Mick
Bajcar
Last update: 17 August, 2002
I am at present rearing tadpoles of D. tinctorius, leucomelas and ventrimaculatus. Having read reports of growth inhibiting hormones and cannibalism, especially with D. ventrimaculatus, I raise all the tadpoles individually. The tadpoles are removed from the Petri dish containing the egg clutch as soon as possible after they are free of the egg mass. They are then placed (in the case of DD. tinctorius and leucomelas) in about half an inch of water in a plastic cricket tub. D. ventrimaculatus tadpoles are reared in 35mm film containers. Water is changed in the containers on a daily basis, a 50% change being done, or a complete change if the water is heavily fouled. Fresh water is put into the containers with a pressurised sprayer, to ensure maximum oxygenation of the water. I keep the tadpole containers in a spare tank in the lounge where the daytime temperature peaks as 28°C and drops to 20°C at night. |
Marco Esposito informs me that he has been advised by Edwin Blake that D. azureus tadpoles (and frogs) benefit from exposure to UV light. My rearing tank is exposed to artificial daylight tubes for at least 12 hours per day; this I hope produces a long-term, low-level UV exposure rather than a short period of intense radiation.
The tadpoles are fed on a daily basis. I use a variety of brands of flake fish foods, dried bloodworm, fish eggs, Daphnia and Krill, the latter being powdered with a pestle and mortar. I have also started to feed with living Daphnia, the large tadpoles go mad for them, and it certainly seems to get eaten.
Once a week I powder a mixture of the above and mix in some ground cuttlefish, iodine block and vitamin powder. The whole mix is then made into a thick paste with water and a few drops of paste fed to the individual tadpoles.
Those tadpoles that I am rearing at present are developing well, and appear to be extremely large and well developed. DD. tinctorius and leucomelas tadpoles are showing strongly developed rear legs after six to seven weeks, although D. ventrimaculatus appear to be slower developers.
Steve
Martin
Last update: 17 August, 2002
This book is an entire year's Newsletters of our sister group bound into one journal.
.....There are two very interesting articles which deal with the raising and rearing of tadpoles to metamorphosis. They are widely differing methods which, it is claimed, produce young frogs free from spindle leg. If that in itself isn't worth the ten quid (10 pounds sterling) that it costs for this book, then I don't know what is.
One method uses a vivarium with a mesh bottom, covered in a layer of sponge rubber. This is topped with moss which is suspended over another tank containing water. A heater and thermostat are set to a suitable temperature, the result of which produces a high humidity and warmth. As the author of the article says, 'You want to see them grow.'
The other method would at first appear rather haphazard. It recommends setting up a tank with a water-covered base area, with bits of land created from moss or bark. The two authors have tried this design for some period of time, and claim to raise fit and healthy animals. Well, 'What are they doing?' I hear you muttering. OK, then.
When they have a clutch of tadpoles, regardless of species, they place them into the water area and feed them a pinch of fish flake every other day until metamorphosis, when the froglets scramble out onto the land areas. The babies then join others waiting to be grown on, while more tadpoles take their place in the water.
It would appear that no cannibalism has been detected among the tadpoles, and they survive on the natural biological food created by the lighting, namely algae and infusoria. They supplement this by eating the odd fruit fly which falls into the water, having been overlooked by their land-based relatives. I suppose that by adding a sprig of Tradescantia to the water, the nitrate levels should be kept to an absolute minimum. I have no proof yet that this all works but I'll certainly be giving it a try.
Add to this all the stunning photographs and line drawings, and you have a booklet which should be on the wanted list of everyone who wants to breed these animals.