# Ticked off imitators



## kwazarr (Oct 4, 2007)

I recently thought that I might try removing a couple of my imitators' eggs from the tank and raising them outside, so I gave it a try. Has anyone else who's tried this noticed that they seem to take removing their eggs very personally? It's been a little while now and I've noticed they've never laid eggs even remotely close to where I removed some from.

Ross.


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

I leave mine. But I have heard many members say that their imitator get very good at hiding them. Therefore some people just leave them for the parents to raise.


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## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

kwazarr said:


> I recently thought that I might try removing a couple of my imitators' eggs from the tank and raising them outside, so I gave it a try. Has anyone else who's tried this noticed that they seem to take removing their eggs very personally? It's been a little while now and I've noticed they've never laid eggs even remotely close to where I removed some from.
> 
> Ross.


oh yes!!

a well known imitator trait....egg hiding! THEY ARE WATCHING YOU!


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## kwazarr (Oct 4, 2007)

sports_doc said:


> oh yes!!
> 
> a well known imitator trait....egg hiding! THEY ARE WATCHING YOU!



Tell me about it! I've had them hide eggs in behind an exoterra background and then deposit tads down at the bottom of the wiring cutout where water would collect. Sneaky buggers! 


Up til now, I've let them do the parenting, but so far I haven't seen any evidence that any of the tads that I've seen hatch out have gotten very far. I haven't seen any evidence of movement inside the brom cups or of anything getting closer to a froglet size is in any of the cups either, despite having been breeding for a few months. I thought that I'd try my luck with a batch and see how things went. For those of you who are having success letting the parents take care of tads, what do you find helps in terms of setup, climate, etc etc?

Ross.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

LOL Shawn.

I have never pulled eggs, but I used to find them all the time, and just me poking around looking for them has made them hide them... In fact, I thought they weren't breeding for a while until I found two froglets in various stages of growth hopping around my tank. I didn't even hear the "come feed the baby" call. SO I cant even find the eggs anymore, but I know they are there somewhere


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

housevibe7 said:


> I didn't even hear the "come feed the baby" call. SO I cant even find the eggs anymore, but I know they are there somewhere


Can you describe this call? I have heard some intersting calls since I got breeding, just curious what it sounds like.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

It's kind of short and choppy, unlike their long normal trills... A lot of times it is kind of garbled too, like they are calling underwater.


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## Mywebbedtoes (Jul 2, 2007)

Thanks Shara. I think I have heard that, but I will have to pay more attention.


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## kwazarr (Oct 4, 2007)

The "come feed the baby" call pretty much sounds like their normal chirping sounds, except it tends to be very short and choppy, as opposed to being more drawn out like their mating call.


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## Brian Ferriera (Nov 1, 2006)

Mine prefer to lay in film canisters..I have found that if I move the film canisters around (unless they have eggs in them) every few days they don't seem to mind as much.
Brian


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Never have mine lain in canisters and I have provided both colors and in all positions. OH well.


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

Mine have a strong preference for film canisters tilted down at about 30 degrees below horizontal, with a leaf that they can jump on right below the opening. But they always lay somewhere else right after I remove the eggs. And, from my experience, the feeding call consists of short (~1 second) bursts and then the female will come to the brom and do the eggs laying thing where she acts like a cat making its bed.


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

I'm replying, though I haven't read the whole thread.
Yeah, imi's get real good at hiding eggs.
If you wan't to maximize production without much effort, collect tads instead.
All you need to do is provide tad deposit sites (film cans) and collect the tads when they are deposited. 
Or let them raise their own, or somewhere in between.


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## markbudde (Jan 4, 2008)

is there a secret to getting them to deposit in cups instead of broms? I haven't tried artificial sites yet, but will they just choose them if they have more water?


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Mark, I think it depends on the imitator... I wasn't kidding when I have said that I have tried everything to get them to deposit in film canisters, whether that be eggs or not.... Mine will deposit tads in my pond before they will deposit in a canister. I guess mine just prefer the real thing.

