# Safest tadpole food? (In terms of air pocket likelyhood)



## Dillon Wascher (Jul 26, 2011)

Hi, I have 3 leuc tads that I am morphing out in small tubs. They are my first tads. 2 are doing great, one of which has some olive colored bands on his hind legs. The 3rd one, (whose hind legs look like they will pop out any day now), seems to be having a little trouble with buoyancy. Sometimes his upper body slowly floats, but usually it slowly sinks, especially after I have been taking the lid off etc. and he's been swimming around. He seems to have no loss of orientation. Upon inspection, it seems as if he has a very small air pocket on at least one side of his abdomen. When I say pocket, I mean a VERY slight bowing of the skin on his abdomen. The reddish color of his abdomen is a little redder that usual. As per the instructions of the person I bought them from (a reputable breeder by the way, not his fault) I have not been changing the water, merely raising the level of the tub (5" in diameter) with RO water as the tad grows. The water is stained (due to the oak leaf fragment that he added to the tub) but has remained clear. I read that water changes can help with air bubbling, so I raised the level from about 3/4" to 1" last night, and to 1 1/4" this morning, with no apparent stress from the tadpole. I would like to avoid unneeded stress but will change more water if you think it will help. My biggest question is should I switch food, and if so to what, and for which tads. I am currently feeding Jurassi Diet Newt and Aquatic Frog Food, which is a floating pellet that sinks quite easily after I push it under the water. Nutrition facts:
Ingredients: alfalfa, krill meal, fish oil, fish meal, spirulina, beta carotene, Vitamin A Acetate, D-Activated Animal-Sterol (D3), Vitamin B12 supplement, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine hydrochloride, Thiamine, Biotin, DL Alphatocopherol (E), L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (C), choline chloride, cobalt sulfate, copper sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydroiodide, mineral water
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein (min): 35%, Vitamin A: 8,000 IU/kg, Fat (min): 5%, Vitamin D3: 450 IU/kg, Fiber (max): 5%, Vitamin E: 200 IU/kg, Ash (max): 9%, Moisture (max): 10%
I have read countless recommendations on other foods, but have not found a tread on which foods are "safest". Any recommendations or advice would be helpful. Thanks for reading.


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## jbherpin (Oct 16, 2009)

I always have thought gas bubbles were due mostly to undisolved gasses in the water itself, and not associated with foods. I have used "HBH tad bites", with 100% success, also worm bits. 

JBear


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## andrewleo (May 10, 2010)

Just make sure that the tadpoles aren't eating each other (that's the least safe tadpole food)


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## andrewleo (May 10, 2010)

I've never had a problem with the tadpole bites and some sprinkles of spirulina from a health food store.


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## lynnstorm (Nov 23, 2009)

I feed tadpole bites, veggi flakes, and frozen bloodworms (thawed to room temp). The bloodworms are an occasional treat and the tads go crazy for them.


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## Zoomie (Jul 3, 2011)

HBH Tad bites is what I primarily use. 

From time to time I'll note a tad that seems to hang more toward the surface. It does appear to be a positive buoyancy issue. It typically goes away in 24-48 hours.

I haven't experienced any true problem but I haven't yet raised enough tads to have a broad enough sample to support my comments.


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## Dillon Wascher (Jul 26, 2011)

Zoomie said:


> HBH Tad bites is what I primarily use.


 This seems to be the general consensus; I will be ordering some. They are in separate tubs so no chance of cannibalism. I'm not sure about non-dissolved gasses; I use RO water that comes out of a little faucet. It usually sits in a container before I add it to the tad tubs. But on the subject of ingesting gasses, I am beginning to suspect that he might have accidentally ingested some air from the surface. Sometimes, when I take the lids off, the tads race around the tub, and, since the water is only an inch or so deep, sometimes they hit the surface. I am being cautious not to disturb them too much. 


Zoomie said:


> a tad that seems to hang more toward the surface


This sounds exactly like my situation, except it's been going on since Saturday. What are your opinions about changing the water? I would like to avoid it, since it was recommended against by the breeder I bought them from (once again, a reputable breeder), but I have read that a lot of people have cured air bubbles by changing the water. Any thoughts? Thanks again for reading.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

A top quality flake fish food like Ocean Nutrition Formula One is much better formulated than tad bites. It is higher quality, with more protein, better sources of protein, and just all around more nutritious. I won't use tad bites myself. There are some great threads about Tad nutrition on here. You are moving to fast to use these first few answers for a "consensus".
Your air bubble is most likely caused, NOT from quality of feed, but rather, could be overfeeding in conjunction with your water quality.
Try moving him into fresh, clear water with no food until the bubble dissipates. Toss an oak leaf in. This has worked for me 2 or 3 times now. That's a trick I heard about from James.
Please read these threads before you decide on a tad food.
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/br...entrimaculatus-tadpoles-suggestions-diet.html
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/64001-tad-food-powder-recipe.html (read through this one as it goes into detail why my first formula needed help)
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/breeding-eggs-tadpoles/66675-favorite-productive-tadpole-food.html
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/71722-tadpole-food-recomendations.html
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/breeding-eggs-tadpoles/64488-tads-die-after-front-legs-pop.html


