Care Instructions for Tadpoles

If you are looking for pets for your children that are neither expensive nor difficult to care for, get some tadpoles. It is a wonderful educational experience watching the tadpoles transform into handsome frogs. If you live in the country, you can collect some frogs' eggs or tadpoles from a local pond. You can also buy them at a local pet store. If they don't have them in stock, they can order them for you. Buy an aquarium or large bowl to keep the tadpoles in.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium or large bowl
  • Pebbles and rocks
  • Pure water
  • Tadpoles or frogs' eggs
  • Spinach, lettuce, fish food
  • Net
  • Chlorine remover
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place some aquarium gravel and a couple of rocks into your aquarium. When the tadpoles develop legs, they will need the rocks to climb on. Add pure water to your aquarium. If you live in the country, well water or water from a local pond would be ideal. City dwellers can either use rainwater, or set a bucket of tap water aside for five to seven days to let the chlorine dissipate. Or, buy bottled water from the supermarket. Be sure to rinse all the soap from your hands when you handle the items in the aquarium. Tadpoles are very sensitive. Handling them can damage them, so use a net when you move them from one place to another.

    • 2

      Feeding the tadpoles is easy enough. They love to eat lettuce and spinach. Freeze them both prior to giving them to the tadpoles, making it easier for them to eat. Goldfish food can also be given to them. It is absolutely necessary to keep the water clean, changing it as often as necessary. Too much food will dirty the water; not enough food and the tadpoles turn cannibalistic and devour each other.

    • 3
      Your tadboles can develop into splendid frogs.

      Place your aquarium out of doors if the weather is warm. Sudden and drastic changes in temperature can adversely impact upon your tadpoles. They need to have the majority of the aquarium in the shade with a small section receiving sunshine. As they grow and develop legs and become more mobile, you will need to have a lid on the aquarium to keep them from jumping out. Also they will need to be fed insects, which you can buy at the pet store.