# Tadpole Tea, Creation & proper use



## Tincman (Jan 18, 2013)

Hey guys, Just a quick question on this as Im sure its been asked a million times & I just havent found the threads..... Ive been reading about the tannins in Almond leaves helping prevent mold in developing eggs & I like tha Idea better then using the blue chemical stuff.. About how many Big almond Leaves would create the right Tea in a standard half gallon rice pot? Also to get the benefit of this does it need to be sprayed liberally on the eggs or just enough to coat them once & thats all? Thanks in advance.. Im sure iM over thinking this & theres probably nothing to it?


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## DemonicalEnvy (Sep 7, 2011)

Well as far as i know Tadpole Tea is.......well for Tadpoles not eggs atleast i have not come across it while reading and researching things. The Blue stuff which for some reason the name escapes me is for the dart frog eggs not used with tadpoles.



Tincman said:


> Hey guys, Just a quick question on this as Im sure its been asked a million times & I just havent found the threads..... Ive been reading about the tannins in Almond leaves helping prevent mold in developing eggs & I like tha Idea better then using the blue chemical stuff.. About how many Big almond Leaves would create the right Tea in a standard half gallon rice pot? Also to get the benefit of this does it need to be sprayed liberally on the eggs or just enough to coat them once & thats all? Thanks in advance.. Im sure iM over thinking this & theres probably nothing to it?


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## tongo (Jul 29, 2007)

I don't believe there is a certain ratio when making your tadpole tea. I'm pretty sure you'll do fine with a hand full. The tannins help lower the pH in the water and is suppose to prevent bacteria infections. Don't completely cover your eggs with it, just enough for it to surround the eggs.


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## Reef_Haven (Jan 19, 2011)

One almond leaf will be more than enough for a half gallon. You don't have to boil it. It will leach enough tannins into the water in a few days. I usually break it up into approx 1 square inch pieces. Each piece will later go into individual tadpole cups. I believe indian almond leaves provide other beneficial properties beyond just tannins, and is a far better choice than oak and others.
I don't spray my eggs, just add the water directly to the dish, not quite covering the eggs.
This site has some good information. ~ Indian Almond Leaves (T. catappa) for Aquariums ~
_Note: Not intended as an endorsement for their product_


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## ZookeeperDoug (Jun 5, 2011)

I put one large leaf in a FF culture cup(32oz) and let it steep in a windowsill. I use this water for my developing eggs. I can generally reuse the same leaf, I just refil the cup as it gets used. Eventually the leaf gets soft and doesn't produce much tanin, to it gets torn up and put in cups with tads. By this time it is soft and they gnaw on it and whatever film of micro organisms that develops on it.


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## Tincman (Jan 18, 2013)

Ahh thanks for the feedback.. I have failed to properly do what I often criticize others for not doing.. I havent given you enough info to properly help me.. I dont pull any of my eggs and mostly have good results letting the parents deposit tads for me in designated sites.. I also use a piece of almond leaf in every cup for the tads.. What I was really trying to learn & was curious about, is how I should go about or if I should try spraying some of the eggs in my Benedicta Viv as they seem to have gotten moldy on occasion before development once or twice.. The ventilation is ok so I was wondering if spraying some of the Tad Tea would really help in this instance? Thanks again everyone.. I appreciate all feedback & apologize for ot being more clear about my intent with respect to this..


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

You can also boil a bunch of leaves into a very strong, concentrated tadpole tea. I store this in the fridge and use a splash, diluted to your desired color. As long as you keep it in the fridge, I've kept it good that way for months.


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