# Fully Formed Bastimentos Froglets die in bromeliad axil



## yjkodiak (Oct 28, 2014)

Hi, my Bastimentos pair has raised dozens of tadpoles in the past year. I've noticed that when they turn into froglets, they disappear. I finally figured out that the fully formed froglets are dying in their bromeliad axils. They have fully formed front and back legs, very good size, nice color. But they never leave the axil... they die in it. I have no idea why. Can anyone help please?


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## dendrobates (May 11, 2009)

I don't think the problem is with your bromeliads. I would suspect SLS. It may be tough to tell. SLS comes in different severities. You may be seeing what look like fully formed froglets yet they have useless arms. Therefore they never make it out of the broms. 

Are you supplementing? You could also try pulling one out and dropping it off in the leaf litter.


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## yjkodiak (Oct 28, 2014)

Thank you for your help. I wondered if SLS could be it, but wasn't sure... I thought the front legs looked ok, and the back legs look well muscled. I took a couple pictures of the dead froglet... Do you think you might be able to tell if the legs are a problem, or if it could be something else? One of the front legs in the picture is under the body a bit, but the other one is in view... but the frog has been dead at least a day in the water, so it may be hard to tell because of decay. (I dragged his body out of the water and put it on the leaf.)

I supplement the parents' food (fruit flies) with herptivite and calcium/d3 twice a week.


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## Baltimore Bryan (Sep 6, 2006)

It's hard to say from the photos about SLS, but it sort of appears that the front legs are small and that was my guess from your description. 
I could be mistaken but I think part of the reason that many people here use Repashy supplements is that they contain the needed vitamin A to help with bad eggs and SLS, while the repcal/herptivite has a form of vitamin A that is suitable for reptiles but not amphibians. 
I would try changing the supplements and see if that helps. Sorry it's happening, that is very frustrating but don't be discouraged they will get it eventually!
Bryan


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## rigel10 (Jun 1, 2012)

I agree, the front legs look very thin. I agree also about the Repashy supplements. Sorry for your loss, this froglet had beautiful colors.


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## PDFanatic (Mar 3, 2007)

I would try using repashy supplements as well as a calcium bearing substrate such as turface. I know they aren't making it out of water but it never helps to think ahead. Its always a concern when they do start hopping around they are getting proper vitamin and minerals until they are large enough to eat dusted ff's.


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## yjkodiak (Oct 28, 2014)

Thank you everybody! This is very helpful. 
The day before this froglet died, his coloring was gorgeous... a very rich red color. I will purchase repashy. How often does everyone supplement? Possibly alternate supplements daily with repashy and repcal? 
And a calcium bearing substrate is very interesting, I had no idea that existed. Thank you again everyone!


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## yjkodiak (Oct 28, 2014)

I'm looking for Repashy right now, and there seem to be several different products. Which one do you recommend for dusting the fruit flies?


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## Dev30ils (May 1, 2012)

You should dust with Repashy Calcium Plus for every feeding. You can use Repashy Vitamin A once or twice a month instead of the calcium plus in order to give your adults a bit more of a boost of vitamin A. 

Make sure you store your supplements in the fridge and toss them after 6 months and get new ones.

There's no real reason to alternate with the repcal stuff.


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## Bcs TX (Sep 13, 2008)

Repashy Superfoods :: RETAIL SALES :: By Product Name :: Calcium Plus - Repashy Ventures - Distributor Center
Also sponsors carry it. You could add their viv A supplement, would recommend it via product label.


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## yjkodiak (Oct 28, 2014)

Thank you everyone for the great info! This is the most helpful forum I've seen. I appreciate the help.


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

best of luck with your soon-to-come, healthy froglets. Mark your products when you receive them, and your calendar as a reminder to reorder...


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## tongo (Jul 29, 2007)

A lot of people I know are dusting with repashy vit a twice a month. Hopefully this fixes your problem and you have healthy babies.


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## yjkodiak (Oct 28, 2014)

Wow, almost exactly 2 1/2 months after I posted this question for help, I found my very first and absolutely gorgeous dark red Bastimentos froglet sitting on a bromeliad leaf out of the water! Thank you to everyone for the suggestion to use Repashy Vitamin A!

Before using Repashy, I was using RepCal Herptivite and Calcium with Vit D. My Basimentos pair was laying about 2 clutches of eggs a week, with tadpoles all over the place, but the froglets never made it out of the bromeliads. 

As soon as I switched to Repashy, my Bastimentos pair stopped laying eggs. I thought something was very wrong. But then today, 2 1/2 months after the switch, I saw the emerged froglet! 

So now... if anyone has any suggestions regarding supplementation, feeding, or care of the froglet, I'd love to hear it. I've read some of the older threads on this forum regarding froglet care, but am happy to hear new advice as well. I was thinking of leaving him in the tank for a while with lots of springtails and tiny fruitflies from older cultures.


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## Xylem (Jan 10, 2015)

Hoorah!! Glad to hear your froglets are coming out alright now!

One more product on my 'to buy' list for my first frog tank.


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## yjkodiak (Oct 28, 2014)

Thanks! Another froglet emerged today! Also gorgeously dark red and looking good!


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## yjkodiak (Oct 28, 2014)

Thanks to everyone's advice to use repashy, I have 2 dark red froglets that are now about a month old. However, for the very first time ever, the parents are laying non-fertile clutches. In the year that I've had the parents, they've never before laid a clutch that wasn't fertile. Every single clutch was fertile. But now that the froglets have emerged, they've laid about 1 clutch a week (total 4 clutches), and all were large numbers of eggs (8-11), and all were sterile. Does anyone know what is going on? Should I stop supplementing? Or is this a phenomenon that occurs because they have froglets in tank and they are worried about overcrowding?


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## dendrorani (Jan 30, 2009)

For supplementation, I had talked to Mark from UE a while ago. His suggestion was Repashy calcium every feeding, Repashy supervite once a week and Repashy Vitamin A once a month. Remember, it is important not to give too much Vit A because it can have adverse effects when being saturated in the body.

Some thoughts,

Rani


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## yjkodiak (Oct 28, 2014)

Due to the repeated lack of fertile eggs after the froglets emerged, I returned to the old supplementation regimen (no repashy or any other supplements for a few days, then repcal calcium/herptivite every other day. After a couple weeks, the bastimentos finally returned to laying fertile eggs! So now that they have laid fertile eggs, I'll go back to using repashy. Has anyone else had to cycle supplementations? My results aren't very noteworthy yet, as they apply only to one pair of frogs that I've had just over one year.


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## LizardLicker (Aug 17, 2012)

I just let them grow in the tank with the parents. I will thrown in a container of springtails every now and again. 

I supplement every feeding with Repashy Calcium Plus and about once a month with the vitamin A. 

I noticed that soon after mine emerged they would set up residence around the feeding stations and spend pretty much all of their time there. I have plenty of stacked leaves and holes where they would stay. I would only see them poke their heads out when bugs were added. Once they got a bit bigger I would see them grazing a lot during the day all over the tank. 

My escudo are doing the same thing. I just leave them in with the adults. They have been staying in the leaves at the bottom, and I will see them every now and again feeding around the base of the leaves.


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## koconnor04 (Aug 17, 2020)

Very insightful post! I will use my current repcal with repashy vit a when I get my frogs in about a month, and I'll post my findings on health in here.


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