# Tilting Tad Cups



## morg (Jul 28, 2012)

I've got 8 tadpoles with back leg sprouts starting. Problem I'm having is the wires on my baker's rack are too close together to safely leave them at a 45° angle without tipping. 
Could you all give me alternative ideas or pics of how you've secured them? 

Thank you 

Sent from my Galaxy S4


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## bastimentos (Jun 23, 2012)

Try putting a pencil or something bigger under one end of the cup to provide a slope for them to crawl out.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

I don't tilt mine. Whenever I see that the front legs emerge, I place the tads into a shallow container (Chinese take out) straight into the morph out tub. The sides of the containers I use are very short (about 1") and they have no problems climbing out on their own.


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

morg said:


> I've got 8 tadpoles with back leg sprouts starting. Problem I'm having is the wires on my baker's rack are too close together to safely leave them at a 45° angle without tipping.
> Could you all give me alternative ideas or pics of how you've secured them?
> 
> Thank you
> ...


I've used small lengths of wood. Home depot sells 2ft sections that are half inch by half inch and this tilts the cups at a decent angle.

I had the same problem as you with one of my racks have tighter spacing but I've since moved things around and can use my other rack.


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

WendySHall said:


> I don't tilt mine. Whenever I see that the front legs emerge, I place the tads into a shallow container (Chinese take out) straight into the morph out tub. The sides of the containers I use are very short (about 1") and they have no problems climbing out on their own.


I tend to agree, I've found that almost all the time tads have no problem climbing right up and out of the water onto the sides of the cups. I have heard of others having problems with froglets drowning if they didn't tilt the cups. I still tilt mine though.


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

I've heard this too...but never actually heard of a ready-to-morph froglet dying in it's tad cup. I imagine that it could happen with a weak frog (which otherwise probably wouldn't survive long term) or if they were left unattended for a long time and got tired and drowned. 

Actually...now that I think about it...I believe I have read that a certain species are at risk of easily drowning if not tilted or given an easy escape from the water. I believe it was one of the tinier (more uncommon) morphs than I deal with though...and unfortunately, I don't etch a lot of the smaller morph info into my brain.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I dont tilt. If they arent strong enough to climb out, they dont belong in the hobby IMO. I like to impart at least a BIT of natural selection on my tadpoles


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## SeaDuck (Nov 8, 2006)

WendySHall said:


> Actually...now that I think about it...I believe I have read that a certain species are at risk of easily drowning if not tilted or given an easy escape from the water. I believe it was one of the tinier (more uncommon) morphs than I deal with though...and unfortunately, I don't etch a lot of the smaller morph info into my brain.


This was an assumption from a few years ago and false. Before we had access to high quality supplements bassleri and a couple of other species would appear to drown when in fact it was week froglets or SLS due to suplimentation. Healthy froglets go straight up the sides of a container. Robert


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Seriously, theres a lot of assumptions that get made that really make no sense when you think about it. 

Providing your breeders with proper supplementation and high quality foods, then doing the same for your tadpoles will dramatically increase your success rates. Dont skimp on the tadpole food!!!! 

For example- my most recent batch of froglets was fed a new ( to me ) combination of Repashy soilent green and Cyclop-eeze gel, and the froglets morphed out at least 25% larger than any of my other leuc froglets ever have- probably morphed 100 from these breeders.

In the past Ive used tadpole bites ( crap) fish flakes ( mixed feelings) spiruilina powder (messy) dead fruit flies ( convenient) algae wafers (ok) freeze dried cyclop-eeze (loved it) 

Now I have a feeder rotation that I really believe in for my tads and the results speak for themselves. From egg to morphed out froglet in 90 days, froglets actively hunting the day after they come out of the water. They climb like champs, even with their fat bellies


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