# Tads Not Moving? Did they die?!



## frankrom

Hey Guys....

Not sure what happened... or is happening...

I pulled 3 eggs....

One egg has a deformed tad... he is toast for sure... a shame.

The other two developed GREAT ... they were swimming inside their jelly etc.... But they haven't moved for about 6 hours now.... I usually check on them every day to see how they are doing and when I came home from work they were in a position... and now 6-7 hours later they are in the same position.

Usually when I blow on them they move or take off the lid they move... I even tap the 32oz deli container to see if they will move and they will not move.

They look fine... but they look so still.... it seems like they are now lifeless...

Not sure why they would just randomly die?!!?!? They looked GREAT... I do place them in a few milometers of water to prevent them from drying out. 

Any idea... I mean really the likelihood of neither of them moving????


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## Gamble

Generally, Newly hatched tadpoles will play dead for the first few days.

If they are dead, they will turn a white color. 

You'll know for sure if they're dead.


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## frankrom

Thanks Gamble... i hope you are right... they still have their colour... however, they use to swim all the time... they are about a week old... maybe more... now they are just limp in the same position for this period of time.

I will keep you posted.



Gamble said:


> Generally, Newly hatched tadpoles will play dead for the first few days.
> 
> If they are dead, they will turn a white color.
> 
> You'll know for sure if they're dead.


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## Pumilo

Why are you constantly disturbing them? I do NOT know the effects of stress building up in a forming tad, but personally, I would let them be.


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## frankrom

Pumilo said:


> Why are you constantly disturbing them? I do NOT know the effects of stress building up in a forming tad, but personally, I would let them be.


interesting....

I only check on them every day because a few times I almost dried out eggs over night... and if i didn't check on them they would have died for sure!


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## Pumilo

Put eggs in petri dish with a tiny spritz of water. Put the top on. Get an 8 or 16 oz deli cup. Put 1/8 to 1/4" of water in. Float petri dish in the cup. Put the lid on.
This will lock your humidity in pretty well and drastically reduce the number of times they are disturbed. I set them up this way and walk away for a week.


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## frankrom

I'll give it a shot... thanks!


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## jdooley195

I may have missed it...Are they still in the eggs?

If so, no worries just yet. It's more than likely a coincidence. I used to stare at developing eggs all the time. They tads inside usually move sporadically.

If they are tads (not in the egg)...They are usually very still at first. And yes, if you disturb them they will briefly swim around, but they are extremely delicate and should not be provoked into movements. A dead tad will usually be a bit tilted or up-side down, and usually starts turning white-ish right away.

These comments relate to my experience with tinctorious, by the way, not sure what you're working with.

Good luck,

Tommy


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## Gamble

Oh man I missed that one ... I thought you were talking about tadpoles!

Yes, the white color still stands ... 
Ive noticed that tads still in eggs stop moving when they are close to hatching.

I also echo what Doug & the others have said, 
You should not move or disturb your eggs. There have not been any studies on such, (that i know of), but it is thought that constant moving of the eggs can disrupt the developing embryo in a negative way ... therefore most of us play it safe and avoid handling or disturbing them.

You'll know when they hatch out bc they will be in a straight line instead of in a circle.


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## frankrom

Can I use a container without air holes in order to prevent the moister/humidity getting put or do they need air? 

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2


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## Gamble

frankrom said:


> Can I use a container without air holes in order to prevent the moister/humidity getting put or do they need air?
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2


I dont have any holes in the containers I use.


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## Ed

Gamble said:


> but it is thought that constant moving of the eggs can disrupt the developing embryo in a negative way ... therefore


While not documented in Dendrobatids to date, it is established in a number of other anurans, that repeated disturbances of certain types can trigger premature hatching. 

Some comments 

Ed


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## Pumilo

frankrom said:


> Can I use a container without air holes in order to prevent the moister/humidity getting put or do they need air?
> 
> Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk 2





Gamble said:


> I dont have any holes in the containers I use.


Mine are also sealed up tight.


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