little longer between changes?(I take a few out at a time, via a plastic cup, pouring out as much water as possible, then drop them into another container with clean water. I Once they are all out, I clean the container a fill it up with clean water and pour them into their container from the temporary one.) Does this sound ok or does anyone have any other or better suggestions?
***Has anyone had their tads nip other ones, or have had the larger ones pick on the smaller tadpoles?
***At what point should I be concerned with them drowning? When they start getting their legs or when they have their legs and are resorbing their tails?
***I have 23 in the original container, 12" x 6" with 5-6 inches of water, and 74 in the storage container 20+" x 15+" with 3-5 inches of water, is this enough room for them? Do I need to divide them up into another storage container I have on standby, it's only slightly smaller than the other, or do these containers I am using seem to have enough space for them? The 3 smaller ones have plenty of room in their container.
***If I sit quietly and listen they splash around from time to time, mostly the larger ones, is this a good sign or indicative of stress or over-crowding?
***When I disturb them they do swim around, some frantically, I keep them in my room in by private bathroom, where it's warmer and quite, so they are not disturbed as much, but I am concerned that they swim around their tanks so frantically looking through the side. Would it be better to cover the sides, like you would do for the adult frogs, to make them feel more secure and less stressed?
Thanks for the help and I will post some pics when I find where I put my camera!LOL