Care and Raising of Oriental Firebellied Toads

Tadpoles are like freshwater tropical fish. Treat them accordingly. You will likely be keeping them in the same enclosure that they were laid in as eggs (read: DON'T MOVE THEM). You should be sure that the water temperature is in the 78 degree Fahrenheit range. Additionally, pH should be in the 7.0-7.3 range (slightly base). If you feel a pressing need to move them (like if you have a crack in the tank), move them in jars of water, without exposing them to air. In their new tank, water should match temperature, pH, salinity (or rather, lack thereof), etc...

Tadpoles like to swim in shallow water as well as the deep section, so make sure they have a 2 - 3 inch deep section, as well as a 6 inch (or more) deep water section easily accessible. Waterplants such as Amazon Sword plants are excellent for the deep end. Water changes should be made every 1-2 weeks using dechlorinated water. Also be sure that the water fits the guidelines specified in the paragraph above. Tadpoles put out a large amount of waste for creatures of their size, so make sure you do make the water changes.

When the tadpoles develop their back legs, you might want to begin dropping their water level. Within a week or two, they will have completely developed their front legs and their days as water dwelling creatures will be numbered. Drop the water level at this point so that your post-tadpoles will be able to draw themselves up on rocks and leaves when they want to. Once their tail is completely gone (a process that takes about 5 days), they will officially become members of the "toadlets" category and will no longer be referred to as tadpoles. Their metamorphosis will be complete. They will be considered toads after their youth is over and they reach adult size.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of keeping and successfully rearing tadpoles and toadlets is their diet. A nutritionally well- balanced diet is essential for proper physical development. The time it takes for tadpoles to metamorphose is directly related to the minerals and vitamins they receive through their food.

I've been feeding my tadpoles finely powdered TetraMin tropical fish flakes, "The Rich Mix". It seems to contain all of the essential vitamins they need. The only problem is that the stuff really mucks up the water after a while, because most of it doesn't pass down though the surface. It ends up creating a slick on the top of the water. That requires filtering. Problem: These little suckers can't swim all that well for the first week or two of their lives.

Solution: Feed them only once during the first week that they start swimming. After a week, it's acceptable to turn on a power filter, provided the current is gentle enough to keep the young tadpoles from being sucked in or bashed into the sides. I've had success with attaching a vinyl tube to the water output and letting the water gently coast down the back side of the tank into the water. Another possible problem with filters is that they do their jobs too well. My tadpoles seemed to be eating some algae that grew on the rocks and sides of the tank when I turned off the filter. If the filter removes that algae, you could be removing a possible source of nutrition for your tadpoles.

In any case, the first feeding (and an additional one, if you wish) and any algae they can scavenge should hold your tadpoles until they are old enough to swim away from the filter (1-2 weeks - test it first). Once they have developed enough for the filter to be in use, feed them every 2-3 days, using finely crushed flake food. Be sure to turn off the filter when you feed them. Let them have a go at it for an hour or two, and then turn on the filter again to clean up the rest of the food.