How to Raise Tadpoles in a Wading Pool

Raising tadpoles can be a rewarding project that you can enjoy with your children. You can raise tadpoles in a wading pool to provide an optimal space for them to grow and develop. The life cycle of a tadpole is around 6 weeks before they have completed the metamorphosis into a frog, so make sure you'll be able to care for them the entire time before beginning the project.

Things You'll Need

• Wading pool
• Scrub brush
• Water hose
• Frog eggs
• Lettuce
• Wood

Instructions

1. Clean the wading pool thoroughly using water and a scrub brush. Do not use any chemicals cleaners. Tadpoles are sensitive to chemicals and may die if any remain when they are introduced.

2. Fill the wading pool with tap water from the water hose and place in an area that receives direct sunlight the entire day. Leave it here for a week. The sun will evaporate all chlorine from the water, making it safe for your tadpoles.

3. Move the wading pool from the area of full sun to an area that is mostly shady with a small amount of sun. Too much heat will kill the tadpoles, but some is needed to prevent the water from growing too cold.

4. Put the frog eggs gently into the water and wait for them to hatch. This process normally takes from one day to one week. Check daily and when they've hatched, you can begin feeding them.

5. Feed the tadpoles tiny pieces of chopped up lettuce. Continue this until their legs are fully grown and their tails are gone. Switch the diet to chopped up earthworms or crickets at this point. Be sure to feed them often, or cannibalism may occur.

6. Add an area for the young frogs to get on dry land once they have developed legs. This means they are breathing oxygen and need a good place to do it. Floating pieces of wood or a section of the wading pool with a slope and platform work equally well.

7. Change the water out as often as necessary. It may be ideal to purchase a second wading pool to fill and allow the chlorine to evaporate while the tadpoles are in the first wading pool. When the water gets dirty, switch to the new pool, and fill the other with water and start the chlorine evaporating.

Tips & Warnings

• Obtain the frog eggs from a safe source, such as a frog breeder. They can be found in phone books are by searching the Internet for breeders in your area. Frog eggs cannot be taken from the wild because of conservation laws.