# Tadpole Behavior



## andry

I have tried to do a search on these two topics and haven't found anything. Sorry if I missed it somewhere. I have one tad and I have two concerns:

1 - I know that tads don't constantly swim around all the time, I did find that much, but when it sits or settles somewhere at towards the bottom of the deli cup, is it normal for it to float sideways or is mine dying? Normally I see it float with nose straight up and it stays in a vertical position. But I also see it in horizontal position, but sideways. Normal or not?

2 - Container: I have put my tad in a deli cup with one of those lids you use on the fruit fly cups. Is this okay? I did this to keep humidity in, but still let it breathe. I was scared to cover it completely with no breathing holes. And I put this whole container inside the parents viv because it stays at about 70-75 in the tank as apposed to outside the tank where it gets colder at night down to 65. Let me know if I'm going things right or not or any suggestions you may have. Thanks!


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## rcteem

It is not normal for your tad to be doing that. It sounds like there is a lack of o2 or something else. What type of water are you using and what are you feeding it? How often do you change your water? As far as where the tad is I would pull it out of the viv.



andry said:


> I have tried to do a search on these two topics and haven't found anything. Sorry if I missed it somewhere. I have one tad and I have two concerns:
> 
> 1 - I know that tads don't constantly swim around all the time, I did find that much, but when it sits or settles somewhere at towards the bottom of the deli cup, is it normal for it to float sideways or is mine dying? Normally I see it float with nose straight up and it stays in a vertical position. But I also see it in horizontal position, but sideways. Normal or not?
> 
> 2 - Container: I have put my tad in a deli cup with one of those lids you use on the fruit fly cups. Is this okay? I did this to keep humidity in, but still let it breathe. I was scared to cover it completely with no breathing holes. And I put this whole container inside the parents viv because it stays at about 70-75 in the tank as apposed to outside the tank where it gets colder at night down to 65. Let me know if I'm going things right or not or any suggestions you may have. Thanks!


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## andry

I use aged and dechlorinated water. Just like I do for all my frogs. This water sits in my kitchen on the counter, so it is room temperature. What's weird is that it has been doing this for a few days now. I would have thought it would have died already if it was not okay. Should I expect it to die soon? It's been about 8 days now that I took him out, so maybe it means he's not eating and he's dying of hunger.

Just FYI, this is a tad that was formerly being raised by the parents and I accidentally pulled him when taking out a dead brom in the tank. I dunked it in frog safe water and there it was in the water pitcher. So now I'm trying to see if it will even try to eat for me since it's used to eating eggs. 

I've been putting in a tadpole bite and a little piece of algae and a tiny piece of brine shrimp. Giving it some options. 

This is a tarapoto tad.

I'll take it out of the tank, but then I have no good way of keeping the water between 70 and 75 degrees. Should I put it under a red light at night? During the day it stays room temp. Or should I use the heated water method even though it is just for one tad?


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## Adven2er

The lid on the tad container is not needed. I don't think nightime drops to 65 degrees will hurt the tad. If you keep the water supply in the same location as the tad, they will be at the same temp and will be ok to add water if needed. It is not normal for the tad to float sideways but it may still be ok. Hope this helps.


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## Philsuma

Steady temps of @ 70-75 are more benefitial to growth as opposed to swings and highs and lows.

Do not cover the cup or put a lid on.

I'm morphed out hundreds of Tinc and Tinc type species with @ 6-8 tadpoles that either floated, had bubbles - some HUGE and otherwise did not swim "correctly" and out of those 8, maybe only 2 died. The other 6 morphed out fine, despite looking like they were not going to make it.

I gave them absolutely no extra care. You don't want to do "too much" or try to help. If they don't make it, then that's a frog that shouldn't have survived anyway.


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## frogface

Can you guys give us more info on the reasons to not cover the tad cup?

I have mine covered to keep my cat from having a tad snack while I'm at work. The containers do get opened every couple of days. Is this not ok?


