# Communal Tad Rearing Tank Ideas and Pics



## SilverLynx (Aug 29, 2013)

I have decided to raise my first small batch of Cobalt Tinc tads in a small communal tank. I would appreciate if some of the more experienced frog keepers could post ideas and pictures of their tad tanks. 

Thank You,
Lane, aka, SilverLynx


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Wish I could help you. All my tads are raised singly in deli cups at room temp.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Yay! I was hoping you were going to start inventing cool frog stuff for us


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Have you seen this thread? http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/breeding-eggs-tadpoles/130993-tadpole-system-made-us.html


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

I've had good luck so far with 6.5qt sweaterboxes or equivalent. I use a 1/2" layer of aquatic planting media (mostly clay-based), with enough oak, magnolia, and white alder leaves to cover the bottom. Some aquatic/marginal plants and or mosses can help keep the water a little cleaner, but pothos works just as well. I keep about 1g of distilled water in the tubs, and exchange about 50% of it every 1-2 weeks. Population density is limited to 5-15 tads per tub (depending on species, and the type of interaction I see among the larvae).
I feed every 3-4 days, and alternate between tad bites, flake fish food, insects, and Repashy Soilent green, sometimes with a little Naturose mixed in.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

I've not yet tried a communal tinc tank, only terribilis. But, from what I've read, they can put off hormones which can limit the growth of others. They are also canibalistic, so you will need to keep a lot of protein in their diet to keep them from munching on each other.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Are you raising tinc tads, Dane? If so, how long has this been working well for you?


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## SilverLynx (Aug 29, 2013)

Dane, thanks for sharing. I have a 2.5 gallon glass aquarium, same size I used to rear erectus seahorses several years ago. I have clay substrate that I was planning to mix in with aquarium pebbles. I have tadpole moss, and some aquatic plants ( Windelov Java Fern, Bacopa, Green Cryptocoryne and Anubius Nana) I also have leaves for tannins in the tad water. For food, I have tadpole bites, flies, etc. My plan is to be able to raise between 5 to 7 tads per tank.

How deep is the water in your tub?? 

Thanks,
Lane, aka, Silver Lynx


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## SilverLynx (Aug 29, 2013)

I also have spirulina and blue green algae for additional nutritional supplementation.

Thanks,
Lane, aka, SilverLynx


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I urge you to try repashy soilent green as a tadpole food, I've had AMAZING results and much larger oow froglets. I alternate between cyclop eez and soilent green exclusively


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

WendySHall said:


> Are you raising tinc tads, Dane? If so, how long has this been working well for you?


Yes, so far I have used the method outlined above for a few species of tincs, and some Phyllobates. The first time I tried it was about 2 years ago, and I morphed 40+ oyapocks, with only two tads going missing over the course of the experiment. None came out with damaged limbs/digits/eyes, but it was apparent that the tads would nip at each other's tails. The tadpoles that have been kept this way have resulted in the largest neonates I've had yet. The metamorphosis duration seems to be shorter as well.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

SilverLynx said:


> How deep is the water in your tub??
> 
> Thanks,
> Lane, aka, Silver Lynx


About 3". Since most dart tadpoles don't see particularly deep water, I think that it is probably preferable to keep it shallow and broad.


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## Ghost vivs (Sep 26, 2010)

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/breeding-eggs-tadpoles/109954-communal-tads-3.html#post1395809

Casper


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

I know I keep saying it, but...I really have to try this someday!


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

I have 2 communal tanks running currently. One is a 20L and the other is a 20H. I use them for Epipedpbates and Phyllobates sp. They both have a small filter designed for a ten gallon tank, lots of live plants and rocks/driftwood for froglets to climb out on. I'm on my phone so I'd be happy to post more info about these tanks in another post. Here's some photos.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

frogparty said:


> I urge you to try repashy soilent green as a tadpole food, I've had AMAZING results and much larger oow froglets. I alternate between cyclop eez and soilent green exclusively


I agree. I use the soilent green, spawn and grow, and savory stew for my tads.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Sounds like your tads eat better than I do, Jon! Lol!


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

Dane said:


> I've had good luck so far with 6.5qt sweaterboxes or equivalent. I use a 1/2" layer of aquatic planting media (mostly clay-based), with enough oak, magnolia, and white alder leaves to cover the bottom. Some aquatic/marginal plants and or mosses can help keep the water a little cleaner, but pothos works just as well. I keep about 1g of distilled water in the tubs, and exchange about 50% of it every 1-2 weeks. Population density is limited to 5-15 tads per tub (depending on species, and the type of interaction I see among the larvae).
> I feed every 3-4 days, and alternate between tad bites, flake fish food, insects, and Repashy Soilent green, sometimes with a little Naturose mixed in.


So when you say aquatic clay based planting media, do you mean something like hydroton?
And also do you use a filter?


