# Tadpole rearing system



## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

A while back I posted a picture of my tadpole rearing system and a few people asked how I built it so hear goes.

Firstly I was not totally happy with the first build so have made some improvements. I started off with a 21ltr RUB which had 2 trays inside each divided into 12. The first tray I used in the prototype with the RUB. This left me with a spare so whilst shopping in ASDA I picked up another 21ltr RUB to use with the second tray.

21ltr RUB









12 Compartment tray









First job was to use the hole saw to make a hole in the centre of each compartment.









On the previous build fine stainless steel mesh ( 1mm holes ) was glued to the underside of the tray covering the hole. This was not as easy as first thought as not a lot will stick to the plastic RUBS are made from ( polypropylene I think). So rather than go through that again it was time to think out of the box. After a search on eBay I had a brain wave and purchased 12 vivarium air vents.
















They are about 50mm diameter unfortunately the grill was a little to big so I siliconed the fine mesh to the back.
















Once the silicone was dry they were pushed into place. Now my hole saw is a bit naff and the holes weren't as good as they should have been so the fit was not as tight as I would have liked. A bit of silicone ( which does stick to the vents ) and they were nice and secure.








Silicone to hold in place.








The next problem I had with the prototype was supporting the tray at a correct height. I used L profile but as I said before it wouldn't stay stuck to the RUB. So again thinking outside of the box a quick trip to B&Q and I can up with this.








A free standing frame out of white L profile and it supports the tray at the perfect height.








So it was just a case of add the frame to the RUB








Add the filter ( I used a controllable one up to 1000ltr/hr)








Add the tray.








Job done. The lid is also useful as it helps reduce evaporation and also makes this a portable system.

















Let me know what you think and if there are any improvements I could make in the future.

Cheers

Adam


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## plasma234 (Feb 27, 2013)

i have a question. 

i thought some tads release a hormone to stunt the growth of other tads. will sharing the water still have this issue, or do you not have these species of frogs?


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## fatlad69 (Oct 22, 2009)

plasma234 said:


> i have a question.
> 
> i thought some tads release a hormone to stunt the growth of other tads. will sharing the water still have this issue, or do you not have these species of frogs?


I think that this is a phenomenon with most darts. However, many keepers uses rearing systems and it doesn't seem to have a detrimental effect on the frogs. All my tads have grown to and equal healthy size. Using the system just makes life easier as I have 26 tads on the go at the moment with another 7 eggs developing and 4 frogs about to leave the water. 

Adam


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## Patto96 (Apr 18, 2013)

plasma234 said:


> i have a question.
> 
> i thought some tads release a hormone to stunt the growth of other tads. will sharing the water still have this issue, or do you not have these species of frogs?


Wouldn't it be possible to do more frequent water changes to remove the hormone from the water. Just an idea, not that I am disagreeing with you, just putting ideas forward.


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## ChrisJ83 (Apr 15, 2013)

Just to put my 2pence into this ancient thread:

You have to remember with the hormones released by the tadpoles are for use in extremely small volumes of water and are to stop younger tadpoles for stealing their supper. In tadpole rearing systems the sheer volume of water in use compared to what it is in the wild effectively nullifies the effects.

But of course i have no evidence of this just my opinions.


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## frogman955 (Feb 7, 2010)

Well I`ve a tad rearing system here and the furthest thing from my mind is these hormone stories.
Cobblers is what I say.
I`ve not had any issues due to any imaginary hormones.

Mike


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

Pure speculation (but it makes sense to me, lol!); I'm guessing that the combination of the large water volume and the fact said water is filtered probably make quite a difference in terms of hormone concentration. As mentioned, this is quite different from a really small amount of still water in a confined space.


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

I think if you try to put too many tads in too small a volume of water keep it all sterile and totally unnatural,you will get weird shit happening,and this is where the growth supression hormone stories come from,give some darts a chance and they will eat each other seen it I made a mistake,the perplexing thing was the young tad killed the older,in less then an hour and it was the older tad I added to by mistake,just got the wrong box by one and with the duckweed in missed the tad already in there. Ron filtration would have to be analised by someone like Ade with deep fish nouce. But my own personal experience of rearing in a system like Adam's and rearing a goodly few tads is exactly like Mike above no problems. some of those tads have been kept on as frogs to beyond the size of their parents some ain't got there yet. Get the tads good food,give them good water,make conditions somewhat natural ,hmm methinks you'll be in the ballpark,stress em and the myths start ,but is it GSH,or just poor management,methinks the latter.

Yup I worried about GSH,but after doing it I'm 100% at this point with Mike
cobblers. We dart keepers do NOT always agree on stuff,it's healthy and good this it makes us all ponder if we could do better, gives us alternatives,all as it should be. 
GHS prove it to me show me they exist,give me a chemical formula,no one has yet!!.

A random ponderence huh:20tads 50 tads 100 tads 2 tads all sharing the same water,cool,but if one got an illness in there,one might loose the lot,I'll counter that with this:show me a single glass tad keeper rearing say 50 tads,whom either uses 50 turkey basters or strerilises the means of changing water,removing waste. the only method I can see that get's around this is the guy that never sucks any water out,just pours in water to overflow the tad's glass and that is it, all waste stays in place. 

There are as many methods to rear a tad as there are choices in what water we use,find a couple and work those up,a bloody good diet in the right quantity helps...ahh don't it just

Stu


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## Ron Magpie (Oct 11, 2009)

soundstounite said:


> I think if you try to put too many tads in too small a volume of water keep it all sterile and totally unnatural,you will get weird shit happening,and this is where the growth supression hormone stories come from,give some darts a chance and they will eat each other seen it I made a mistake,the perplexing thing was the young tad killed the older,in less then an hour and it was the older tad I added to by mistake,just got the wrong box by one and with the duckweed in missed the tad already in there. Ron filtration would have to be analised by someone like Ade with deep fish nouce. But my own personal experience of rearing in a system like Adam's and rearing a goodly few tads is exactly like Mike above no problems. some of those tads have been kept on as frogs to beyond the size of their parents some ain't got there yet. Get the tads good food,give them good water,make conditions somewhat natural ,hmm methinks you'll be in the ballpark,stress em and the myths start ,but is it GSH,or just poor management,methinks the latter.
> 
> Yup I worried about GSH,but after doing it I'm 100% at this point with Mike
> cobblers. We dart keepers do NOT always agree on stuff,it's healthy and good this it makes us all ponder if we could do better, gives us alternatives,all as it should be.
> ...


I still think water volume makes a difference- and given that said hormones are organic chemicals, a biological filter should break them down! :Na_Na_Na_Na:

Slightly off-topic, as I mentioned somewhere else I'm planning to raise FBT tadpoles again this year- assuming the potential parents are obliging, of course! I want to make sure I plan it properly this time, instead of just reacting, so I may invest in some rubs myself, rather than scrabbling around for spare tanks at the last minute! It's a much simpler operation than dart tads, of course.


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## soundstounite (Sep 6, 2009)

Not for me bro:Na_Na_Na_Na: all tads might be as easy or as tricky as the amount of knowledge held by the keeper, makes it Ron. Rearing a dart tad in my eyes would be easier than your firebellied !! Rearing an oophaga:gasp:,dude I keep a brom full of water,that is it,period,mum does it all 

Gotta agree though,best be prepared :mf_dribble: yeah yeah I was a sprout as a kid:blush: rubbed off didn't it.... BE PREPARED,good ol Baden

best

Stu


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