# Pumilio tadpoles not completely morphing??



## clarksgeckos (Jun 8, 2014)

Hi this is Clark Tucker and I am still fairly new here and this is my first time keeping and breeding dart frogs. I have a pair of Salt Creek locale O. pumilio that produced their first tadpoles on 8/17/2014 and for the first couple months everything seemed great with them but when they started looking like froglets with tails they never grew their front limbs out that I can tell. One is still very active the other not as much. I guess my question to all here, is there any hope for these 2? Also, any ideas on what the root cause of this situation is? I am not witnessing her feeding them and I see her feeding the second batch all the time. 
Best regards,
Clark


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

There isnt going to be any hope for those tadpoles.

What your seeing is a condition known as SLS (spindly leg syndrome) it has been suggested that it is most likely a result of proper supplementation in the adults.

what are you providing the adults as far as vitamins?

James


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## clarksgeckos (Jun 8, 2014)

James I am offering them fruit flies (cultured in Josh's Frogs media) that are dusted with Rep Cal and Herptivite mixed 50/50 every feeding and we are feeding them 3 to 5 times per week depending on how many flies are being consumed. I have also started using Calcium Plus and Repashy Fly Media and I feed the microfauana in the tank Tetra Fish Food Flakes for color enhancing tropical fish and now I am also using Morning Wood to feed the microfauna. The frog tank stays between 73 (coldest and not too long) and up to 80 but generally were all the tadpoles are being deposited it is 75 to 78 as I have read were there was thought of the tadpoles not being raised at adequate temperatures may cause this too.
Best regards,
Clark


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

are you using any sort of Vitamin A? 

Vitamin A deficiency is generally the source of SLS problems, at least in my experience.

I haven't had a single frog with SLS since I started rotating the repashy Vit A into my regimen a few years ago.


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## froggorf (Nov 22, 2008)

Doesn't sound like the temp is an issue at all, rather the supplements. It's become common practice for many to dust with Repashy Calcium Plus at every feeding and then supplement with Repashy Vitamin A, once or twice a month. Do not overuse the Vit A. The Vit A is supposed to be what's lacking in the parent frogs often leading to SLS in the froglets which can manifest itself as very weak, skinny front arms to no arms at all - and unfortunately it's not reversible. Also be sure to replace supplements every 6 months and store in the fridge. If you do a search there's a lot of discussion about this supplement regimen on the forum, good luck!


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## clarksgeckos (Jun 8, 2014)

There is already 2 forms of Vitamin A in the Repashy Calcium Plus and vitamin a is not something to just play with. I think that I am going to buy the vitamin a supplement and offer it to them once a month and see how that goes. I am also sceptical if it is even a vitamin deficiency in this case because she is doing so much better with this next group of tadpoles. Couldn't it just be that this is this frogs first time and she just got sidetracked and forgot about feeding these first 2 frogs because she started taking care of 4 more tadpoles before these were near ready to start absorbing their tails.
Best regards,
Clark


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## froggorf (Nov 22, 2008)

It's true that the Calcium plus does have Vit A but it's been suggested on here that it's beneficial to supplement with the straight Vit A as well. Repashy developed the Vit A with frogs in mind while the Calcium is more of a general use supplement, I think starting with once a month should be fine. 

It is also possible the female abandoned care of the first batch of tads but that doesn't really explain their lack of forelimbs. Maybe she sensed the deformity and abandoned them for that reason, just a thought but similar behaviors have been witnessed in other species.


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