Tadpole Rearing
Mick Bajcar
I am at present rearing tadpoles of DD. tinctorius, leucomelas and ventrimaculatus.  Having read reports of growth inhibiting hormones and cannibalism, especially with D. ventrimaculatus, I raise all the tadpoles individually.
The tadpoles are removed from the Petri dish containing the egg clutch as soon as possible after they are free of the egg mass.  They are then placed (in the case of DD. tinctorius and leucomelas) in about half an inch of water in a plastic cricket tub.  D. ventrimaculatus tadpoles are reared in 35mm film containers.
Water is changed in the containers on a daily basis, a 50% change being done, or a complete change if the water is heavily fouled.  Fresh water is put into the containers with a pressurised sprayer, to ensure maximum oxygenation of the water.  I keep the tadpole containers in a spare tank in the lounge where the daytime temperature peaks as 28ºC and drops to 20ºC at night.
Marco Esposito informs me that he has been advised by Edwin Blake that D. azureus tadpoles (and frogs) benefit from exposure to UV light.  My rearing tank is exposed to artificial daylight tubes for at least 12 hours per day; this I hope produces a long-term, low-level UV exposure rather than a short period of intense radiation.

The tadpoles are fed on a daily basis.  I use a variety of brands of flake fish foods, dried bloodworm, fish eggs, Daphnia and Krill, the latter being powdered with a pestle and mortar.  I have also started to feed with living Daphnia, the large tadpoles go mad for them, and it certainly seems to get eaten.
Once a week I powder a mixture of the above and mix in some ground cuttlefish, iodine block and vitamin powder.  The whole mix is then made into a thick paste with water and a few drops of paste fed to the individual tadpoles.
Those tadpoles that I am rearing at present are developing well, and appear to be extremely large and well developed.  DD. tinctorius and leucomelas tadpoles are showing strongly developed rear legs after six to seven weeks, although D. ventrimaculatus appear to be slower developers.