How to keep Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) tads alive

[Bill B]

I've caught spring peeper tadpoles this spring twice - once yesterday and once a couple of weeks ago. Both times, the tads died within 12 hrs. Any idea what is killing them? I have heard that sudden temperature changes can cause their death, but today I even collected some, and they died despite no sudden temperature change (as far as I could tell).

I have been keeping them in the type of container that sliced lunch meat comes in). The tads I had in today were VERY small, so I doubt(?) that they used up the oxygen in that time.

 

[martasauce]

Was the water de-chlorinated?

 

[Bill B]

Was the water de-chlorinated?

It was not tap water. It was water from the wetland right near where the tads were captured.

 

[Kaysie]

What kind of container were you keeping them in? I'd be worried about oxygen deprivation.

 

[Bill B]

What kind of container were you keeping them in? I'd be worried about oxygen deprivation.

Plastic container - the type that lunch meats come in (at least here in the States).

I know at the zoo where I once volunteered, they would keep one or two dart frog tads in a similar-sized container for days to let them mature.

 

[Kaysie]

Dart frogs are used to being in small containers. Their natural nurseries are in bromeliads.

Try keeping them in something much bigger, maybe with a gentle bubbler.

 

[sallie2010]

One of my students brought in some eggs and they hatched. Basically I fed them algae tabs, and changed the water weekly. I had a bubbler with a small stone in it. The tads stayed alive for 2 weeks still tads after 3 weeks...it FINALLY stopped raining and got warm so I put them in my pond.
When I changed the water I lost about 2 every change, but I started with too many to count and ended up with still too many to count.
Good Luck!