# Do i NeeD To FeeD THe TaDPoLe...



## Stiles (Feb 24, 2020)

My ranitomeya imitator FINALLY laid eggs! I was stoked!!!! but unfortunately, they were duds =( So i decided next time around, I'll let the parents, be parents. I wasn't checking for eggs aggressively. So last week, when I was feeding them, I checked my bromeliads, my small water bowl, and film canisters. I couldn't believe my eyes..I did a double take and HOLY SH*T! A BIG Tadpole! I'm sooo happy! 

Honestly, I thought they would be so much smaller. They're pretty big. Anyways, I have a few questions regarding this little guy.

the film canister is stuck on the glass towards the top of the tank, is that ok? Do I need to feed it, or the parents will take care of that?

Do I need to throw moss and almond leave in there?

How long does it usually take for the little swimmer to fully develop?

and lastly, do the parents only raise 1 at a time?


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## LouiesLair (Apr 2, 2019)

If you read through the tadpole care sheet you should find the answers to all of these questions. For Ranitomeya, I typically pull the eggs and rear the tads outside of the tank. Once they hatch I house individual tads in cups. For ranitomeya, I have been using no almond leaf lately and it seems to work better than when I used water with tannins. (Less casualties). Whereas, for tinctorius I still use the almond leaves. Yes, you have to feed them. I feed a combination of Dart frog connection tadpole bites and tincman tadpole tots. The only tads I let the parents feed are obligate egg-eaters which feed their young infertile eggs. There are many schools of thought for both feeding and water conditions for tadpole care. this is what I do currently though. The tadpole care sheets and historic threads on this topic are far more informative than I could possibly be. I advise you to read there.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

_R. imitator_ will egg feed. No moss or leaves or additional feeding are necessary or recommended. A pair can raise two or three tads at a time, and they will stop breeding to care for their tads.


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## LouiesLair (Apr 2, 2019)

Really? Imitators are a Raitomeya which egg-feeds? Interesting. From time to time, my variabilis produce healthy tads with no help from me. Not sure what they are doing to raise them.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

LouiesLair said:


> Really? Imitators are a Raitomeya which egg-feeds? Interesting. From time to time, my variabilis produce healthy tads with no help from me. Not sure what they are doing to raise them.


Yes, all the vanzolinii genetic group (_R. sirensis, imitator, vanzolinii,_ and _flavovittata_) are facultative egg feeders -- that means the tads are fed unfertilized eggs by the parents but can also be raised on alternative diets in captivity. They are said to morph larger if fed by the parents, but if sheer numbers of offspring are the goal, then pulling eggs and artificially raising tads is the way to go.

Variabilis (some locales, anyway -- I still don't quite follow amazonica/variabilis/ventrimaculata taxonomy) are known to engage in brood parasitism in the wild. This might go on in captivity. Tads of many species are known to morph in the viv without help, apparently feeding on drowned FFs, etc.


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## Broseph (Dec 5, 2011)

I accidentally had a tinc morph out of a small muddy water “feature.” I had pulled all my coco huts to stop breeding, but life, uh, finds a way.


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## Tijl (Feb 28, 2019)

Yes, but it is possible that it is not the most healthy frog since it probably did not receive all the nutrients it should have gotten when morphing.


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## Broseph (Dec 5, 2011)

Tijl said:


> Yes, but it is possible that it is not the most healthy frog since it probably did not receive all the nutrients it should have gotten when morphing.


In fact it is NOT the most healthy frog. It morphed out and remained growth stunted, and I have to keep it forever alone. It was not meant to be an example of ideal husbandry.


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## Tijl (Feb 28, 2019)

You happen to have a photo of the frog?


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## Broseph (Dec 5, 2011)

Tijl said:


> You happen to have a photo of the frog?


Video from today's feeding: 






I would say he's about the size of a 4-6 month out of water tinc, even though he's been out for ~18 months. 

To be completely transparent, I had the parents in a very large overgrown viv where they bred like rabbits. I pulled the coco-huts to shut them down but they kept laying in a large-leaved bromeliad. I even got to see the male transporting tads. Shortly after, I gifted the pair to a friend since some life events left me no time for frogs. 

It would have been difficult to safely remove tads from the water area, and I guess I just assumed they were goners. I have no qualms culling eggs, but many qualms culling frogs. Tadpoles fall somewhere in the middle. (Again- transparency). 

A few months later I noticed a small flash of blue when I walked past the tank. I had no frogs at this time, so no flies either. It was a large tank with clay substrate and he lived on microfauna. It was another few months before I was able to get back into the hobby, get some flies going, and relocate him to a dedicated vivarium.

Like I said- not ideal husbandry. But hopefully someone might learn something from my mistake. I know I did.


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## Tijl (Feb 28, 2019)

Tha bks for sharing! This is very informative


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