How to Care for African Tadpoles
Like all tadpoles, African Clawed Frog tadpoles are fragile creatures that require careful attention. Yet if helped along and cared for properly, these tadpoles can grow into wonderful pet frogs. The steps below will help you to breed your own African Clawed Frogs. Enjoy following their journey from tiny eggs to full-grown adults!
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Things You'll Need
- An aquarium
- Water (with no chlorine)
- Food (either store-bought tadpole food or a blend of baby cereal and vegetables)
- An airstone (optional)
Instructions
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1
Separate the tadpole eggs from their parents before the tadpoles even hatch. Adult frogs will often eat their eggs, so remove the adults to a new location, or move the tadpoles by using a cup, not a net.
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2
Keep the tank relatively clean, but don't use any filters, not even sponge filters. Tadpoles are delicate and cannot withstand the current produced by these filters. Never change all of the tank water at the same time, as the stress of such a change could be harmful to the tadpoles. Instead, change only about half of the water at a time.
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3
Feed the tadpoles. Tadpoles are filter-feeders, so they need food to be very finely crushed. You can purchase tadpole brittle, a powdered food that is made specifically for tadpoles (see Resources below), or you can make your own food using dry baby cereal and leafy vegetables. You can add some powdered egg as well, to give your tadpoles some protein. Put these ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until very fine. Add only a little bit of food at a time— never add more than the tadpoles can eat. Overfeeding can lead to clogged gills, and uneaten food can rot and poison the water, so be careful!
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4
Place an airstone in the tank if desired. Airstones are pieces of porous rock that sit at the bottom of a tank. They slowly diffuse oxygen into the water, helping the tadpoles get enough oxygen.
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Avoid disturbing the water in any way while the frogs are still in tadpole form. Tadpoles are very sensitive to currents and even small changes in water flow, so keep your hands out of the water!
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Tips & Warnings
Once your tadpoles begin to sprout legs, you might want to provide them with a rock to climb on!
