# Do tads jump out?



## hairfarm67 (Apr 20, 2007)

Maybe I'm just worrying too much, but as a salt water aquarist I'm always worrying about fish jumping out of the tank. I've got my first two clutches of pdf tads set up individually in plastic cups. They are now big enough that I could see them easily jumping out of the water. So, do they just instinctively know not to exit the water or should I start trying to figure out tops for the containers?

Also, I took some pics of my most advanced tad today. From the pic, what should I expect time-wise? How soon could the front legs pop? How long after that until they are ready to leave the water? I still need to buy and set up a viv for froglets....










Thanks so much for the help. Watching this process has been so amazing but I'm getting anxious for the next step


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## Baltimore Bryan (Sep 6, 2006)

*Re: yes, they can jump out*

it is possible for it to jump out... that happened to me once, luckily it was wet enough under the container for it to survive for about 8 hours. my suggestion is to put him in a bigger container if you are worried about him jumping out. it looks like it could pop the left front leg within a couple of weeks, but i don't know exactly when. is it an azureus tad? we might be able to help you figure out when it will morph out if we have an idea of how old it is. good luck


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## hairfarm67 (Apr 20, 2007)

Dangit, I was hoping they wouldn't jump out. I'll get some larger containers then....They are auratus tads that hatched on June 12th, so almost 5 weeks old.


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## Baltimore Bryan (Sep 6, 2006)

*Re: auratus tads...*

well they look like they are right on track. if they are about 5 weeks old, and they continue to grow, they could pop front legs within 3 weeks, probably between 2 and 4 weeks from now. good luck with them


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

> it is possible for it to jump out... that happened to me once, luckily it was wet enough under the container for it to survive for about 8 hours.


Did it have legs? I use 32 oz cups and fill them to the top and I have never had a tadpole go missing.


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## Baltimore Bryan (Sep 6, 2006)

*Re: how my tad jumped out of the water...*

no, it didn't have legs. it was my first tad, so i put him in a container and decided to leave him in the tank for a week or so unitl he was a little stronger before moving him into the "incubator tank". the parents would occasionally go into the container for water i guess, so they might have encouraged him or somthing. i don't know exactly, but he was in the water when i left, and came back 8 hours later and he was atually under the container, but had survived because the moss was wet enough. i have never had it happen other than that one time, so i don't think yours would, just letting you know it is possible.


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## hairfarm67 (Apr 20, 2007)

Thanks for the input guys. I think I will still go get some bigger cups to be on the safe side. Josh, are the 32 oz cups that you use paper or plastic?

I'm a little bummed because it seems like the back legs on this first one grow noticeably larger every day but I still have to wait another 2 or 3 weeks for front legs to pop? Bah, patience is not one of my virtues :roll:


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## joshsfrogs (May 6, 2004)

> Thanks for the input guys. I think I will still go get some bigger cups to be on the safe side. Josh, are the 32 oz cups that you use paper or plastic?


I use the fruit fly cups, so plastic. To see how I do it, check out: Breeding Poison Dart Frogs


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## booboo (Jan 22, 2005)

I have had a tadpole be eaten by a jumping spider... but i have never had one jump out.


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## frogmeing (Sep 23, 2005)

*jumping out*

Yaknow, I was going to comment on this thread and say I personally have never had any tads jump out on me...and i'm glad i didn't. 

Recently I thought I had a good idea using a plastic carton to keep some tads in. I figured I could house 12 of them in there and close it so water doesn't evaporate too quickly. The day after I read this thread I checked on them to do a water change and of course...two of them had jumped into the sections with other tads in them. The sad thing was the were tincs and there was one dead in each section.

Moral of the story...yes, they do jump out...or...don't use plastic egg cartons.


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