This morning we were delighted as the first of our tadpoles climbed up onto the large branch we had placed in the tank. As the day progressed more followed. Miles in particular spent a long while watching them.
I just went to look at them again not ten minutes ago and all eight are dead. Certainly dead - floating.
I'm devastated. I know some people would say they are *just* tadpoles but whatever they were they were just starting out on life's big journey and now they're gone. I can't help but wonder if it's something I've done or not done. I should go and cook dinner but I just feel sick. We've watched them grow from tiny tadpoles into little frogs and now they're dead - all of them - and I don't why.
Welcome March ....and a new challenge
1 month ago
4 comments:
sorry to hear this claire... this happened to us a few years ago and also a friend.
Hmmm, not sure why your froglets should have died, unless a neighbour has been spraying pesticide or similar and air-borne articles have drifted over. Although you mention tank - are they indoors? Maybe air freshener (sorry, just trying to solve the conundrum) but I sense maybe you aren't an air freshener person. Upsetting. We have to cover ours else the ducks come and hoover them up. Wish I could let you have some of ours, we're still waiting for legs just yet.
E
xx
Just seen your tank, doh. What sort of wood is it? Mind you, it could be something as simple as a virus.
E
xx
The wood was birch and we don't use air freshners. We had other wood in (predominantly sycamore) but just put in the extra large stick a few days ago to give them more options to climb out of the water - so there was a new kind of wood just introduced.
In addition to lettuce we had also been giving them a litle pinch of goldfish food sometimes. I've checked the tub and it seems to have gone down a lot in the last day or two and I can't help but wonder if someone has been overzealous in feeding them and this has possibly affected the water quality. We put gravel and stones in the bottom to make it more natural but this will also have disguised any food excess :-(
I still feel really upset about it. They were so tiny yet perfectly formed and full of fun :-( Can't quite believe I'm saying that about froglets but they were lovely.
In some respects I'm pleased to hear it has happened to others and ie is less likely to be my 'fault'.
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