2. Large Tank Frog Housing System

a. Overview

We have 190 liter (fifty gallon) fiberglass tanks (91 cm long x 83 cm wide x 36 cm tall [36"x32.5"x14"]) on large racks (218 cm long and 91 cm wide [86"x36"]) set-up as drip systems. (Figure 31) Two pieces of 48 cm x106 cm (18" x 42") fiberglass decking (Duradek AFC Inc.) are used to support each tank.

Some of our large tanks hold juvenile Nasco Wild Type frogs, which were raised from tadpole stage in the same tanks. As these juvenile frogs mature, they are transferred to adult tanks, which are separated by sex.

These tanks can be useful for raising large numbers of tadpoles. However, we have had great difficulty raising tads less than two weeks of age in these tanks which we believe is due to unbuffered water present in our system. Instead, we raise the tads for two weeks in AHAB and then transfer them to these large tanks filled with AHAB water (about 1" (2-3 cm) deep). Then we slowly drip standard aquatic facility water into this tank and allow it to fill over the next few days. This startegy seems to avoid the water shock that will quickly kill the tads and allow them to transition gradually out of the AHAB water. Once they are over 2-3 weeks of age, they seem to thrive in these large tanks and can devour large quantitites of food.