Posts tagged Feeding Tadpoles
A Reader’s Diet for the Filter-Feeding Tadpoles of the African Clawed Frog
Apr 7th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. The African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) is a very common pet and lab animal and yet holds many surprises for those willing to look – it has no tongue, produces skin secretions that have yielded valuable medicines, was once used by the millions to detect pregnancy and thrives as an invading species in habitats ranging from Texas cattle ponds to brackish marshes in England… and their tadpoles feed by filtering organic material from the water. More >
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Loading ...Common Problems When Raising Toads – Bloating and Paralysis
Oct 28th
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. The tadpoles of American Toads (Bufo/Anaxyrus americanus) and Fowler’s Toads (B. woodhousei fowleri), and of related US natives, are frequently collected by herpers young and old and taken home to raise. They usually prove quite hardy, and, even on nutrient-poor diets (i.e. lettuce), transform into tiny toadlets within a few weeks.
Toad Maladies
Young toads often prove difficult to raise however, and each year I receive questions concerning the same 2 problems – bloating 
and paralysis (difficulty hopping, problems catching food, etc.). I’ve run across this myself when raising American toad tadpoles for a release program in NYC, where most of the tadpoles transformed, but died soon after.
Nutritional Deficiencies
I’ve come to believe that 2 distinct problems are at work. Difficulty in using the rear legs is probably linked to deficiency in calcium or another nutrient, but efforts to reverse it, at least in small toads, have proven unsuccessful.
Using supplements on the food given newly 
transformed toads helps, but we really do not know what most species, especially North American natives, actually require.
Tadpole nutrition is another area that needs investigation. Poorly nourished tadpoles may transform, but then die several weeks later…I’ve had this happen on a number of occasions over the years, with several species, even the relatively indestructible African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis).
Bacterial Infection
Bloating is usually a byproduct of a bacterial infection, and may be connected to nutrition. Toads already weakened by a nutritional deficiency may be more likely to become infected with bacteria that healthier clutch mates fight off – hence both symptoms in 1 toad. This is based mainly on anecdotal evidence, but does seem to happen time and time again, and with several species.
Natural Mortality
Another point to bear in mind is that, among species that lay huge clutches, a great many tadpoles will not survive even under the best of circumstances. Some turtles lay infertile eggs, apparently to satiate predators and take attention away from viable ones – I have no hard evidence, but I would not be surprised to learn that weaker tadpoles serve a similar function.
Feeding Tadpoles and Young Toads
Most native toad tadpoles are omnivorous. Try to provide them with as much variety as possible, and bear in mind that, in large groups, smaller, weaker individuals are easily out-competed at feeding time. I’ve had good luck raising tadpoles on a diet comprised of tropical fish food flakes, algae tablets and kale pre-soaked in hot water (this breaks down thick cell walls). Metamorphs (newly transformed toads) consume scores of species of leaf litter invertebrates in the wild, complicating our job in raising them. In addition to tiny frog standards such as fruit flies, springtails and pinhead crickets, you might try collecting tiny invertebrates as toad food (please see article below).
Further Reading
Please see my article Leaf Litter Invertebrates for information on collecting live food for tiny amphibian pets.
Please write in with your questions and comments.
Thanks, until next time,
Frank Indiviglio
Haswell’s Frog tadpole image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by LiquidGhoul
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Caring for Reptiles and Amphibians: Useful Products from the Aquarium Trade – Using Frozen and other Foods for Turtles, Aquatic Salamanders and Tadpoles – Part 2
Mar 25th
Click: Caring for Reptiles and Amphibians: Useful Products from the Aquarium Trade – Using Frozen and other Foods for Turtles, Aquatic Salamanders and Tadpoles – Part 1 to read the first part of this article.
Frozen Foods for Tadpoles
Tetramin Staple Diet Flakes and spirulina flakes have long been used by hobbyists and zookeepers as foods for poison frog and other tadpoles. However, frozen tropical fish foods have been largely over-looked as regards tadpole husbandry.
I have found a number of frozen foods to be well-accepted by a wide variety of tadpoles, including most poison frogs, tomato frogs, golden bell frogs, various flying frogs and native species such as bull, green and gray tree frogs, and Fowler’s and Colorado River toads. The consistency of frozen foods renders them very palatable to tadpoles…by utilizing a few different types, it is a simple matter to formulate a healthy diet for many species.
Suggested Frozen Foods for Tadpoles
Cichlid Vegetable Food contains a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, while Emerald Entree has spinach and other vegetables along with animal protein derived from mysids and brine shrimp. Spirulina is always a favorite and is a fine food for nearly all tadpoles.
The tadpoles of most frog and toad species, even those described in references as “grazing upon algae”, usually consume a good deal of animal matter in the form of Daphnia and other tiny invertebrates and carrion. I suggest you provide a mix of several foods containing both plant and animal matter to most species. Please write in information concerning individual species that you might be interested in rearing.
Freeze Dried Foods for Tadpoles
As mentioned earlier, Tetramin Staple Diet and Spirulina flakes are tadpole-rearing standbys, and I continue to rely upon both. For most tadpoles, I also make liberal use of freeze dried fish foods. Many of the fresh water invertebrates favored by small fishes, and available in freeze-dried form, are consumed by tadpoles as part of their natural diets.
Be sure to offer your tadpoles a variety of these highly nutritious foods, especially Cyclops, Daphnia, and bloodworms.
Tablets and Wafers for Tadpoles
Sinking tablets and wafers are especially useful when rearing tadpoles. They are dense enough to keep the tadpoles of bullfrogs, smoky jungle frogs, marine toads and other large frogs busy, yet are palatable to even the smallest species (I have used algae tablets for the tiny tadpoles of wood frogs and spring peepers).
I usually raise tadpoles in bare-bottomed tanks, especially where large numbers are concerned. This eases cleaning and allows for close observations. However, in zoo and public aquarium exhibits, I am sometimes faced with the task of rearing tadpoles on gravel or other substrates (please see photo). In these instances I find tablet and wafer type foods to be a great help in maintaining water quality, as most of the food stays above the gravel bed. Also, in well-planted exhibits, it is easier to keep track of how much is being consumed when using tablets as opposed to flake or frozen tadpole foods.
Recommended Tablets and Wafers
Tetramin Tablets provide both animal and vegetable matter, and are a good choice as a dietary staple for many species. Algae Eater Chips are quite unique in containing several types of algae, and should be fed to any frog or toad tadpole that will accept them (most do so readily). As with frozen and flake products, spirulina discs are a good basic food item for most commonly-kept tadpoles.
Well, we’ve only just barely scratched the surface here…I’ll re-visit this topic from time to time in the future. I n the meanwhile, I’d enjoy hearing about your own suggestions and experiences, and will include them in future articles. Thanks, Frank Indiviglio.
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