# IMITATOR - Chazuta Eggs - Getting Mixed Reviews...



## frankrom (Jan 14, 2012)

Hey Everyone... I figured there would be enough information without having to make my own post about this... and there is... however it seems to be mixed reviews...

So far I saw my male carry one tadpole on his back... no idea where he deposited it...

I now found two clutches of two eggs on brome leaves in my tank...

These eggs are in a position where I should be able to remove them relatively easily. However, I am getting mixed reviews about raising them or not raising them.


I should note I found a random tadpole (just one) back a few months ago and I was able to remove him and raise him myself... his front legs just came out (this tadpole was found in the first week of July and he is still not out of the water but he is quite large and active). He was already a tadpole when I found him not an egg... and I raised him just fine... shit i didn't even feed him for months (unintentionally).


Either way this is what I've been hearing...

-I heard one article say they are best left to be raised by the parents
-That same article said they tend to be larger when they become froglets
-Another article told me the froglets are much larger when raised by the hobbyist
-If removed they should be removed onto a plastic lid and placed into another container containing water but the eggs should be out of the water on the lid... and maintain high humidity

I would be comfortable dealing with this situation if they were tadpoles because I have already done it... my concern is I have four eggs I need to deal with... and there is at least one tadpole in my tank somewhere which i will probably never find.

I am also finding that my frogs will not use my film canisters for whatever reason... maybe it is because i have a lot of bromes?

Thoughts on how i should deal with these eggs?


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## Gamble (Aug 1, 2010)

I usually leave my imitator eggs in the tank & let the parents transport the tads to the film canisters, then i pull the tads & raise them myself. (I do not use broms in my tank). 

So yes, they may not be using the film canisters for tad deposition due to the broms.

I would personally pull the eggs if i were in your position considering the broms make it harder to collect the tads.

Your other option, since they are actively using the broms for deposition, is to let them transport the tads & then suck them out using a turkey baster to raise them yourself.

OR you can let the parents raise them themselves.
The benefit is that it may slow down their breeding if you dont want to be overwhelmed by tad care. The con is that yes, they will morph out smaller if left to the parents to care for, and then you have to worry about pulling froglets once they morph out.

Good luck with your decision.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

You're going to get mixed input on this, Frank. Both methods are acceptable. Some people say parent raised froglets are bigger and some people (like me) say they are bigger when you raise them yourself. So who's right? I am, of course...but so are they. It is dependent on too many variables. I find that when if I use a quality food, and keep up on water changes, my "human raised" froglets morph out much bigger than a tank raised froglet from the same parents. 
I have tank raised froglets bouncing all over the viv in my Green Sirensis group. They morph out only half the size of the froglets I take care of on my own. 
The vast majority of the time, I will leave the eggs and wait for the parents to take care of them. I will remove them later, as tads. We have pretty good water here, so I use dechlorinated tap water for them in 16 oz deli cups. I toss an oak leaf in most of the time. I feed a mixture of 60% to 80% Ocean Nutrition Formula One Flake (the flake has more protein than the pellet), 10 or 20% Ocean Nutrition Formula Two Flake, and 10 to 20% freeze dried Cyclop-Eeze. I use a coffee grinder on the pulse setting to powder it and mix it. The pulse setting is used to prevent heating the food. I use a turkey baster to remove the detritus at the bottom of each tad cup, along with about half the water. Feed each tad and top it off with fresh water. Feeding first, and then topping off with water, makes sure that the food gets down to the bottom. This will get done 2 to 3 times a week. When I get really busy in the summer, it might only get done once a week and they definitely morph smaller then.


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## frankrom (Jan 14, 2012)

Doug... my concern is due to my size of my tank and the number of bromes ... if they hatch... it is very likely i will not find them... so if i want to raise them myself i have to pull the eggs while i can...

I can see the shape of two tadpoles in one of the clutches..... the other clutch looks newer and needs more time...

exciting.

Anyone here breed chazutas before? I have a chazuta from July 1-7th and he is still not out of the water! he is big and just got his front legs... this seems like a long time. My buddies borja ridge seem to fly out of the water compared to this chazuta


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## Uncle_Benny (Aug 7, 2009)

frankrom said:


> Anyone here breed chazutas before? I have a chazuta from July 1-7th and he is still not out of the water! he is big and just got his front legs... this seems like a long time. My buddies borja ridge seem to fly out of the water compared to this chazuta


I had a Varadero tad take nearly 6 months to leave the water. As a side note I left it to the parents to raise.

Ben


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## CAPTAIN RON (Mar 29, 2010)

I have bred them and raised many beautiful chazuta imitators for about a year and a half now. I remove eggs from brom leaves/other broad leaf plants and place on a plastic petri dish-spray the eggs lightly with r/o water,but as not to flood out petri dish too much.Then place the dish in a plastic storage container with fairly tight fitting lid and spray mist the inside of container lightly for humidity.You should have tadpoles in around 10-15 days and they should morph out in 2.5-3 months ( depending on temps,feeding schedule,type of food,water quality) Once in a while i just leave the eggs with parents to slow them down some with the production! One day you will see a baby frog or two in viv along with adults-you can remove them and raise in grow out viv.Enjoy them-they are great little frogs!


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## nburns (May 3, 2005)

Don't think there is a right answer. Definitely lots of opinions and theories, but just do what works best for you. if pulling them is what is going to work for you for now then do that. I used to pull the tads but the last 2 years I've let the parents raise them completely because I just haven't had the time. Both methods produced some great frogs. Were ones from one method bigger than the other? I have no idea, I didn't pay that much attention. Best of luck, whatever you decide.


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## dartfanatic (Sep 24, 2012)

frankrom said:


> Hey Everyone... I figured there would be enough information without having to make my own post about this... and there is... however it seems to be mixed reviews...
> 
> So far I saw my male carry one tadpole on his back... no idea where he deposited it...
> 
> ...



You'll always get mixed reviews but I work with a lot of imi's including Chazuta's and usually pull eggs if they're in a spot I can. Yes, in most cases when raised by parents the tads will morph faster and be larger. However, if you feed well, give variety in diet, and know what you're doing pulling eggs is fine as long as you give the parents a break. Otherwise they may start popping out bad tads and become unhealthy as well. Every 4-6 months I'll either separate the male if needed or spray less often, feed less often, change the light cycle to about 10light/14dark, and make sure they're not laying. I'll give them vitamins every other feeding including vitamin A, and let them chill for a couple months. Haven't had any problems this way and still have my first trio of intermedius that are now about 6 years that constantly produce. Do what is comfortable by you. If you decide to raise your own shoot me a pm and I'll help you figure it out. Good luck


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

I'm in the same boat. My group of 5 green sirensis is producing over 20 eggs a month.. so far I've been pulling them all, but 2/3 have been fungusing in the petri dish. So, I'm switchign up and going to let them transport the eggs to deposiotn sites before I pull them. My Vanzo's have been laying in broms (shouldnt have used them), and so far I havnt pulled any, dont know whether to leave them or pull them. Probably a mix of both. I've just heard to many stories of people seeing the male transporting, and then never finding the tad deposited anywhere and lost.


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