# tadpole drowned?



## Baltimore Bryan

i had 2 leuc and 4 azureus tads about to morph out. 2 days ago, one leuc started floating at the surface. i didnt think it was a problem because i figured he was starting to use his lungs and would pop front legs soon. he popped them the next morning. the whole next day, he floated upside down, but i wasn't worried because he moved when i tapped his container a little. i thought he was just breathing, and he was upside down because his mouth was on the bottom of him, so his mouth would be in the air to breathe. well, that evening when i went to put some moss and pebbles in so he could climb out of the water when he wanted to, he didn't move at all. he was dead.  i was shocked. i couldnt believe he had died. is it possible that when he popped rfont legs and started using his lungs to breathe air he couldn't stay above the water and drowned? i would really appreciate some advice so my other tads can survive. i put moss in the other tads containers so they would have somthing to climb onto if they popped legs. anbody know what happened?


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## Guest

yes, it sounds to me like it drowned. Its very easy for them to drown at that stage, all non aquatic frogs not just darts. When they reach the point where they gasp for air, its time to give them a way out of the water. Sorry you had to find out like that.
Swimming upside down could be a sign of a more serious problem, but I'll leave that for the experts to decide.


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## KeroKero

Sounds like it might actually have been another problem... the tadpole, no matter the stage, should not have been floating, and definately not belly up. Tinc group frogs are known for voluntarily staying in the water for long periods after their legs pop, so drowning isn't nearly as much of an issue with these frogs as others. I really doubt he drowned, it just sucks that the bloating/bubble developed late enough that it couldn't be corrected (if it could have) before he morphed.

I've personally been lucky to not have bubble tads, but the topic has come up a number of times, so search for tadpoles, floating, bubbles and you should come up with some threads about it. Keep an eye on your other tads for constant floating.

Tadpoles that are fed fish flakes that are forced to sink (I use a spray bottle to sink them) will often learn to "graze" the surface of the water belly (and mouth) up for flakes at feeding time, but they do not stay this way for long when food isn't involved. Frog will breathe thru their nostrils, on the top of their head, so they would not be turned belly up to breathe.


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## Baltimore Bryan

they would do exactly as you say "graze the surace" and then would swim down to the bottom. they all just started floating about a day ago, a day before they pop legs. i really don't think it was bloat because i don't think they would all get it at exactly the same time, even though they are about a week apart, the azureus and leucs started doing it exactly the same day. i was stupid enought that i forgot to give him some moss, so he didn't have an easy way out of the water. however i put moss in the other tads containers and the ones that popped legs seem to hang aroung the moss so their head is slightly higher than the rest of their body by leaning on the moss, and it might be out of the water. thanks


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## KeroKero

They could all in theory develop bloat all around the same time if it's something like water conditions, and you change their water all at the same time, etc. If you keep them all the same way, it could happen to them all at the same time.

I guess just try following the recomendations for morphing froglets to reduce drowning... lower the water level as they develop elbows, and you can move them into morphing containers when the elbows are highly noticable, and keep the water level just deep enough for them to swim, with clumps of sphagnum moss to pull out on if they want. With the water level so shallow, they will pup arms and be able to lift their heads out of the water. If they are still dying at this stage in this set up, something else is up. If they are bloating at that time, the water will be shallow enough that they won't have to fight it.


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## Baltimore Bryan

alright thanks


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## back2eight

I just had 2 luec tads die the same way. When I noticed their front legs popped, I lowered the water level to just a little bit, and I tilted the cup sideways so they could climb out easily. They still had some of their tail, but I figured 1-2 more days the tail would be gone. I only have 1 left, the other 3 died. One that died looked perfectly normal, but the others seemed to have one disfigured front leg.


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## basshummper

I know there are more recent posts about this topic as I have read them, but a quick search hasn't found them. I am having the same problem. I have a vent tadpole that popped legs 3 days ago. I was showing him off to my friends this morning, I come home tonight and he looked dead. He was upside down and catatonic. Only when I drained the water could he right himself on land and crawl around a bit. What I remember this being due to was bloat and that a water change could fix this. Since I have never done water changes I’m thinking this is the factor. I did a water change, and am now awaiting my results in the morning. Is their anything else that might cause these symptoms, or any other remedies?


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## jubjub47

Bloat in fish is usually due to diet and not water conditions. It's essentially gas. I don't know if tadpoles are similar in this instance or not, but water changes don't work for fish.


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