# HELP! tads dying



## Frogman8 (Sep 28, 2010)

Finally took my matecho trio 2yrs to get it right (so I think) . about 2 of 6 eggs are morphing into tads. two of them just suddenly died yesterday ,they were in water since july 1st. temps were 68-72f .they have been swimming eating great,water changes twice a week in a heated setup. I had noticed they had a fuzzy hue on their tails up to their little heads,then they just died . WHAT THE F*@k. Please help. Thanks


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Frogman8 said:


> Finally took my matecho trio 2yrs to get it right (so I think) . about 2 of 6 eggs are morphing into tads. two of them just suddenly died yesterday ,they were in water since july 1st. temps were 68-72f .they have been swimming eating great,water changes twice a week in a heated setup. I had noticed they had a fuzzy hue on their tails up to their little heads,then they just died . WHAT THE F*@k. Please help. Thanks


What source is your water? R/o, tap, etc...
Are you sure about the temps? If they are 68-72 you shouldn't need a heated setup unless your house is >68 degrees F.
What is the source of the heat? 
What is the lighting like?
Size of containers?
Frequency of feeding?
What are you feeding?
Will gladly help, but need some more info, please.


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## Frogman8 (Sep 28, 2010)

House temp is 72-80 upstairs , but water feels like 65. No lights used , feed 3x a week mix of fish flakes and spirulina flakes . I never had a prob with the food. And using bottled Poland spring water.


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## Reef_Haven (Jan 19, 2011)

68°-72° is not ideal water temperatures. It lowers the ability of tads to fight off infection. 
See this thread for example. Are you actually measuring it with a calibrated thermometer?

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/breeding-eggs-tadpoles/87231-will-tadpole-break-out-their-gel-when-ready.html

Might also want to clarify if your tads are each in individual cups, with no shared water? If you are using the same turkey baster or strainer to perform water changes; you are likely transporting infection from one tad to another.

Do you use Indian almond leaves in your water? They have proven antifungal and antimicrobial properties.


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Frogman8 said:


> House temp is 72-80 upstairs , but water feels like 65. No lights used , feed 3x a week mix of fish flakes and spirulina flakes . I never had a prob with the food. And using bottled Poland spring water.


I understand you may not have had a problem with the food, but now you have a problem, and it could be food. I like to say: I haven't had a problem with (possible cause here), so far. Are you using any tipe of moss/plant/leaf in their water? How about their container size? No light as in dark, or just ambient light? Your temps seem on the low side of fine, but simply feeling the water is misleading, at best. Have you checked water temp with a thermometer? Not a temp gun. I'm leaning towards fungal (AEB your 'fuzzy' description), but higher temps are usually associated with fungus. Slow down on the feeding a bit to start. I feed 2x/week but use appropriately sized food bits for the stage of development. Fish flakes are an awesome substrate for mold and fungus. Do you have any tadpole bites?


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Reef_Haven said:


> 68°-72° is not ideal water temperatures. It lowers the ability of tads to fight off infection.
> See this thread for example. Are you actually measuring it with a calibrated thermometer?
> 
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/breeding-eggs-tadpoles/87231-will-tadpole-break-out-their-gel-when-ready.html
> ...



I'm wondering how accurate his reported water temps are. He states a house temp considerably higher, still further, they are in a heated enclosure. Heated enclosure, stagnent air, and water. Plus using flake food, exclusively. Sounds like a tadpole version of a fungus.


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## Frogman8 (Sep 28, 2010)

No tad bites but i will get them now. They are in their own tad containers , ambient light ( not dark until night) . What's the ideal temp for them ?


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Frogman8 said:


> No tad bites but i will get them now. They are in their own tad containers , ambient light ( not dark until night) . What's the ideal temp for them ?


Mid to upper 70's. Did you look at the link provided by reef haven?


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## Frogman8 (Sep 28, 2010)

The tad set up is actually a Rubbermaid bin with egg crate , heater and water pump to circ the water . Now the tads are in the tad containers sitting on top of th egg crate . Only about 1-1-1/2" deep are the tad cups in the heated setup


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Frogman8 said:


> The tad set up is actually a Rubbermaid bin with egg crate , heater and water pump to circ the water . Now the tads are in the tad containers sitting on top of th egg crate . Only about 1-1-1/2" deep are the tad cups in the heated setup


Will you get a more accurate temp as tney currently are, and using a thermometer? Even a regular glass thermometer around the house.


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## Frogman8 (Sep 28, 2010)

Ill get one today


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Frogman8 said:


> Ill get one today


Ok. My point, just to clarify, is that you're reporting 72-80 degrees of ambient air temps. Your water temps should match ambient air temps (fairly close, and with exceptions ie. they are under an a/c vent). If they do match the ambient air, and your supplementing heat, it stands to reason your water temps are a little higher than you think. If you're relying on a dial temp setting on an aquarium heater I am afraid your temps may be considerably higher. Work on a thermometer, and report your measurement when you can.


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## Frogman8 (Sep 28, 2010)

Thank you , will do


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## aspidites73 (Oct 2, 2012)

Frogman8 said:


> Thank you , will do


Do you have a temperature reading available?


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