# Bloated tadpole



## Allcreaturesbrett (Nov 1, 2017)

This R. Fantastica tad is 3 days out of the egg and looks bloated and distended. He looked ablittle bloated after hatching but it's only gotten bigger. Doesn't seem to be gas as he can sink and swim without issue. Behavior seems normal. Anyone seen anything like this?


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## mcbradford82 (Feb 17, 2016)

Had a tad do that recently. I read to stop feeding for a bit but that didn't seem to work. I resumed feeding and after a week or so it went away. It's out of water now without any issues.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

I have seen that. I was told it could be from "eating air" because of flake food, or pellet food that doesn't sink. In any case it should go away. Not feeding for a few days should help, and make sure it's food sinks after that. Chances are great that it will be just fine.
Looks unpleasant though.


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## Tijl (Feb 28, 2019)

This is quite a common problem with tadpoles that are raised with tapwater . If you keep tapwater in a botlle for aubout 24 hours in room temperature before using it, you will have this problem no more. It has something to do with compressed air. Adding 3 drips of esha 2000 in 10 liters of water can cure this problem.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

Tijl said:


> This is quite a common problem with tadpoles that are raised with tapwater . If you keep tapwater in a bottle for about 24 hours in room temperature before using it, you will have this problem no more. It has something to do with compressed air. Adding 3 drips of esha 2000 in 10 liters of water can cure this problem.


That's interesting, and perhaps an issue with dissolved air in any compressed source. I don't have tapwater, I'm on well water but it is stored in a pressure tank. 
I use R.O. water, also stored in a pressure tank until it is dispensed, and actual spring water from a granite spring at 9,000 ft. elevation. I have seen this, but not often.
I initially put Tadpoles in tadpole tea, that sits in a large jar with almond leaf and java moss growing in it. I re-fill for evaporation with R.O., so as not to keep upping the tannin concentration. The R.O. water sits in a gallon jar and is off-gassed before use. Each tad cup has leaf and moss, but that's an aside from the bloating issue.
When I have seen this it looks more like a fluid pocket than air, although I've always gone with the "air embolism" theory.
The bottom line is: it will go away and doesn't seem to cause any permanent harm. I'm not sure we know exactly what causes it.


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

I am experiencing the exact same thing right now with one of my terribilis tads. Had a large clear bloat on one half of its body. I figured I'd see what would happen and continue to raise it. The first couple of weeks the tadpole grew in size, though the side with the bloat didn't seem to be developing normally. It looked like it would morph out without a front leg or something like that. After another week and a half, the side with the bloat started developing normally, though the distended bubble/bloat still is there. I'll get a pic if remember tonight. Hoping for the best.


I don't use tap water. I use RO with tannins in it from almond leaves.


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

I am sorry for the late upload....and the crumby picture. You can see the distended side of the tadpole. It used to be much worse, but it is still definitely there. Tried to get a pic from the side of the cup which shows the distension better, but couldn't get a clear picture. Feeding or not feeding has had no effect on the bloating. Other than the distended side, the tadpole behaves completely normally. Swims fine, eats fine, etc. We will see how it continues to develop and give updates, good or bad, as they are warranted.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

This can be a result of insufficient preformed vitamin A in the diet of the adults. The insufficient levels of it in the egg inhibits the formation of the pronephros (which is the 'pre-kidney") which causes the tadpole to retain fluids. 

some comments 

Ed


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

Ed said:


> This can be a result of insufficient preformed vitamin A in the diet of the adults. The insufficient levels of it in the egg inhibits the formation of the pronephros (which is the 'pre-kidney") which causes the tadpole to retain fluids.
> 
> some comments
> 
> Ed


I was talking with Jeremy at JL Exotics, whom I bought my tesoros blackfoots from. He suggested I up my vitamin A supplementation from twice a month to as much as once weekly due to the high volume of eggs terribilis lay and the taxation that puts on their vitamin A levels. I have had bad luck getting eggs to develop to the tadpole stage, which may be another indication of insufficient vitamin A. This is the only tadpole of 18 so far from these frogs that has developed this condition. I've never observed this in any other tadpole I've ever had from any of my frogs. 

Do they morph out normal despite the swelling? 
Is there anything in particular I can/should do at this point?


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Do google/dendroboard searches for 'bubble tadpole'


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## varanoid (Jan 21, 2011)

Philsuma said:


> Do google/dendroboard searches for 'bubble tadpole'


I tried before posting and didn't really see anything I hadn't already come across before. Most of the threads reference buoyancy problems which I am not observing. Mine gets around just fine at all levels of the 32 floz cup it is housed in. Most of the threads also reference "air", probably affecting the tadpole's buoyancy. I do not think there is air trapped in my tadpole. The source of this air in the threads was assumed to be from tadpoles feeding at the surface of the water. My food sinks and doesn't put my tads in the position to suck in air as it tries to eat from a floating food source. My tadpoles appearance is closer to what Ed described as "fluid retention". I also don't believe I have nematodes present (Ed mentioned that in a thread as well after performing a necropsy on a tadpole that had a bloated belly). Only one of the threads that I read referred to a vitamin A deficiency in the parents being responsible for this, as Ed suggested the possibility of above. Here is the thread Ed previously alluded to the possibility of vitamin a deficiency:

https://www.dendroboard.com/forum/breeding-eggs-tadpoles/183937-weird-tadpole.html

But in this thread, and above, Ed described more a preventative solution to this affliction rather than make a suggestive course of action once the damage has already been done, so to speak. 

He also mentioned the possibility of an infection in the same thread which is certainly a possibility. But again, not really a corrective course. 

Nearly all the feedback on the "bubble tadpole", "bloated tadpole", "swollen tadpole", "distended belly tadpole", "distended tadpole", "tadpole development" threads I looked up using the search function, suggested trying one of two things: withholding food until the situation cleared itself up, or performing more frequent and larger water changes. I tried both approaches. Withholding food for a couple of weeks did not change anything as I mentioned a few posts ago. Nor did water changes improve the situation, which I should have mentioned I tried. Most people said their tads pulled through and not to worry, but not all.

At this point, I will just continue to document this tadpoles development and share. Unless that is, if there is someone that knows a course of action for helping out a tadpole born of parents with vitamin A deficiency at the time of laying. Or if it is an infection, what can be done about it?


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