# Frogs & Toads > Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae) > Breeding, Eggs, Tadpoles, etc >  Caring for tadpoles

## Locascio

*Caring for tadpoles*
Tadpoles can be successfully raised on black worms obtainable through tropical fish outlets. Up to 400 gallons of water may be required to raise a single horned frog breeding, yielding 1000-2000 froglets. Between 20-40 pounds of black worms will be required to do this. Other alternatives to feeding tadpoles would be tropical fish flakes. Flakes containing spirulina are excellent sources of nutrition, as are algae supplements full spectrum flakes that contain high quantities of animal protein will also be necessary. Once tadpoles have emerged from the egg you can use one of two methods to raise them. One is to separate each tadpole into its own small enclosure. This method is very time consuming and labor intensive. The second method is to raise all of the tadpoles together in a large tank or tub; this method is more practical but will produce fewer frogletts. If you are raising frogletts together it is best to include many live or artificial plants. This will cut down on the cannibalism. The water should be dechlorinized, by doing this your removing all chlorine, chloramines and ammonia. youll want to use a Filter and do partial water changes to ensure the tadpoles health. Oxygen is important to the growth and development of tadpoles by pumping plenty of oxygen through your tadpoles aquarium by way of a aquarium air pump youll be doing the metabolic and muscular systems of your tadpole a big favor. tadpoles that are housed in well-oxygenated tanks grow larger, stronger, and healthier than those housed in poorly oxygenated tanks The water should be heated to 78 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmer the temp of the water the faster the tadpoles will grow and metamorphism into frogs. If you maintain temps on the cooler side you will rear larger stronger frogs but it will take a bit longer for them to come out of the water. If all goes well you should have frogs within 3 to 5 weeks. On the third week you will need to provide a land area so that the emerging frogletts can seek safety out of the water. Now that we have our frogletts we have to house them. This is large scale maintenance for individual frogletts that works for me. In individual large plastic storage boxes place sections three to four inches high of 3 inch diameter pvc piping. At the end of the pvc pipe sections drill two small holes for drainage or water flow. Line up the pipe sections inside the storage container, place one frog in each section, add water so that it is at a height no more than 50% of the height of the frog when at rest. With just a little imagination a trickle flow thru system can be designed using drip system and drain valves. For easy cleaning without a flow thru system lift out pipes, dump frogs and water into a container, rinse storage box, replace pipes and add fresh water.

All information gathered thru my personal experience and provided by the following references.i would also like to thank everyone from the frogforum for all there help and support in making this the best website related to amphibians
Reptile and amphibian parasite: Author Eric M. Rundquist
Frogs and toads: Author Devin Edmonds 
Frogs in the aquarium: Author Werner von Filek 
Whites tree frogs: Author Phillippe de vosjoli 
Horned frogs: Author Phillippe de vosjoli
Tadpole care: Phil Purser
Horned frog care: Allen R. Both
Frogs, Toads, and Tree frogs: Author Bartlett and Bartlett
Tree frogs: Devin Edmonds
American treefrogs: Author Jerry G.Walls
Frogs and toads of the world: Author Chris Mattison
Frogs, toads, salamanders and how they reproduce: Author Dorothy Hinshaw patent
Frogs inside their remarkable world: Author Ellin Beltz
I would highly suggest reading all of these books

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