Chris.L Posted December 27, 2003 Report Share Posted December 27, 2003 Yip! My auntie just got a new farm, and the pond has THOUSANDS of tadpoles!! I don't know what species they are, but I sure am gonna find out. What I want to know is, what do you guys feed your tadpoles? I heard boiled lettuce (10-15mins) and then chop it up is good. Do you put filters in the water to keep it clean or just do waterchanges? How many waterchanges a week? Another questions ( ), how do you get air in the tank? Oxygen shell, air pump, oxygen weed, etc?? Depending on how many I can catch, I will probably get a big tank for them to enjoy. I am also going to culture flies / anything that they eat so I don't have to try or buy flies in the winter. So if anyone has any cultures they could part with, I'd gladly buy 'em off you! Chris- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 27, 2003 Report Share Posted December 27, 2003 I just had mine in a 2-3 gallon tank with water from my pond and fed them fish flake. Water changes with pond water about every week. They all seemed to do well except one that died at first, probably from not acclimating well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted December 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 mm .. sounds very easy lol .. they come from a pond so I think I will use the water in the barrels outside to do waterchanges (though it's been there for a little while?? is it still good to use?). I will get some weed from the pond as well so it sorta feels like home. I will be using a glass tank with rocks for them to eventually climb on. I will post some pics of the tadpoles and frogs to see if anyone can identify them. Ira - do you have any 'spare' cultures that you could part with? I will need some for the frogs when they come out ._< Chris- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Sorry, My wingless fruitfly supply is getting low. I've set up 7 small new cultures, but they're producing very slowly. I'm getting worried I might not have enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted December 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 ahh ok .. could you point me to a source which sells cultures? do the frogs love em? cheers :> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Yup, Biosuppliers. http://www.ak.planet.gen.nz/~bio/ I bought the large fruit fly culture. Definitely best to start off with. If I was doing it again I'd start up other cultures as soon as I got the tadpoles so I'd have a few weeks to build them up. And they love them, they jump all over the tank after them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted December 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Yup, Biosuppliers. http://www.ak.planet.gen.nz/~bio/ I bought the large fruit fly culture. Definitely best to start off with. If I was doing it again I'd start up other cultures as soon as I got the tadpoles so I'd have a few weeks to build them up. And they love them, they jump all over the tank after them. Thanks Ira. I will order a large culture from there. When they arrive, what do I do (lol?)?. Thanks :> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Read this...http://www.fnzas.org.nz/wingless-fruitfly.0.html Has instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted December 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Read this...http://www.fnzas.org.nz/wingless-fruitfly.0.html Has instructions. Cheers ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted December 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 ok last questions - what do you put em in and when they arrive, are they adults or just eggs? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 When I got them they were all larvae, but hatched into flies in about a week. I've just left them in their original container, it's NOT easy getting them out into another container. I'm going to try some salsa containers next time for new cultures so I can get the lid off and on easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted December 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 When I got them they were all larvae, but hatched into flies in about a week. I've just left them in their original container, it's NOT easy getting them out into another container. I'm going to try some salsa containers next time for new cultures so I can get the lid off and on easily. ok - how long did u leave them in the original container for? how do you start new cultures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 I've been feeding them out since about a week after they became flies. Read the link for instructions for how to make new cultures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted December 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Yeh I have read it all. I can't figure out though, once it goes all smelly I set up a new jar. But what do I put in the new culture, just the flies or do I put the larvae etc in it as well or will they be alright in there and once they become flies do I put them in the tank with the frogs? If I wanted like 5 cultures, how do you do so because you can't surely have enough adults for that once the first culture goes all smelly? Are they fast reproducing lol? Thanks Ira, Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Yeah, they're fast reproducing. About 2-3 weeks from laying an egg to hatching and laying new eggs. It only takes about a dozen to set up a new culture, so you could probably seperate out 100 or so and start up 5 new cultures then feed the rest if I like. I dunno how many exactly you'll get because I'm only about 2 weeks into my first try with them and only have worms from my new cultures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Shake some flies into the new culture, leave a piece of handy towel for them to rest on. Make sure you have no surface moisture as I swear, the little buggers will dive into it and drown themselves. The towel wwill also help solve this problem. Block the entrance of the bottle with cotton wool, or a fly and pupa proof mesh. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted December 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Ahh I think I've got it I am unsure as to when I should order the culture though. When I get them they are still tadpoles. Should I order a culture when I see back feet? Or front and back feet? Thanks, Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted December 28, 2003 Report Share Posted December 28, 2003 Order it NOW. It'll take a week or so to get it, another week or so for the culture to start producing, another 2-3 weeks for the cultures you should set up off that one to start producing. That's a little over a month, the tadpoles might even be frogs by then. I wish I'd done that instead of waiting until they'd grown legs. Now I'm having problems feeding them. Especially since there's been a rainstorm that's knocked all the aphids off the plants everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted December 29, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2003 ok lol I'm off to order them now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted January 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 LOL, went to my aunties yesterday and stayed the night. Today I came home with 20-30 tadpoles!! and that's only a FRACTION of what she has in the 3 ponds!! I chucked a little bit of sausage in the pond, and they all came to it. Should I keep feeding them this lol? They seem to like it a LOT! All of them (atleast 99%) are developing back legs. I will order the culture ASAP. Chris- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 Hmmm, I suspect you'll have a hard time culturing enough fruit flies for 30 tadpoles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted January 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 Hmmm, I suspect you'll have a hard time culturing enough fruit flies for 30 tadpoles. not going to keep that many - going to let some go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted January 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 oh Ira, as re my 2nd to last post, can I feed them a little bit of sausage meat each day? They seemed to be really enjoying it when we first found them in the pond.. Also, what about aeration and filtration? They seem to get the air from going up to the surface, taking a gulp of it and then going back down. If a filter a necessity? Chris- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 1, 2004 Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 Hmmm, I've read they're supposed to be vegetarian only when tadpoles. But that may just be some specific species. I guess if they're eating it then no harm feeding it to them? If it kills them you'll know and won't have much trouble getting more. I don't think any aeration or filtration is necessary. I didn't have any for mine. In fact, the first try I DID have it and they all died. But that could have been from many different causes. I'd say just give them a good sized tank with a reasonable amount of surface area and that should be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris.L Posted January 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2004 ahh thanks! Ahh forgot to ask (damn questions popping out everywhere!), do you put flies in their cage everyday or just once every 2 days or something? cheers :] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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