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 #1846722


Dragonclaws0554
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 Help with our new tadpole please

I got one of those frog habitat dealies and decided that I didn’t want to mailorder tadpoles, so I went to the local petstore. They had one left (the teacher cleaned them out today gearing up for school starting tuesday) and when she got the tadpole in the bag she said "this one is special... he’s weak and I don’t think he will survuve, but you can have him" so I took him. So I knew going in it may not survive and made sure my kids understood this too.

BUT, I would like to try and give this little guy a shot at life. First of all they told me to feed it frozen (defrosted) bloodworms, he doesn’t seem interested. I’m going to go buy some lettuce tomorrow. Is that the right move?

His behavior seems lazy, like he doesn’t always stay afloat stright, in fact I found him looking dead but it turns out he was not. He doesn’t swim all around, just kinda sits there in one spot for a while, is that normal? I suspect he should be more active.

As for water, we are going to the river again sunday, but I could run down there tomorrow too. Can I use river water for his water changes? Can I also snag some algae from the river for him to eat? Its a clean river, the upper truckee in south lake tahoe, so its not being polluted by factories or anything.

Even if this little guy doesn’t make it I will get a new healthy one in a week so I should knew these answers anyway.

He’s in one of those plastic Frog habitats for now, but we will move him into a regular terrarium shortly, we are going to make one next month as part of our science activity.



08/30/08  12:17am

 #1846733


Dragonclaws0554
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   Message To: Dragonclaws0554   In reference to Message Id: 1846722


 Help with our new tadpole please

Well now he just lies sideways floating like he’s dead, but he’s not... I don’t think he will make it through the night :(
08/30/08  12:39am

 #1846891


Reptilefreak23
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   Message To: Dragonclaws0554   In reference to Message Id: 1846733


 Help with our new tadpole please

That can be a problem, or normal. I have diseased one that do this or healthy ones that are just hungry.
Go to walmart and get him those Algey Wafers. Algey is their natural diet. And if you could go to a river or lake and get REAL algy that would be even better.
You should get him a Airator for his tank and make sure you are using spring water or that you killed the chlorine.
Good Luck! i hope he survives
08/30/08  10:13am

 #1846899


Clawedfrogsrule
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   Message To: Reptilefreak23   In reference to Message Id: 1846891


 Help with our new tadpole please

yeah algea is great, so is lettuce, and so are fish flakes.
I’m glad you’ll be making another terrarium, I’ve had that plastic "habitat" you’re talking about and I do not like those at all, the slopes are too slippery for them when they do start getting lets, and overall I think it’s pretty small and cramped.

The tadpole itself might be sick, or it might be a little dazed from all the commotion going on (shipping, being bagged and brought home), although normally the adjust at a certain point. It’s also possible he needs more oxygen in the water, as stated above you could get an airator, or for now you can get an eyedropper and just move the water into and out of it to airate it yourself.

again, good luck, hopefully he pulls through
08/30/08  10:36am


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