# Can False Bottom Water Be Used For Tadpole Tea



## Krenshaw22 (Apr 21, 2011)

I was wondering about this as today I was draining some water from the false bottom reservoir. Could this water be used as tadpole tea its all tannin rich and seems like a good source for tadpole tea. For right now my setup is frog free. Correct me if thus is fraund upon or is hazardous to the tadpole as I haven't tried it and it was one of those "I wonder questions."


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## parkanz2 (Sep 25, 2008)

I was wondering that as well.


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## Krenshaw22 (Apr 21, 2011)

parkanz2 said:


> I was wondering that as well.


Hopefully someone can answer this. It seems like a good idea to


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## Alegre323 (Sep 2, 2011)

im no expert, but I dont see whynot. do you have a way to access the water?


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

The biggest danger would be the transfer of parasites, bacteria, viruses, etc. Seems like a good way to do some cross-contamination. Maybe using water from the tank that the eggs/tads were pulled from would be ok, but making tad tea is really easy, don't see why the risk would be worth it.


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## Krenshaw22 (Apr 21, 2011)

Alegre323 said:


> im no expert, but I dont see whynot. do you have a way to access the water?


yes I purposely left an area to get to the bottom of the viv to drain water incase it gets to full. the water is as dark as actual tea.


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## Krenshaw22 (Apr 21, 2011)

fieldnstream said:


> The biggest danger would be the transfer of parasites, bacteria, viruses, etc. Seems like a good way to do some cross-contamination. Maybe using water from the tank that the eggs/tads were pulled from would be ok, but making tad tea is really easy, don't wee why the risk would be worth it.


i only have one tank and its frog less does that change the output of alot of cross contamination. but im glad you stated that.


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## eldalote2 (Jun 3, 2009)

I personally, would not. Besides the risks stated above, we are still talking about frogs here. Frogs create a LOT of waste and all that is being drained into the false bottom. Ever smell the water from your false bottom? If I haven't changed mine in a while, it smells like sulfur from the decaying leaves. 

Just throw some leaves in a pot and put it on a low low boil. Safe!


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## Krenshaw22 (Apr 21, 2011)

eldalote2 said:


> I personally, would not. Besides the risks stated above, we are still talking about frogs here. Frogs create a LOT of waste and all that is being drained into the false bottom. Ever smell the water from your false bottom? If I haven't changed mine in a while, it smells like sulfur from the decaying leaves.
> 
> Just throw some leaves in a pot and put it on a low low boil. Safe!


thats all i needed to hear lol. ill just stick to boiling leaves.


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## freaky_tah (Jan 21, 2009)

I've used it before in small amounts, mixed in with normal tadpole tea, or just with distilled and I haven't noticed any ill effects, but I also haven't been breeding for years and years. 

I always boil the water for a good amount of time though to try and kill anything that might be in it, so if you're going to give it a shot I would make sure to boil it first.

Edit: I should also add that the water I've used from the false bottom has been from a 10g vert, and it generally doesn't sit in the tank for extended periods of time. If it smells bad like eldalote noted I just toss it. I've played around with how often I clean tadpole water too, and the false bottom water doesn't stink any worse than tadpole water that doesn't get cleaned.


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## Krenshaw22 (Apr 21, 2011)

freaky_tah said:


> I've used it before in small amounts, mixed in with normal tadpole tea, or just with distilled and I haven't noticed any ill effects, but I also haven't been breeding for years and years.
> 
> I always boil the water for a good amount of time though to try and kill anything that might be in it, so if you're going to give it a shot I would make sure to boil it first.


if i ever do use it ill boil it real well.


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## fishman9809 (Dec 8, 2008)

I don't plan on using false bottom water, but I'm just curious. Couldn't the water be run through a UV sterilizer to kill pathogens and parasites? Of course the ammonia levels would be through the roof, making it unusable, but I was just wondering about the pathogen and parasite issue.


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## Krenshaw22 (Apr 21, 2011)

fishman9809 said:


> I don't plan on using false bottom water, but I'm just curious. Couldn't the water be run through a UV sterilizer to kill pathogens and parasites? Of course the ammonia levels would be through the roof, making it unusable, but I was just wondering about the pathogen and parasite issue.


i guess it could but with what i know about uv sterilizers even though i personally haven't used one.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

First, I am a nobody here with only 11 tads under my belt.

While it may be possible, there is no way that I would be comfortable risking it. One of the reasons that our frogs stay healthy is that our systems are flushed regularly with misting....pulling many potentially harmful contaminants to the bottom of the tank. 

Can tadpoles live in fetid water? Sure. Happens every day in real life. Just not sure what the advantage could possibly be when tad tea can be made as simply as flinging a piece of almond leaf in to a tad cup full of water.

Friends don't let friends play with the froggy toilet water.


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## Krenshaw22 (Apr 21, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> First, I am a nobody here with only 11 tads under my belt.
> 
> While it may be possible, there is no way that I would be comfortable risking it. One of the reasons that our frogs stay healthy is that our systems are flushed regularly with misting....pulling many potentially harmful contaminants to the bottom of the tank.
> 
> ...


Lol I like the friends don't let friends play with the froggy toilet water


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## jrgobble (Jun 23, 2011)

I have used my waste water thinking it was a good idea. The problem I had was the tads were poor growers and some died. I was told by another breeder that the water may be too soft or contaminated with something the tads may not need. So now I actually just use well water with some moss mixed with it. The tads seem to be doing well with that mix. Thanks, Johnny


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