Supplies Needed!

    Hello, welcome to my new blog! In my blog I will be providing all of the information that you would need to raise tadpoles! I hope you enjoy this blog and don’t forget to follow along and go on your own froggy adventure! I have raised tadpoles successfully once before and have tried three times! I will try every week to post updates on my little amphibians once I get them. (Which will be around the eleventh of may!) For now I am just gathering all of my supplies that I will need!     

 First the container. Last year I used two containers throughout the process, a small one for when they are newly hatched and for the spawn and a large Tupper wear for the growing froglets and the larger tadpoles.
This is the small container compared to a Crayola marker.   

  There are benefits for both containers: the small one takes up less space but is too small for the froglets and bigger tadpoles, and the large one is a good size for the frogs but takes up a lot more space. I would suggest having both. Before the tadpoles are put into either container make sure that it has soaked in either pond, aged or rain water. If this is not done the chemicals will contaminate the water and can harm or kill the tadpoles.         Next is the filter and air pump. These make sure that the tadpoles have enough oxygen and that the water is clean. (Although you will have to clean the water regularly.) You can get these at a pet store. Also you will need tubing to connect the pump and filter. Watch out! Tadpoles sometimes get stuck in the filter! Check every day to make sure none are stuck but if they are, just gently help them wriggle free! The filter and air pump can get pretty loud so as long as you have had it on all day then you can turn it of at night. To set up these parts just connect the air pump and filter with the tubing. The picture shows how these parts fit together.

    Another good thing to have is a small aquarium net. Last year I used this to scoop out dead tadpoles. This tool makes fishing around in the tank a lot easier. Dead tadpoles usually float at or close to the surface of the water. I will do another post on dead or sick tadpoles. 

     Something you will need for the larger tadpoles and froglets is rocks. Rocks provide shelter and eventually a place to sit on. My tadpoles loved zig zagging in and out of the rock piles I had created on one end of the tank. I only added the rocks to the larger container not the small container because the little container was the size of  the rock stacks. Make sure that when your froglets are big enough they can get on top of the above-water-rocks easily. Rock and stone towers are fun to build for you and fun to play in for the tadpoles. Make sure you soak the rocks before placing them in the tadpoles tank.        Food. Food (of course) is a major part of living. Without food humans starve and eventually die, and the same goes for tadpoles! Tadpoles need to eat every day! (Although when a tadpole is at the stage of absorbing it’s tail they don’t need to eat because all the nutrients they need is provided by their shrinking tail!) Last year I fed my tadpoles cheap fish food and frog and tadpole food. You can get both of these items at a pet store. The frog and tadpole food sinks to the bottom of the tank. Another thing you can give to tadpoles is thin sliced cucumbers and frozen/boiled lettuce. Tadpoles are vegetarians except sometimes if the tadpole isn’t fed enough it may eat it’s siblings!

Now you are ready to raise your tadpoles! Remember I live in Alberta, Canada so I get my tadpoles in late April or early May! I can’t wait to get my frog spawn and let the natural adventure begin! I hope you are ready because this spring is going to be epic!