# Something I noticed raising tadpoles



## bugmankeith (Apr 2, 2012)

For someone raising tadpoles what's the first thing that comes to mind to feed them, I bet the first thing you'd say is plants.

When I've raised tadpoles they've been fed aquatic plants, boiled romaine lettuce, goldfish flakes, and algae wafers. The tadpoles did develop but took a long time.

Then an idea came to me, in ponds tadpoles don't only encounter plants, but dead fish and insect larva, perhaps all tadpoles you find in ponds are infanct omnivores instead of herbivores.

So I added chopped bloodworms in and they went absolutely nuts over them! Not only did the tadpoles get fat and grow faster, the ones who were given bloodworms had enhanced color.

I just thought it was an interesting theory since most people buy tadpoles to eat algae in tanks and they probably aren't getting full nutrition.


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## ScarecrowGirl (Apr 2, 2012)

When I was younger and lived in Florida we would catch a whole bunch and keep them together. We always gave them dead bugs and bits of raw chicken or else they would just eat each other. Evil little buggers they were -.- 
I didn't know you could buy tadpoles to eat algae. That's cool


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## Entomancer (Apr 2, 2012)

bugmankeith said:


> For someone raising tadpoles what's the first thing that comes to mind to feed them, I bet the first thing you'd say is plants.


I used to work at a PetSmart, and being the only person there who knew *anything* about non-mammalian things, I often had people asking me what they ate too.

I used to catch tadpoles and find eggs when I was younger and raise them, and no, tadpoles do not eat plants. Many will eat algae, but they are omnivorous and tend to prefer more protein-rich food items. I raised a leopard frog tadpole that was in with a goldfish shipment, and it ate catfish pellets, algae pellets, brine shrimp, bloodworms, daphnia, and tropical fish flakes. It grew very quickly and was soon more interested in the frozen food than the pellets.


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## bugmankeith (Apr 2, 2012)

ScarecrowGirl said:


> When I was younger and lived in Florida we would catch a whole bunch and keep them together. We always gave them dead bugs and bits of raw chicken or else they would just eat each other. Evil little buggers they were -.-
> I didn't know you could buy tadpoles to eat algae. That's cool


Yeah, pet stores that buy feeder fish always get tadpoles mixed in, I guess wherever the goldfish are raised frogs are able to get in and lay eggs. So instead of wasting them they make a profit selling them to eat algae but most don't make it to frogs either from poor nutrition or lack of land provided and they drown. Around here they sell bull, green, leopard, and Treefrog tadpoles and sometimes common toads.


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## Dr Acula (Apr 2, 2012)

Seeing as fish flakes are made from bloodworms most of the time, I'd imagine that'd apply to the actual worm itself.  I've fed tadpoles oatmeal before and they all seemed to love it.  Grew into healthy little cuban tree frogs


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## aTXqtp2t (Apr 9, 2018)

bugmankeith said:


> For someone raising tadpoles what's the first thing that comes to mind to feed them, I bet the first thing you'd say is plants.
> 
> When I've raised tadpoles they've been fed aquatic plants, boiled romaine lettuce, goldfish flakes, and algae wafers. The tadpoles did develop but took a long time.
> 
> ...


Thank you SO much for this information! I recently came into possession of some awesome bullfrog tadpoles and was looking for ideas of what to give them other than fresh water fish flakes and dried seaweed in the turtle food area for algae eaters. I will try some blood worms tomorrow as I have already ordered some. I see that this post was some time ago, so if there is anyone with more current information on tadpole health/care who would like to share, I would appreciate it!


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