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## crzsnwbdr

I've been curious for a while what the size of a "deli cup" people always refer to really is. And if it's as small as I am imagining "2-3oz (?)" how regularly do you need to change the water?

Just watching my single Auratus tadpole (which is pretty huge now) I can see it makes a lot of waste; which is why I moved it from a 12-18oz bowl to a 1-2gal bowl.


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## Philsuma

I keep all my tads in 4oz - tiny plastic "condiment cups".

No full water changes_ ever_ - only top-off water.

Detritus siphon with turkey baster every week to clean up the waste and uneaten food.


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## frogfreak

crzsnwbdr said:


> I've been curious for a while what the size of a "deli cup" people always refer to really is. And if it's as small as I am imagining "2-3oz (?)" how regularly do you need to change the water?


We use a 16 oz cup. Many use the 32oz. Some bigger. 

As for water changes, that's something you'll have to experiment with and find out what works best for you. We do our cups weekly. Some don't change it at all. They just top it up. When it comes to raising tads, I'm guessing there's about a million different ways to do it.


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## Philsuma

frogfreak said:


> We use a 16 oz cup. Many use the 32oz. Some bigger.
> 
> As for water changes, that's something you'll have to experiment with and find out what works best for you. We do our cups weekly. Some don't change it at all. They just top it up. When it comes to raising tads, I'm guessing there's about a million different ways to do it.


 
True that.

Just about the ONLY thing I would NEVER recommend is for someone to try to be overly "anal" about the tad water...super, ultra clean, ultra R.O and frequent water changes...


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## rcteem

I absolutely agree!!!! Have had better luck without ever doing a full water change. I do exactly what Phil does for water changes.



Philsuma said:


> True that.
> 
> Just about the ONLY thing I would NEVER recommend is for someone to try to be overly "anal" about the tad water...super, ultra clean, ultra R.O and frequent water changes...


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## crzsnwbdr

I usually top off as well, but otherwise do 50/50 changes once a week with new water. In the past week or two, since changing the size of its bowl I haven't needed to do anything to the water. It's still nice a clear, and it has more than enough freedom to move around in.


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## fleshfrombone

Phil I'm not understanding not covering the tad containers. Evaporation causes cooling so the more surface area the more rapid the evaporation, the more rapid the cooling, increase of toxin concentration etc.


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## Philsuma

fleshfrombone said:


> Phil I'm not understanding not covering the tad containers. Evaporation causes cooling so the more surface area the more rapid the evaporation, the more rapid the cooling, increase of toxin concentration etc.


All I can say is oxygen transfer......I've just never covered mine, but back in 2007, I remember Matt (Melas) telling me he kept losing tads that he had tight snap on lids covering the cups.

I just have not met any hobbyists that had any covering on cups. Everyone I know keeps them uncovered.

Sorry I cannot expound on that.....


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## fleshfrombone

Odd, I always cover mine have haven't had any issues. Although leaving them exposed seems to be what nature intended.


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## andry

Well, maybe it was all the moving around or maybe it was that this tad had already been feeding on eggs or maybe it was because he would float sideways and that was not normal to begin with, but the tad died last week sometime. Just thought I'd update everyone.

I did move him to a different container where the dish he was in sat in water with a water heater set at 75. No cover on either the dish nor the container. Not sure what did it, but he died. 

Good news is, I found more eggs on Saturday. Looks like maybe only one is fertilized. I think I'll let them be in this tank because it's on a brom.


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## mattolsen

I definitely don't know as much about raising tads as some of you do but as far as tops and lack of oxygen goes I don't think it really matters, from a scientific standpoint, whether you have it open or closed. Dissolved oxygen in the water should be fine with a small piece of java moss. It would actually be more beneficial as far as dissolved oxygen goes to do that and close the lid to conserve the dissolved oxygen more so than to keep it open. Just a thought.


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