My Tadpoles, Help?

[MADONNAchris]

Hey all,

I have some frog spawn, which i moved into containers and put in the conservatory to keep them warm from the frosts. they hatched last week into tadpoles, seem to be doing well, except the water has gone green/brown and smells, but they seem to be swimming around still.

I moved half of them into a filter tank, they are all still alive, but they mostly just lie at the bottom and seem less active then the water they came from? Should i have moved them? Isit safe to leave them in the dirty water? Or should i move them all to the filter water?

I am a bit confused what to do!

[tameblackbirds]

did you use the pond water they were in or tap water? I have posted already today about moving tadpoles successfully. I add mine to water from water-but never goes green add oxygenating plants too. can only think you used tap water.

[Elean0r]

If you haven't got any pond water you can use rain water, the best way to keep the water safe for them is to put some oxygenating plants in the container.

Tadoples eat plant material until they start growing their legs. If you haven't got any pond plants you can give them a lettuce leaf - but remember to take out the old one and replace it every day.

Probably a good idea to keep them out of the sun too, on a sunny day it can get hot enough to overheat and kill the tadpoles.

[Kayleigh]

The green is algae this is a food for the taddies I suspect you have removed the only food they had..
Do as others have said and put some oxygenating plants in the water will go green its a natural process the plants will stop the water smelling and keep it fresh.
Collect some rainwater in a clean container to top up the tank they wont need feeding yet if there are plants and algae in the tank..
They will mature a lot quicker indoors..

[dampflippers]

I would seive out the tadpoles and return all of them or most of them them to the pond now. Don't put the smelly water in the pond.
Or if you keep them you need to change the water often. I read somewhere that the optimum number in a tank is only 25 or so, otherwise the waste products build up too quick.
The tank needs to be in a cool place (not in a hot conservatory), shaded out of the sun.
If using tap water, have a bucket of new water next to the tank overnight, so that it has time to lose its chemicals and get to the same temperature. Then change most or all of the water either by scooping it out/ syphoning/ or seiving. Seiving might be a bit risky if they are only tiny, but is fine as they grow.
If you keep a few in a tank or bucket, have lots of oxygenators and only a few tadpoles.
To start with they may have enough algae on the oxygenators to eat, but you could feed a small amount of boiled lettuce or spinach, or try one fish food flake/ pellet/ or rabbit food pellet o see if they like it.