Dose keeping tadpoles cost this much?

So I had some tadpoles in my kitty pool that had been in there for a couple months so I put all but 2 into a pond. one of them is an albino and the other one is dark brown. I would love to keep the albino one but I went shopping and for everything (not including food) is $60!!!
Here is my list:

• 
  
• 
  
• Potting soil (getting from hardware store)
• getting 2
  
• 
  
• for food
  
• for water

Any way I can find it cheaper??

 

Try amazon or DIY. I don't know about frogs but i’d expect it to be expensive.

 

Try amazon or DIY. I don't know about frogs but i’d expect it to be expensive.

Okay thank you!

 

Frogs need an aquarium the same as fish, with a bit of land to come out and dry off on. What you're putting together looks like a terrestrial toad enclosure.

 

One other tip instead of buying those expensive aquarium backgrounds go to the dollar store and buy the solid color table cloths cut to size tape it to the back of the tank if it tears rips etc you paid a dollar!!! plus you get a pretty good size piece. It really amazes me the kind of money that is spent for aquariums and its done every day. The sad thing if you go to a big brand name Pet Store ( PETCO, PET SMART ) most of the kids that work there no little to nothing they will sell you the tank filter heater filter hood light etc etc and then say would you like to get some fish to add to your tank?? Whatever happened to cycling your tank first yes they do make stuff that will instantly cycle your tank but I have never seen it except online not cheap. So the customer buys some fish and within a week they are back wondering why the fish are dead?? Education goes along way its not hard but you can go thru a bunch of money without knowing what to get.

 

Do you know what breed of frog/tadpole they are? They might be semi-aquatic.

 

Since the tadpole grew up in your kiddy pool, it's used to plastic so you can use some large bottle tops for the food and the water can be absorbed from the water part if its enclosure which can be a shallow plastic bin.

You can probably skip the plastic plants and maybe just get some plants from your yard since that's the tadpole's native environment any way and use a small partially buried terra cotta pot instead of the plastic log.

Some of this won't look as pretty as the stuff from a pet store but it'll keep the frog alive while you slowly change out for prettier stuff so its not such a huge hit on your wallet.

 

I can't believe you can get a 10 gallon for under 15 dollars! Over here in britain I would struggle to find one under £50!

 

Do you know what breed of frog/tadpole they are? They might be semi-aquatic.

not yet but trying to figure it out on here: Albino Tadpole!

Since the tadpole grew up in your kiddy pool, it's used to plastic so you can use some large bottle tops for the food and the water can be absorbed from the water part if its enclosure which can be a shallow plastic bin.

You can probably skip the plastic plants and maybe just get some plants from your yard since that's the tadpole's native environment any way and use a small partially buried terra cotta pot instead of the plastic log.

Some of this won't look as pretty as the stuff from a pet store but it'll keep the frog alive while you slowly change out for prettier stuff so its not such a huge hit on your wallet.

Okay thanks this will work so much better

Frogs need an aquarium the same as fish, with a bit of land to come out and dry off on. What you're putting together looks like a terrestrial toad enclosure.

I'm thinking its a toad since the majority of frogs here are toads but I am going to give it a small swimming/dipping corner

Try amazon or DIY. I don't know about frogs but i’d expect it to be expensive.

Couldn't find much on amazon

Also do I need a UVB light. he/she is being kept inside

 

Check out craigslist in your area.

 

Check out craigslist in your area.

yep tried that, prople are trying to sell tanks with lids for $30 and they are used

 

Just letting you know, even if the PetCo dollar per gallon sale is over (is it over? It might not be over yet, call your local PetCo), they have GLASS aquariums for the same price as that plastic aquarium from Wally World. If the sale isn't over, then they're only $10.

 

That's where the barter system comes in. In one of my Facebook groups I maybe picking up a 180 with stand, canopy, lighting and a 75 gallon sump for less then the cost to by the stand new.

 

There is a big difference in care between frogs and toads! Maybe you should wait and figure out what it is first so you aren't wasting money.

 

There is a big difference in care between frogs and toads! Maybe you should wait and figure out what it is first so you aren't wasting money.

okay can I just buy the tank for now? it would be a 10G. also can I keep just the albino one or dose it need a friend?

 

A ten gallon can start you out for sure, but it is not a permanent home. Most amphibians are okay with being kept by themselves, but it may come down to the species

Toads do much better with a 20 gallon long or larger as they will be palm sized when fully grown in about three years. I have mine in a 40 breeder and it just works for them. They are very active!

Depending on the species of frog you'd need a much larger habitat. If it turns out to be a bullfrog you're looking a 55 gallon so it has enough swimming room. Even the smaller native species will end up needing probably 30 gallons or more. They are active, fairly big, and need tons of swimming space. They are also messy and need clean water, so a great filter is important!!

If it turns out to be a tree frog you'd need a vertical enclosure. I use a medium exoterra for my grey tree frog, though she would use all of a bigger one in a heartbeat.

You may also want to check your state's Department of Wildlife to see what the legal requirements are for owning a wild-caught amphibian. Some allow it, some do not, some do with a permit, and some have special rules for anyone under 18. I'm in Ohio and have a yearly permit for my natives (all rescues).

 

If you have frogs, this is the best style of setup:
The Half and Half Tank

You should be able to ID your tadpole by looking at a chart like this:
-- your fish and wildlife or agriculture office might have something more suited to your area online.

