[jcgso]

Not too long ago, I was amazed to find a clutch of twenty six eggs from my wild caught red trivitattus pair. I know they don't reproduce much in captivity.
So I took the eggs out of the viv and watched them closely. I lost three eggs before the rest hatched out.
I have been trying to take very good care of them as they developed. I don't use any kind of heater for them. They are kept in individual eight ounce containers in plastic drawer cabinets.
I feed them regularly with spirulina at first, then moving on to tropical fish flakes and recently, tadpole bites. I'm using RO water and have a bit of java moss in each cup.
This morning, when I went to check them, i found three dead. I have no idea what caused them to die and don't want to lose any more.
They all have back legs and some were starting to sprout front legs.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[varanoid]

Are you changing the water? Are the individual tadpole cups exposed as in could some kind of cleaning spray pollute them?

 

[jcgso]

I do ocassional water changes. They are isolated , so no exposure to any kind of chemicals.

I had one thought last night. Could they be getting caught in the java moss once they have sprouted legs?

 

[jcgso]

I just found three more dead. All had front legs sprouted. I took out the java moss, just in case they were getting tangled in it.
By the way, none of my other tads are dieing (azureus, lamasi, auratus) and all are under the exact same conditions.
I am really stumped. Any other thoughts?

 

[Azurel]

COuld they be drowing? I know with my imitators once the frint legs pop I reduce the water to a bare minimum in the cup and on an angle where they can come out of water if they want or to the edge but still have most of the body still in water.....Just a thought as I am not completely sure of their care outside of what I have read.

 

[jcgso]

I took your advice and emptied some of the water and tilted the cups in their future viv. Man I hope that makes a difference. It's killing me to lose all of those tads.

 

[Azurel]

I took your advice and emptied some of the water and tilted the cups in their future viv. Man I hope that makes a difference. It's killing me to lose all of those tads.

I totally understand that for sure, hope that helps. I have never dealt with this species and very little of what I have read about them goes into detail of post leg morphing. Like other species they all say to tilt cup etc....But for some reason I couldn't find anything about Epipedobates trivittatus that says anything about what to do when they pop the front legs. I am sure there are some more experienced members that can give details. Hopefully they will chime in so you can grow out all that you have....Good luck keep the thread updated....

 

[Pumilo]

I don't think this would cause the outright death, but is a nutrition concern. Read the ingredients on a package of high quality fish flake compared to the ingredients in tad bites. The fish flake has more, high quality seafoods and less fillers. Also, spirulina is rather old school for a stand alone feed. I mix it into my feed, but not rely on it as a stand alone.
Consider Ocean Nutrition Formula One flakes, with some added Cyclop-Eeze freeze dried. A little spirulina mixed in wouldn't hurt but is probably not necessary.

 

[JJhuang]

I agree with Pumilio. I was using tadbites before and i would get decent results. But about 3 months ago i had about 100+ tads and i lost about 40 and it was really discouraging coming home to dead tads everyday. I decided to change my whole system so I switched over to the ocean nutrition formula one flakes, and also the ocean nutrition spirilina flakes. I also switched from 8oz to 16 oz. I also started adding almond leafs with magnolia leafs with java moss and the water looks a clearish brown. I have not lost any since. The food is alot more nutritional, the tea water changes ammonia to ammonium (safer ammonia) and also with the 16 oz i dont do water changes but add water when they begin to get low.
Best of luck

I don't think this would cause the outright death, but is a nutrition concern. Read the ingredients on a package of high quality fish flake compared to the ingredients in tad bites. The fish flake has more, high quality seafoods and less fillers. Also, spirulina is rather old school for a stand alone feed. I mix it into my feed, but not rely on it as a stand alone.
Consider Ocean Nutrition Formula One flakes, with some added Cyclop-Eeze freeze dried. A little spirulina mixed in wouldn't hurt but is probably not necessary.

 

[jcgso]

I will try feeding the Formula 1, which I have for my reef tanks. The question though, is why only the trivs are dieing? Does anyone know if they have a higher than normal mortality rate? I haven't been able to find much info on them, since it seems like so few people have had eggs from their WC trivs.