I also do as Brian does, and just collect tadpoles or the froglets if I want to let them do it. Them calling in the females to feed is a good indicator of where the tads are


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

markbudde said:


> is there a secret to getting them to deposit in cups instead of broms? I haven't tried artificial sites yet, but will they just choose them if they have more water?


From what I've seen, they prefer broms to film cans, even if the brom barely holds any water.


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## Brian Ferriera (Nov 1, 2006)

Dancing frogs said:


> From what I've seen, they prefer broms to film cans, even if the brom barely holds any water.


I have 3 broms in my tank and they have never laid in them..i wonder if it's the line???
Brian


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## McBobs (Apr 26, 2007)

My imitators used to lay like crazy on the bromeliads in their viv, but now that i've started pulling the tadpoles, they hide the eggs like no other. It also seems like they have just quit altogether, but i've started finding quite a steady stream of tadpoles in bromeliads. Not once have they ever laid eggs in a film canister. The only thing they've been doing to help me on the tadpole hunt is that they always deposit tads in the exact same part of the brom. I only ever find one at a time, but checking daily has proven that they will deposit in the same place almost every time.


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## wimpy (Dec 14, 2006)

My Imi's are also ticked at me. They used to be out and about all the time with no problems with anyone watching them. They acted like no one was there. A big change occured when I removed a froglet that emerged from a brom right in front of the door. After that, if you look in their enclosure, they disappear in a flash. It has been a couple of months now but they haven't forgiven me!

I also have film canisters in most of my thumb enclosures but I also have Broms in all and thats what they use exclusivley. I saw a Lamasi climb out of a film canister yesterday but I think he was going after FF's that were in the water.


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## kwazarr (Oct 4, 2007)

wimpy said:


> My Imi's are also ticked at me. They used to be out and about all the time with no problems with anyone watching them. They acted like no one was there. A big change occured when I removed a froglet that emerged from a brom right in front of the door. After that, if you look in their enclosure, they disappear in a flash. It has been a couple of months now but they haven't forgiven me!


One thing certainly seems clear...these guys have good memories! Wimpy...seems like yours are holding a pretty big grudge!

Ross.


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## Malaki33 (Dec 21, 2007)

Hey all,

I just found this thread, I know it's like a year old already but I have some Imi's that I actually got from Sarah, now 18 months later they have began to give me tads and eggs "I have 3 tads that have just now sprouted their rear legs. Mine lay in film containers "I just pulled 2 film containers that contain a total of 8 eggs" so I dont think the line is what determines if they lay in containers or not. I think it is more likely based on the growth of the VIV and what plants are in it. I for some reason cannot get Broms to grow in mine they always seem to die so the best thing they have are the film containers!

Mitch


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## cheezus_2007 (Aug 20, 2009)

Malaki33 said:


> I for some reason cannot get Broms to grow in mine they always seem to die so the best thing they have are the film containers!
> 
> Mitch


You might check your lighting... i found my broms didn't like much lower then 6500K... anyways just some advice ... Besides that... My Imitators havent even laid for me yet  the male calls all day pretty much.... all the time... but the female just isn't into him i guess.... the other male just puffs his throat out....havent heard a call from him yet but have seen the throat action... does this mean he is still young or something? anyways i have about 7 broms and 7 film canisters and still nothing... anyways sometime she'll give up the goods.... i cant wait till the day i get lil froglets bouncin around my tank!  I CANT WAIT! hehe


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

about the feeding call.

great example, and a must have anyway, is attenborough's "life in cold blood" dvd set. they actually show the male retrieve the female and guide her with the short calls towards the tads, and then he calls (tells her to do her thing) so she dives down and no egg so he gets upset and sends her back in, demanding with the short calls that she feed the tad. she does and hops back out where they explain he lovingly embraces her, but thats a joke, he stands on her head like hes won a battle with a rival male. its GREAT! not to endorse it but, every PDF keeper should get this vid, if for nothing more than that clip.

james


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## Malaki33 (Dec 21, 2007)

Well, you are right about the lighting but my guys do not breed when there are lights on, as soon as I turned out the lights and the temperature in the tank stayed at a steady 65-70 degrees they started breeding their tails off!!

Mitch


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