Breeding Xenopus laevis

[Jenste]

Hi Saunders - - Lovely frogs!!!

When breeding an albino and a reticulated albino (gorgeous one btw!) you will most likely see a mostly reticulated batch, a few albinos and possibly a few natural colorations.

For a successful breeding, wait until they are atleast 1-1.5 years old.

You will need two tanks - one for the parents and one for the eggs/tadpoles/froglets. The parents will eat the eggs, tads and froglets - you will also see the female start eating the eggs even while they are mating!

for two adults, their tank should be atleast 20 gallons for them to live in.

I have had success getting them to breed in a 10 gallon - - here is how I set it up

* thermometer, heater, aerator with airline tubing and airstone.

put the male in the 10 gallon. have the heater and aerator off.
keep female separate in the adult tank and feed earthworms (bought from a baitshop - do not use wild caught for fear of contact with pesticides or fertilizers) and frozen bloodworms .

after about 10-14 days, lower the water level in the ten gallon to about 3 inches.(2.5 gallons or so) In 2 days, fill the ten gallon back up with water about 10-15*F COOLER than the water the male currently was in and add the female. This will make the male think the rainy season has come and that is their breeding season.


With in a week you should have had happy amplexing frogs. (repeat if needed to get the mood right)

As soon as they have finished mating, remove them immediately back to the adult tank.

Now your focus is on the eggs - turn on the heater and the aerator ON LOW. Heat should be about 78-80*F. This will stay constant throughout the entire morphing process. Should be about 8-12 weeks total (every batch is unique!)


within three days the eggs should become "c" shaped - any non fertlized eggs will develop a fungus - these should be removed immediately to keep them from polluting the water





about 24-48 hours after they become "c" shaped they will become silver clingers - tear drop shaped and clinging to any surface - decor or walls




with in another 48 hours they will become free swimming in a head down position - this is when you start feeding - - I personally like to feed them ground up/powdered ReptoMin sticks and HBH frog and tadpole bites (use a mortar and pester to make it very fine - they are filter feeders so the powder needs to dissolve into the water for them to filter it). Feed 3-4 times a day, enough powder so that you can see their little tummies darken with food but the water does not become cloudy. Once a day/every other day feed "bloodworm broth" - take a cube of frozen bloodworms, defrost in a cup of water then out into a blender and press "liquify" - - blend 60 seconds and use tweezers to remove any chunks of bloodworm. Do daily 25% water changes - best to use airline tubbing so you can control the area being sucked out to reduce the chance of sucking up a tadpole. Always check the bucket of sucked out water for little eyes swimming around!





With in the next four - six weeks, first they will grow whiskers, then back legs



With in the next 7-14 days, front legs (excuse the tad pooing)




With in the next week, their big bubble head (for lack of a better term) will condense and they will start absorbing their tail. When they are absorbing their tail they will stop eating, so cutback on feeding.



two days later....


Next day - will now be a hungry little froglet and ready for his first meal of frozen bloodworms! ( will not be able to eat a frog/tadpole pellet for a few weeks but will devour the bloodworms!

[SanderB]

Thanks for the information. Now I just have to figure out what gallon and °F is in l and °C

Do they need movement in the water when they are tadpoles?

I don´t think we have special food for tadpoles in Belgium. But can I use fish food, spirulina or algeawafers grinded into dust?

This is the reticulated albino, she is now in a tank of a friend of my, but I am gonna try to get here back to here, maybe only for breeding, then he can have her back. He said she has more spots now.

[Tony]

Thanks for the information. Now I just have to figure out what gallon and °F is in l and °C

A gallon is 3.8 liters, and here is a tool for °F/°C conversion.

[SanderB]

A gallon is 3.8 liters, and here is a tool for °F/°C conversion.

The temprature is now 16°C=61°F

[Jenste]

that temperature is quite low for getting them to breed, you want it higher most of the time anyway, right around 70* is preferable - - considering you want to lower it 10-15*F like I stated above, you don't want to freeze them! they definitely will not be in the mood then!!! the temperature you have now is just about the temp I LOWER mine to to get them to breed. I would invest in a heater



and as for water movement in the tadpole tank - - I did advise that you always have an aerator on - - set on LOW - - this helps with water circulation, and airation, but keeps the tadpoles from being blown about.

[SanderB]

Ok thanks.

The male wants to breed but i think the female isn´t ready yet.



My temporary set up:

[Jenste]

once males hit maturity - they will always want to breed. you must wait until the female is older for a higher chance of healthier eggs.

and again, it is best to have them breed in one tank and then move the parents to another to live.

[SanderB]

Very nice photo btw.