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

goof901 said:


> So when you say aquatic clay based planting media, do you mean something like hydroton?
> And also do you use a filter?


I think he means the clay fired stuff typically used for planting pond plants. I've only used it in ponds but it's awesome stuff.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

Rusty_Shackleford said:


> I think he means the clay fired stuff typically used for planting pond plants. I've only used it in ponds but it's awesome stuff.


Is that like turface?


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

Yes it's very much like turface, if not identical. 
This isn't the brand I've used in the past but I'm sure it's pretty much the same stuff. 
https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...a=X&ei=-pFPUrWuJ5Oo9gSvvoHgDw&ved=0CGUQ8wIwAA


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## Ghost vivs (Sep 26, 2010)

Turface works, it's all I use for my communal tinc tad tank. ( say that 5 times fast...)

Casper


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Thatthatthatthathtat



I love turface! Just rinse and strain before use and its awesome stuff! I use it for all my grow out bins


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## Ghost vivs (Sep 26, 2010)

I don't even rinse it. I figured that the powder has calcium in it so why waste it...that or I'm just trying to justify being lazy... grin


Casper


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Lol, I just assume that the packaging and manufacturing process adds a fair amount of dirt etc that I'd rather try to wash off before use.


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## skylsdale (Sep 16, 2007)

Dane said:


> I've had good luck so far with 6.5qt sweaterboxes or equivalent. I use a 1/2" layer of aquatic planting media (mostly clay-based), with enough oak, magnolia, and white alder leaves to cover the bottom. Some aquatic/marginal plants and or mosses can help keep the water a little cleaner, but pothos works just as well. I keep about 1g of distilled water in the tubs, and exchange about 50% of it every 1-2 weeks. Population density is limited to 5-15 tads per tub (depending on species, and the type of interaction I see among the larvae).
> I feed every 3-4 days, and alternate between tad bites, flake fish food, insects, and Repashy Soilent green, sometimes with a little Naturose mixed in.


My setup is almost identical, although I just use water straight out of the tap (water up here in the PNW comes right out of the mountains, so it's pretty nice). Although I don't really do regular water changes--I try to load the tubs up with marginals and aquatic plants and keep tadpole densities on the low side. Not really a reason for it: I'm just a lazy tadpole raiser.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

skylsdale said:


> Not really a reason for it: I'm just a lazy tadpole raiser.


What do you think inspired me to try it in the first place! Can't argue when less work produces better results.


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## SilverLynx (Aug 29, 2013)

This is great stuff! Rusty, thanks for posting the pictures. Of everything mentioned, I think that it will work on my tads which will be emerging soon.
I will get the Rapashy Green. Where is it sold??? Do any of the sponsors on here 
carry it??? 

Thanks,
Lane, aka, SilverLynx


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

An easy system is just get whatever container you wanna use, some dixie cups with holes poked in them so water can circulate a bit, but tads don't mingle directly,a filter and I would add a small pump in the box to circulate water around. I found that the small holes in the cups and the water coming out of the aquarium filter wasn't enough to change the water over in the cups as much as I'd like, hence the addition of the pump to circulate water around the box and through the cups better.

So basically a box full of cups, filter, and pump and whatever aquatic plants and light you wanna add if any. Kinda a hybrid system between full communal and individual cups. You may still get some of the inhibiting chemicals, but hopefully the filter will cut down on those, and you don't get tads directly interacting so no cannibalism. 

I didn't have anywhere for morphing tads to go so I had to keep an eye on them and transfer them when they popped front legs.

Here is a pic of my very modest system...


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

One thing you guys might be interested in is cash drawers, especially acrylic ones.

I was able to take one home from a casino I worked at (No they didn't let me take the money too) and had planned to use it for tads, but since lost it or broke it... No idea where it is at but it looked like this kinda...









Cash Drawer | Cash Room Supply

With these you could put them in a bigger box, or build walls around them and make slopes of substrate so the tads could climb out of each slot.

Here is a clear currency sorter, similar idea to the cash tray..








Cash Handling | Clear Currency Sorters | Acrylic Cash Sorters

unfortunately the few links I checked out kinda had high prices. 

But I did searches for acrylic organizers and found a lot of cheaper options, especially for cosmetics products.
acrylic organizer | eBay
*Be sure to check the dimensions as some of these are really small compartments. May have to go through a few pages to get to the bigger stuff*

Anyways coin trays are another thing to search for....Hope these ideas help.


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

Also do you guys feed the repashy soilent as gel or just put some premix in?


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## oneshot (Mar 5, 2010)

Just for reference:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/br...18641-show-me-your-heated-tadpole-setups.html


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

What are you guys using as a filtration for these systems? Are you running activated carbon?


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## MrBiggs (Oct 3, 2006)

Not exactly what you asked for but I did build a tank for this purpose: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/114145-40g-breeder-paludarium-build-thread.html


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