Saving Tadpoles for Feeding Fish

[krichardson]

Yes with bullfrogs I find their primary food source in the area where I hunt them are their own tadpoles and younger frogs. They lay 20,000 eggs, and feed on their own algae feeding young. They're nearly self sustaining most of the year.

That's interesting and now I don't feel so bad when I see bins full of them in the Asian supermarkets.

 

[Dieselhybrid]

I do find crayfish, small fish, and insects in their stomachs as well. But during tadpole season that's about all I find inside them.

 

[krichardson]

I never see them but I know that they are in the nearby creek as I hear the sudden loud splashes of water from them diving in when I walk near the creek banks.

 

[Dieselhybrid]

In areas where they aren't native, because of the larger earlier spawn, their offspring outcompete native amphibian populations. The adults consume smaller amphibians, and natives die off. In Arizona where i gig in the summers, there's no limit. The Rangers I've met while out gigging say to kill them all.

I say use them as feeders, especially if it's your artificial pond

 

[Conagher]

I am planning on using the tadpoles fresh as long as they are available. I will also try freezing some sort of early on in the cycle to test their condition upon thawing. I hope that they will thaw out and be okay, but am not very certain especially after MN_ Rebel's concern about that as well.

I will try to take a photo or two and post my results, and observations regarding how the fish take to eating them defrosted. Being as they are still laying eggs, it might be a little bit before I have any results to share.

 

[note2self]

I didn't know amphibians were in a decline..interesting. I wonder why that is. My pond always gets tons of frogs and tadpoles. I used to feed my Oscar semi developed tadpoles and he loved them. Always gave them to him live and never thawed out though. Tried keeping a bunch in tank but they would never survive long


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Wailua Boy]

I didn't know amphibians were in a decline..interesting. I wonder why that is. My pond always gets tons of frogs and tadpoles. I used to feed my Oscar semi developed tadpoles and he loved them. Always gave them to him live and never thawed out though. Tried keeping a bunch in tank but they would never survive long


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Amphibians seem to show sensitivities to environmental pollution and are a good indicator of water quality

 

[duanes]

Beside environmental degradation (and maybe in part, because of it) there is a ranavirus that has been infecting and killing large numbers amphibians and some reptiles world wide.
Frogs may be the new "canary in the mine" indicator.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Let's stay on the subject. No more environmental pollution debate. Like I said it before, there are zero concerns about feeding tadpoles to the fish unless they're endangered species.

 

[MN_Rebel]

Amphibians seem to show sensitivities to environmental pollution and are a good indicator of water quality

Incorrect, tadpoles tend to doing poor in aquarium if they didn't receive good diet. Some frog species are hardy that they'll spawn in a pond full of cow manure.