# How do you ship tadpoles??



## snmreptiles (Feb 26, 2004)

Before I get "How Much for ....tads" We DO NOT sell tadpoles!! However a friend watched our house while we went on our honeymoon, and did an AMAZING job, so I would like to ship him some tads along with the other frogs/snakes we're sending him! How is this done the best way? I have deli cups without holes, I'm guessing that'd be the easiest and best, but kind of worry about oxygen! Thanks for any help!

MIKE
snmreptiles.com


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## andersonii85 (Feb 8, 2004)

Hello,

I have had pretty good luck in shipping tadpoles over the years. I tend to package them the same way I would frogs, but what changes is the container used. I use plastic pepsi bottles and I rinse them out really well. I ship them overnight so I don't worry about air and such. Keep in mind that they come from low oxygen level environments. I wouldn't put any more than 2 tads per bottle. I fill the bottles up about 2/3 with tadpole tea and place a small piece of java moss in it. 

Peace

Justin


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

*shipping tads*

I have shipped many tads, all have arrived alive and in good shape. I have used either the 16oz bottled water bottles or even the smaller short ones (8 oz I think). I always put 1 tad per bottle and leave about 2" open at the top of the bigger bottles. Just closing the screw cap tightly was fine.
Mark


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## AlexanderStubbs (Feb 18, 2004)

There are some really nice O2 permeable bags you can buy for shipping fish, and they work well for tads as well. The fish guys have really got this down to an exact science, I just ship tads the same way.
Alexander


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I did fish for a number of years, plus worked in a pet store for a couple years too, so I just use fish bags (double bagged one upside down inside the other so the tads won't get caught in corners). 1/3 to 1/2 the bag water. I included munchies when I shipped tricolor tads - leaf skeletons from after I boiled them for tadpole tea. Acted as non-rotting food source so the water didn't get spoiled but the buggers still had detritus to munch on.

I have used these bags for fish, tads, frogs (up to med leopard frog size), small arboreal lizards like geckos and anoles, aquatic invertebrates, aquatic/semi-aquatic plants as well as most plant clippings.

If you ask nicely most people at petco and petsmart will just give you a couple bags and some rubber bands. I would like to get some for myself tho, but only know of the bulk suppliers 

I was also shown the pepsi bottle version when volunteering at NAIB. The tads were in a plastic bottle and the bottle was packing with the box with the other frogs getting shipped.


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## Ed Martin (Mar 25, 2004)

I've had tads shipped to me a couple times but the best method I've seen was sending them in a doubled plastic bag (like Corey describes) inside a thermos. The thermos was the kind that has the small straw that pulls out. I have seen them in hardware stores for about $5. 
Ed


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## Grassypeak (Jun 14, 2005)

Corey Try JEHMCO for fish bags, 
http://www.jehmco.com/PRODUCTS_/HARDWARE_/Plastic_Bags/plastic_bags.html

If I were going to ship inch long killifish, I would use a 4”X15” bag with about an inch and a half of water. I usually package one fish per bag and then put two of these bags upside down in an 8” wide bag. I can’t say much about shipping tads, but fish don’t need a lot of water. The air is more important. I find that fish that spend time in plastic containers invariably get banged up. Plastic bags make a softer cushion during shipping. I’m very surprised people don’t ship darts in them.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

I've always used film canisters. Probably not the best solution for bigger tads, but for thumbs it works just fine. Saves weight and $$ too.


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## bgexotics (Feb 24, 2004)

I have done the doubled fish bags with no problems. Of course they are still packed in an insulated box with a heat pack or ice pack depending on the weather just like frogs and other reptiles.


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