# Tads and bromeliad leakage



## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Ok, I have a N. 'tigrina' that has a tadpole in it right now. All of a sudden two days ago, it appeared to spring a leak, not holding water really at all. Now every couple of hours I have to hand mist it to refill it. Anyone else have this happen and what if anything did you do?


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## Tripod (Jun 5, 2006)

I just lost a Cauchero tad because of the same problem. 

I think the only possible alternative is to remove the tad and put it in another brom or film canister situated right next to the original brom and hope that the parents find it. Of course if is not a pumilio or other obligate egg feeder, then you could just remove the tad to another container and hand feed.

In the mean time, I am replacing the problematic broms with others that have demonstrated a better, long-term ability to hold water.

I hope it works out for you.

Steven


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## reggorf (Oct 24, 2006)

This also just happened to me in my basti viv. I have to fill it everyday. I may have to think about replacing it after the froglets come out.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Ok, thanks for the info guys. I guess I will just keep an eye on it for the time being and then maybe switch it out with a different bromeliad once the tad is gone.


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## reggorf (Oct 24, 2006)

Actually, we just took the brom out. the water was gone almost immediately. We took the brom apart and found three tads. we put them into film cups that were already in the viv full of water. I hope the parents find them and continue to feed them. Our only hope of getting unfertilized eggs, is if our Santa Isabels lay another bad clutch. Our cobalts and leucs fertilize them almost immediately. One of the tads actaully has all its legs so it will be fine but the others are not that far along. Wish me luck.


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## reggorf (Oct 24, 2006)

well, the little guy with all it's legs did not make it. I think it got stressed out from moving around. That is the only thing I can think happened.  Hope the other two fair better than their clutchmate.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

This isnt making me feel better :wink:


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## Tripod (Jun 5, 2006)

Well maybe this will, Sarah...

The Cauchero tad I thought I had lost turned out to be alive and well WAY down inside the brom. I discover the little guy after pulling the brom and rinsing it well. He slipped out into a cup I had waiting (just in case). He had sprouted his front legs which I think helped a with the situation.

Anyway, I replaced the brom with another that appears to have better water retention properties and put the tad back in. It's been a few days, and he is doing fine. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Steven


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

I just wanted to say thanks guys. I have been just misting a couple of times a day, and that seems to be enough for now. If they transport in those again before I have a chance to change the bromes, I will pull them.


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

Just a couple thoughts on broms and water holding...

It has been mentioned in the past that sometimes broms need to be replaced something like every 6 months... this was mostly due to the fact that the lighting on the tank was not nearly as strong as what the broms were raised in. Ideas... replace every 6 months, suffer the loss of whatever tads are there... increase the light until you find the appropriate level for the broms you have to hold water constantly... maybe tank grown pups who are used to the lighting will be better at retaining water their whole lives since they are totally acclimated to the tank conditions...

If you know a brom that held plenty of water in it when it was doing well, might be worth letting it stay in the tank and pup to determine if tank raised pups will hold water better. Just stop trying to keep the mother plant full of water and the pumilio should be less inclined to lay in it, or raise it in a pumilio-free tank under the same conditions it would get in the pumilio tanks. 

Or just take all the broms out and force the pums to plastic that won't leak. I think part of the reason pums don't like to use them as much is often we put the plastic way more out in the open... if it was more enclosed by leaves and hidden they might be more inclined to use them.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

I cant give them anymore light. That tank has four 54w T5's. Two are 6500 K and two are 3000 K, anymore light and the heat will go out the roof and I am already getting some bleach on my top plants. One of the problems was that when they first transported, the brome held water. Now it doesnt, the only reason I am filling the bromes up are BECAUSE there are already tads in them. Otherwise I would just let them be as they are. In this tank, taking out the bromes arent really an option.

For some reason one of the two bromes that started leaking has stopped, so it is now holding water again. The other still only has about half an inch of water in the bottom. Fortunately this brome is pupping so maybe that will help.

One thing though Corey, the second brome that was losing water and now isnt, WAS the pup. It is one of about four pups off the mother plant. SO I dont know if a viv grown pup would make any difference. ANy ideas on why it would lose water visibly (so thus not because of evaporation) and now it keeps water in it for days?


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## KeroKero (Jun 13, 2004)

I tossed out all my theories! I've really not got a clue... I've definately learned to keep the broms alive these days, but never actually bred any of my pumilio using broms :shock: I couldn't keep them alive or didn't have enough light for them back then. 

I'm not saying I liked the "pull every 6 months and replace" theory, just tossing it out there as an option. Makes me wonder about tank conditions if you have to do that, but I don't really get why a successful pup wouldn't hold water... much less why it suddenly would again! Do you have any changing in temps with the seasons? I know fall finally came here, and my temps are starting to swing.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Well, it has been a lot cooler here, and my tanks have been getting to the low to mid 60's at night rather than staying in the mid to high 70's all the time. Maybe the brome was losing too much water (cellular wise through stomates) when it was warm so was losing some of its turgidity. Now that it is cooler it is regaining turgid pressure????


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## bbrock (May 20, 2004)

housevibe7 said:


> Well, it has been a lot cooler here, and my tanks have been getting to the low to mid 60's at night rather than staying in the mid to high 70's all the time. Maybe the brome was losing too much water (cellular wise through stomates) when it was warm so was losing some of its turgidity. Now that it is cooler it is regaining turgid pressure????


I'd say that's a good hypothesis. And aren't broms adapted to absorb water from the cup? So the evapotranspiration rate could really effect the rate of water loss from the cups and axils. Another possibility, although I doubt it in your case, is that sedimentation could plug the leak. I've noticed that when I clip some pups, they will leak from the cut ends of the stolons even if the stolon is several inches long. Eventually they plug the leak one way or another and start holding water. I also have a hunch that tads in drying axils get re-transported more often than we know.


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