[Reef_Haven]

Here is my little science project initiated by this thread.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/breeding-eggs-tadpoles/84662-how-can-you-get-air-bubbles-out-tadpole.html
TADPOLE RECOMPRESSION CHAMBER

This was extremely easy to make. Just cut the valve stem from an old bike innertube to fit inside the 2 liter bottle cap. I brought this little guy down to about 3 1/2 atmospheres, about 120' depth. This bottle was slowly pumped up to 50 psi. This would shrink a bubble to less than 1/4 it's normal volume. Should make it much easier on a tad with a large air bubble.

Here is Sputnik, a green tree frog tad from my back yard. Seems to be doing fine, swims and acts normal. He did not actually have a bubble. I just wanted to make sure there would be no adverse reactions. I'll bring him back to surface pressure tomorrow.

 

[Reef_Haven]

Quick update on this.
After 24 hrs I decided it was time to decompress this little guy. I know a bit about decompression theory as it applies to humans, but didn't really think that would apply too much in the case of a tad.
I decompressed him by releasing pressure abot 10 psi at a time over 1 hour. After another 20 minutes or so it became obvious he was decompressed too quickly as he was having a hard time staying down and swimming on one side.
No visible air bubbles, but I think I should have considered his osmotic potential. Probably should have added a small amount of aquarium salt to the water.
I added a portion of aquatic coontail(hornwort) to provide oxygen and a bit of fish food for him and recompressed him again, this time to 35 psi to bring him back to equilibrium.
I released the pressure much slower over the next 24 hours. He's swimming and feeding fine now. I'll feed him till he morphs just to make sure this procedure didn't cause him any damage.

 

[jacobi]

While an interesting experiment, without a lab analysis it may be difficult to see any problems that in humans would be only evident as pain. Gases may be expanding and causing microscopic damage without you realizing it. Just a thought.