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## Dillon Wascher (Jul 26, 2011)

Thanks Pumilo! I will start with Formula One a.s.a.p., since I already have a ton of it to feed to african cichlid fry. I will do more research as well to try and find a better long-term alternative. By the way, I did read several threads about tad diet before making my "general consensus" post, and over 50% of the people seemed to feed primarily tad bites. I'm glad you corrected me before I ordered it. How rapidly do you suggest I take him from his current water to clean water? A day? Hours? Days? I have been cautioned by someone else about shock resulting from water changes, but have also read about people doing 95% percent changes no problem. I am wondering if the air bubble isue outweighs the concern of shock. Also, the tubs already had a small piece of oak leaf in them when I bought the tads, so I plan to soak a clean oak leaf in the "new water" before the water change(s). Is there any way to expedite this process, such as boiling the oak leaf in the water before I use it? Thanks again!


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Boiling will make a tadpole tea faster than just soaking. You may want to boil a handful but just include a leaf or two in your tad's cup. You are looking for the color of light iced tea. Your biggest problem with shocking your tad is going to be temperature. Make sure your source of water is chlorine free, make your tea, and make sure the old water and the new water are exactly the same temperature. Then just pull him out with a teaspoon and put him into the new water.
Here is where I got that trick from James67 (so thank him, not me). He also lists all the other threads that discuss what else it could be. You can't always fix it but it has worked for Max and I at least twice. http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/ge...atment/72162-tadpole-deformity-noob-here.html


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## illinoisfrogs (Apr 16, 2010)

Also, if you raise enough tads, sometimes you lose one. It's generally very uncommon, but it happens. The first time I bred a pair, all 33 froglets made it successfully. The next year, breeding 4 pairs, I had 160+ tads, and I lost maybe 5 or 6 during the whole process.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

lincolnrailers said:


> Also, if you raise enough tads, sometimes you lose one. It's generally very uncommon, but it happens. The first time I bred a pair, all 33 froglets made it successfully. The next year, breeding 4 pairs, I had 160+ tads, and I lost maybe 5 or 6 during the whole process.


That's a good point, too. Sometimes we lose one through no fault of our own.


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## Dillon Wascher (Jul 26, 2011)

I've been doing tad tea water changes, and feeding very little (I confess I did give him a little piece of flake because I hadn't fed him for a few days and he was starting to mouth the sides of the container, the thermometer I stuck in to measure the temp, etc. so I caved). His buoyancy seems to be decreasing. I think the regimen is helping. One of my other tads, who is slightly younger, started exhibiting the same symptoms, and I got him on the same regimen right away and he seems to be improving as well. I am starting to wonder if what I am "seeing" is just paranoia or if there really is a problem. At any rate, I will keep on it, as they seem to be doing well. Thanks Pumilo and James67! 
p.s. I will post a new thread that addresses my situation with the third tad (spoiler alert, it won't be a tad for long!)


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

New Life Spectrum Cichlid Diet 1 mm pellets are where it's at!


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## Dillon Wascher (Jul 26, 2011)

Thanks! Another food I already have. It pays to have fish !


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Compare the ingredients list on any pellet food to the same brands flake food and you will see more sources of protein in the flake formula.


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## tclipse (Sep 19, 2009)

Some of the foods I use-

Staples:
-new life spectrum Thera A pellets
-repashy "meat pie" gel
-omega one shrimp pellets
-new life spectrum flakes
-repashy superpig (carotenoids for color... many have noticed better adult colors in many species when given color supplements as tads, this is suggested to be especially important for epipedobates)

Occasionals:
-repashy "soilent green"
-naturose
-spirulina
-hikari crab bites
-HBH tad/frog bites
-Tetra MicroCrab (w/ cyclop-eeze)
-decapsulated brine shrimp eggs
-cyclop-eeze
-enriched brine shrimp
-small pieces of mysis shrimp 
-hikari cichlid pellets
-frozen bloodworms

I have a lot of stuff in the closet & freezer for the reef tank, so I take advantage of it. i feed almost daily and offset that by adding tons of java moss/duckweed/frogbit/salvinia..... removes the need for water changes & keeps everything clean and clear. All of that obviously isn't necessary at all, but variety is king. 

there are tons of different ways to do tads, this is just what has worked for me. as linconrailers said, sometimes a tad is just not gonna make it, no matter what you do or have done for it.


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