# what am I doing wrong



## Noxz (Jan 12, 2012)

I started with 4 tadpoles... when one finally got it's front legs he died the next day, I got a replacement. This was over 3 weeks ago... since then I had one turn into a frog, hopping about in a morphing container, populated with springtails. I get back today to find him starved(thin)... was he not eating the springtails? should I use fruitflies only aswell/instead? ... also when I get back today a tadpole whose had his front legs for a while, whose tail is about 6mm long, is also dead, I would think similar to my first, but I think that was more related to bad water... I almost have my vivarium together, but I am getting very dissapointed, very quickly....
What am I doing wrong?


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

you should be feeding dusted fruit flies (melanogaster) to your froglet. are you using tadpole tea? and also when the tads gets front legs, did you lower the water level and create a land area?


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## Noxz (Jan 12, 2012)

I do lower the water, and I put a small rock for them to climb on(I did not do this on the very first one, I was planning on doing it the next day but he was dead when I came back from work...)
I thougth Springtails (and plenty of them) were enough for the first few weeks... I do have the herptamin and some fruitfly cultures for this next time....

side note... the tadpole that died had similar problems with the first at the same time, I think he may have never fully recovered(always tried swimming towards the bottom, loosing orientation, etc)


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I had a tad that turned into a floater. Upside down, floating on top of the water. I panicked, and then I changed the water. The tad eventually started acting normally again and morphed out to be the most beautiful frog you've ever seen:









Not sure what I have to offer except that, when in doubt, check the quality of the water.

eta: she's looking for a boyfriend. PM me if you've got a handsome fella looking for love.


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## Noxz (Jan 12, 2012)

I do have the tad in a small puddle of fresh water right now, but for almost 2 hrs, and no movement...

I heard about this water change thing about an hour after I burried the first tad, so I am attempting....

I think I might buy only adults from now on?


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## goof901 (Jan 9, 2012)

at least froglets. are you refering to tadpole tea when you said fresh water, or just Reverse Osmosis water?


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

How big is a puddle of water? I drop mine into deli container sized cups and put in about 1/2 inch of water or so. Every day or so, I syphon out about half of that with a turkey baster and replenish with new water. The water I use is distilled made into a tad tea:

Tad tea:
Pot on stove, add distilled water and a few leaves (most leaves will be fine. Indian Almond seem to be the popular leaf of choice). Boil until the leaves leach their tannins into the water. Will look like dark iced tea. Pour that water into a container and add more distilled (or treated tap if you know your tap water is good) to make it look like weak tea. Use this for your eggs and tads.

Everyone has their own method. That's what I do.

eta: I also add little extras like pieces of leaf, pinch of sphagnum moss, a little algae from a jar on the window sill. Just gives them stuff to hide in and chew on.


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## RedEyeTroyFrog (Jan 25, 2008)

ugh Kris that female and my male would make a great couple. . . let me know when your ready to sell her lol


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## Jason (Oct 14, 2004)

I think the question is....what are you feeding the parents??????


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## Noxz (Jan 12, 2012)

Jason, I got tadpoles to start with, not breeding adults... I'm a while away from that..

RedEyeTroyFrog.. I'm in columbus, crazy weather? maybe the extreme ups and downs are messing with the temps too much?


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## ilovejaden (Jan 6, 2011)

so someone gave you the tadpoles?? Maybe it would be best for you to just get froglets from the person, since you're new to the hobby I'm assuming, and it can be difficult to raise tads to froglets without any experience.


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## jeeperrs (Jan 14, 2010)

I would recommend getting frogs that are a couple months old. Raising tads is not an easy thing to do. However, if the tads have survived to being an adult you don't have to worry about "survival of the fittest" from playing a role in your frogs development. It is just as enjoyable to watch the frogs starting at the adult stage


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Noxz said:


> I do have the tad in a small puddle of fresh water right now, but for almost 2 hrs, and no movement...
> 
> I heard about this water change thing about an hour after I burried the first tad, so I am attempting....
> 
> I think I might buy only adults from now on?


Buying tads, transporting them and no previous experience looking after them is a bad idea. Too much can go wrong along the way. I'd recommend getting some well started froglets. At least 3 months of age. 

Cheers


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## sdlyager (Jan 30, 2012)

I'm a few hours from Columbus and lost 3 that were a day or so from coming out of the water due to the good surprise of a 40 degree temp drop!


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## SmackoftheGods (Jan 28, 2009)

I know exactly what you did wrong. You bought tadpoles. Tadpoles are temperamental and finicky. I sold tadpoles to someone with experience far beyond my own once and just the change in conditions was enough to kill them all (and we're talking about a frogger with almost a decade of dart experience). You're clearly brand new to the hobby, and while I imagine keeping tadpoles you bred wouldn't be that big an issue once you've done your research (because then the tadpoles wouldn't be subject to a severe change of environmental conditions) I imagine the chance of raising another person's tadpoles to be very slim. Do yourself a favor and buy froglets (or hell, adult frogs - that's what I do). You'll have a much better experience.


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## Noxz (Jan 12, 2012)

Thank you all for telling me not to get tadpoles as a beginner anymore, I knew that they needed more care, but the breeder didnt have any juveniles available at the reptile show of this locale... I have learned my lesson and will not get any more tads until I am more experienced, I am sorry for the loss thus far.

...temps are finally coming back up...


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## jharris08 (Dec 26, 2011)

I do agree that research before any hobby is a necessary thing, but to your credit, anyone can have beginner bad luck, and also I learned quick that sometimes buying things from vendors at reptile shows can be a bad choice. I lost my first pair of froglets from a vendor at a show...but now I found someone local that practices good husbandry and produces great frogs.

read up some more and give it another shot with some froglets that have been out of the water for 2 or 3 months...see if anyone on here that has a good reputation sells frogs within driving distance from you.
good luck


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

RedEyeTroyFrog said:


> ugh Kris that female and my male would make a great couple. . . let me know when your ready to sell her lol


Nevah!!


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## RedEyeTroyFrog (Jan 25, 2008)

LOL grrrrrrrrrr


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