tadpoles

crazy mam

hi im new to the fourm, can anyone help, thanks to my son i now have 8 tadpoles in a fish tank, i need to no how to look after them, there getting there back legs, sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, new to this. thanks to all in advance.

tallus

I think you can feed them goldfish flakes if you're worried about feeding. Make sure any water you add is de-chlorinated.
*edit*
As far as I know, all of our native Herptofauna are protected.
I have attached a photo of my overgrown garden pond with this year's frogspawn.

Sigma Force

Were these tadpoles taken from the wild, if so think its illegal to remove frog spawn

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Just put them back where they came from!

Bluefrog

Totally and utterly illegal to keep these but I did it as a kid and in my experience they will eat pretty much anything. If they're at the leg showing stage they'll probably wolf down something more protein based.

Best idea is to return them to where you found them originally - globally frogs are in trouble and I'm sure you don't want to contribute to their woes.

AlanSparrowhawk

Can anyone point me to the legislation that shows this type of thing is illegal?

stevoman

oh for gods sake its a few tadpoles that her son probobly picked up in a jar and brought home its not as if they are puppy farming or anything!!!!!!! Boys will be boys!

OP sorry i have no info on these and all i can point you towards is google im afraid.

PS - aploagies for the negative responses you have got to your thread, there are willing people here who are actually good at giving sound advice and very helpful, instead of others who are more then willing to correct you!

And by the way, fair play for having the decency to try and raise the creatures instead of just throwing them out like others would.

Kaldorn

i would keep them untill they turn into froglets and let them go,you will not be able to keep them alive,i tried many times,it is illegal but the mortality rate in the wild is seriously high so you are helping them if anything..just let them go when they lose their tails

eve

I can't find a legal page about it but an Irish Peatland Conservation Council factsheet says the following:

In general we would recommend - and the law dictates - that the spawn should be left where it is.
...
An exception to this rule - provided you are prepared to break the law - is a pool with ornamental gold fish or koi. These are voracious feeders and the chances of tadpoles surviving are extremely slim. In such a case you might:

http://www.ipcc.ie/frogfaqs.html

Gadgie

European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/si/0094.html#zzsi94y1997a23

Trev M

http://www.angelfire.com/tn/tadpoles/tadpoles.html

Good luck

cobweb

i know teachers need a permit to bring spawn into classroom

good luck with them heard gold fish flakes and daphina were good

AlanSparrowhawk

Gadgie wrote: »

European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1997/en/si/0094.html#zzsi94y1997a23

Section 23 in which you make reference to above refers to Bufo calamita (Natterjack toad) and not to Rana temporaria (Frog). Therefore I wonder if there is the same restrictions on collection of frog spawn as there is toad spawn?

Sigma Force

The person asked for advice and letting them go when they are ready is the best advice for more information click http://www.iwt.ie/ they might be able to advise on the best place to release them. If you have a garden pond or even a very wet area of your garden all the better or if you know of someone who has a pond. We have a lot of frogs in our garden and there is no river, stream, pond around just areas at the back of the garden that are a big water logged.

Irelands native wildlife is as important as the whole puppy farming issue however not OPs fault kid brought the spawn/tadpoles home kids will be kids mabey he will learn not to do it again.

Alun

It's only 8 tadpoles. Many tens of thousands of times more (potential) tadpoles will die every year due to them laying their spawn in unsuitable places that dry out, or once they've hatched, by cannibalism or being eaten by predators. I think we need to have a sense of proportion here, people.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Alun wrote: »

It's only 8 tadpoles. Many tens of thousands of times more (potential) tadpoles will die every year due to them laying their spawn in unsuitable places that dry out, or once they've hatched, by cannibalism or being eaten by predators. I think we need to have a sense of proportion here, people.

I for one was not complaining that the OP was breaking the law; but she asked how best to ensure they survived and in my experience they have more chance in the wild than in a goldfish bowl -where 95% certainly die.

crazy mam

:Dthanks to you all for the replys and info, the tadpoles are doing well and some have got there legs , the tadpoles came from a trackter tyre track, and im sorry my 6 year old broke the law we will be setting them free back to a wild pond. { i'll turn him in so he'll never do it again } thanks again for all the info
crazy mam

Bluefrog

When I kept them as a kid 'Life on Earth' was on TV at the time (showing my age) and rearing them did bring a new dimension to what I learned from the series as their development is akin to a very speeded up evolutionary process and yes, I know it's metamorphosis, not evolution for the pedantic).

I do think that kids learning about these things in the structured environment of a classroom is a better idea than the way I did it as in addition to the economy of scale (less tadpoles to more kids), they could be involved to some extent in the application for the permit mentioned above and this would serve to impress upon them the importance of the animals and their place in our environment.

I hope the OP and their kid enjoy the experience in any case, it is a magical thing to observe.

bobbytwo

they love cat food. just one small lump though or you will dirty the water. enjoy the tadpoles! believe me they would all have died if your son had left them there...so good on him.

crazy mam

hi to all, thanks for the info, we set the little frogs free ,in the local park in a wild river .we lost 4, but 4 little frogs made it .thanks again