You can get away with the following:
For a cheap aquarium, look at your local thrift stores--many times they will have 10-20 gallons for under $10, or look at Craigslist for TERRARIUMS or cracked/broken aquariums. If the crack is in the bottom, it won't work for fish but it is perfect for frogs--just repair it with a piece of glass siliconed over the crack and use that under your dirt side. In my experience, it is often dollarwise cheaper to get a larger aquarium than it is a small one--I got a 37g for $32 off of Craigslist, with the stand and other equipment. This is because people just want to get RID of big setups Next get a cheap ziploc or glad or dollar store plastic food container--that can be your pond. Put the "pond" in and fill around it with dirt (it's best if you layer-- pea gravel, sand, dirt cap--this allows better moisture dispersion without your setup becoming mud, but it's OK either way.) Put in a stick from your back yard, and you can plant other things as like.

You can use a wood frame and some screen for the top, unless your house gets really cold.

 

If you have frogs, this is the best style of setup:
The Half and Half Tank

You should be able to ID your tadpole by looking at a chart like this:
-- your fish and wildlife or agriculture office might have something more suited to your area online.

You can get away with the following:
For a cheap aquarium, look at your local thrift stores--many times they will have 10-20 gallons for under $10, or look at Craigslist for TERRARIUMS or cracked/broken aquariums. If the crack is in the bottom, it won't work for fish but it is perfect for frogs--just repair it with a piece of glass siliconed over the crack and use that under your dirt side. In my experience, it is often dollarwise cheaper to get a larger aquarium than it is a small one--I got a 37g for $32 off of Craigslist, with the stand and other equipment. This is because people just want to get RID of big setups Next get a cheap ziploc or glad or dollar store plastic food container--that can be your pond. Put the "pond" in and fill around it with dirt (it's best if you layer-- pea gravel, sand, dirt cap--this allows better moisture dispersion without your setup becoming mud, but it's OK either way.) Put in a stick from your back yard, and you can plant other things as like.

You can use a wood frame and some screen for the top, unless your house gets really cold.

I'm thinking either a grey tree frog or the southern cricket frog. thanks for info very helpful!

 

Definitely check on the laws of keeping wild caught native species, and the laws of keeping wild caught invasive species, in your state. I know in my state it's illegal to keep a native species at all, even if it's captive bred, unless you have a special breeder's license. For example, I can't keep a hognose snake, because it's native to my state. In some states, it is legal to catch invasive species, but not legal to keep them (meaning you have to euthanize them if you catch them). I don't know which species are native or invasive in Florida, but I do know there is an abundance of both. Florida has a pretty severe invasive species problem, and from what I understand some of those invasive species are frogs. So definitely keep trying to figure out the species, so you know what laws to check. That albino tadpole is really cool and I don't blame you for wanting to keep it. Just make sure everything's on the up and up.

 

so if this little guy/girl is not a Pine Barrens tree-frogs, gopher frog or a Florida bog frog then I can keep it

 

I also found I really good deal on FB for a 10G with lid and a reptile carpet and frog moss for $25 so i'm going to get that (hopefully) and then i'm going to make a little hut for him/her by cutting one of the fallen pine tree's in my backyard and making this and then I will just but the food/water dishes and the soil.

 

I also found I really good deal on FB for a 10G with lid and a reptile carpet and frog moss for $25 so i'm going to get that (hopefully) and then i'm going to make a little hut for him/her by cutting one of the fallen pine tree's in my backyard and making this and then I will just but the food/water dishes and the soil.

Pine isn’t good for reptiles for amphibians!! Do not do that! And that hubba hut half log isn’t good for species that require humidity, which your frog or toad will probably need. We have gotten so many of them in kits but they mold and rot so quickly (I’m talking within 2 weeks), so we keep them outside in the garden as occasional toad hides (...it still molds haha). The reptile carpet isn’t good either. That molds and harbors bacteria, it’s nearly impossible to clean.



You’ll also need larger than a 10 gallon rather quickly because frogs/toads grow quickly and will injure themselves when confined to a space for too long. They will rub their noses raw and bloody off of screen tops because they need more room. Alsoooo, you’ll need to feed it live insects - and you may need to provide a heat sorce for it. It will definitely need a calcium and vitamin supplement - Repashy sells a calcium and Vitamin with D3 that we dust all of our reptiles/amphibians insects with.

 

Pine isn’t good for reptiles for amphibians!! Do not do that! And that hubba hut half log isn’t good for species that require humidity, which your frog or toad will probably need. We have gotten so many of them in kits but they mold and rot so quickly (I’m talking within 2 weeks), so we keep them outside in the garden as occasional toad hides (...it still molds haha). The reptile carpet isn’t good either. That moods and harbors bacteria, it’s nearly impossible to clean.



You’ll also need larger than a 10 gallon rather quickly because frogs/toads grow quickly and will injure themselves when confined to a space for too long. They will rub their noses raw and bloody off of screen tops because they needn’t more room. Alsoooo, you’ll need to feed it live insects - and you may need to provide a heat sorce for it. It will definitely need a calcium and vitamin supplement - Repashy sells a calcium and Vitamin with D3 that we dust all of our reptiles/amphibians insects with.

Thanks for the info! Sadly the albino one I found died I had in it a 15 gallon tank, it had a heat light which I think was also ubv, it’s substrate was half “frog moss” and half reptile safe dirt. I have some bark hides in there and a log hide, a shallow water dish level with the substrate and had a piece of bark that was like a ramp. It had 4 “fake trees” that were only about 2 or 3 inches tall and had leaves on it. Here is the link to the thread I started: Help - Setting Up An Albino Toad Habitat now I have pet crickets bc I have nothing to feed them too lol