Tadpoles for sale:  Ships "2 Day UPS" on the Day we ship!

Tadpoles
We have two tadpole choices for you.

1.) Our Nursery supplies the small quantity tadpoles, a general mix and we do not separate the species for one type of tadpole or another.  The mix is of green frogs and occasionally bullfrogs however green frogs are the majority of what we are seeing here on the nursery. 

2.) Our Fishery ships large quantities of tadpoles which include bullfrog tadpoles  tadpoles--you must order the tadpole item that is bulk quantity If you wish to order these, please go to our bulk quantity tadpole page!

Tadpole Diet

What do tadpoles eat? They eat  algae and soft bodied, submerged plants like Hornwort and Vallisneria. Hornwort is by far their favorite. 8 tadpoles can eat 15 bunches in about 20 days! Hopefully, there will be some algae in the pond to satisfy their appetite-- but these plants are a great supplement to their diet!  Some larger tadpoles like green frog tadpoles and bull frog tadpoles also eat mosquito larvae in calm water, though mosquito larvae are not common in planted ponds or bodies of water. 

Tadpoles add character and ambiance to a water garden setting. Listening to the frogs singing in the springtime is joyful! Green Frog Tadpoles are harmless and feed on mosquito larvae and algae in the pond. They also feed on any insect eggs before the eggs hatch. Eventually, these tadpoles change into small frogs and begin eating insects around the pond. Unlike toads, frogs must stay near a water source. It is fun to see frogs sunning themselves while sitting on rocks around the pond or on lily pads on lazy, sunny afternoons. These are large tadpoles.

Tadpoles, especially larger varieties should not be kept in fish bowls or aquariums. They have very active digestive systems and foul the water more quickly than fish. This can lead to ammonia bursts in smaller unfiltered bodies of water and the death of the tadpoles. We estimate that each tadpole creates five times as much waste as most fish, due to their high metabolism--and just 5 tadpoles in a 20 gallon tank with lots of plants, perished in 2 days when we brought them in for some filming. They also ate almost all of the 10 bunches of submerged plants in those 2 days, which led to the crash of the ecosystem in the tank. Outdoors in a pond with plants, this will not be an issue, and that is where these tadpoles need to come to adulthood. 

 

Please note the cost with a minimum quantity!
This is a BOX, full of water and oxygen, as well as tadpoles.
It is very heavy, usually 8-9 lbs. Boxes contain roughly 15-20% water and 80-85% oxygen.
Oxygen is most important part of what is in the bag.

Q. Why do you sell bulk quantity and small quantity separately?

A. They come from two separate locations. Tadpoles usually arrive in separate boxes from other items, with the exception of trapdoor pond snails--if you should order tadpoles AND pond snails, both varieties may be shipped together. 

Bulk Quantity (the Bullfrog tadpole mix) ship in larger boxes and only by overnight express, a charge of which we build into the cost of the tadpoles* Bulk Quantity which is a different item will contain Green Frog Tadpoles... Please Note, you are on our small quantity item which is a mix of green frogs and leopard frog tadpoles. 

Smaller Quantity tadpoles (the item you can order on this page) can be shipped Priority mail or Fedex only in spring (March 1 to June 14) as they cannot tolerate long trips during high or low temperatures. During the summer this option is not available due to the 2-3 day transit being too long for hot weather. 

Be Ready On Arrival!

Live Tadpoles should spend as little time in transit as possible. The bag inside the box is filled with about 80% oxygen and only 20% or so, of water. Tadpoles have extremely active metabolisms and excrete a higher percentage of waste-- much more than the fish we ship. 100% or near 100%, should arrive alive, even though the water in the box is turning toxic quickly. Do not open the bag to change water or put it in the sun for even a moment, as you  will release the remaining oxygen we added.

Take the box of tadpoles immediately to the pond.  Release near vegetation as gently as possible. Vegetation provides food and some protection from predators like bass or birds.

DO NOT FLOAT THE BAGS, the water in the bag is no longer any good, and even on cloudy days the sun will be enough to heat the water in the bag quickly. In a backyard pond it would be best to have a mesh fish net at least 10 inches across and a 5 gallon bucket or container.  Next,  place your net on top of an empty bucket and slowly pour the water and tadpoles through the net on the top. The water should go through the net into the bucket and the tadpoles should be caught in the fine mesh net. Immediately put the tadpoles into your pond. These Frog Tadpoles are too large for tanks or aquariums and will not survive there, as the water fouls far too quickly.

 

Creating a Frog Population in a Pond

 

Tadpoles eat small bits of soft algae, submerged plants like Hornwort and Vallisneria. They also eat mosquito larvae when present in the water. Adult frogs are territorial and need vegetation in and near the pond to stay around. Pickerel Rush, Waterlilies, Obedient Plant, Water Hyacinths and other plants that attract pollinators are great for a larger frog population as they offer protection and increase the food supply. Green frog tadpoles are too large for tanks or aquariums and will not survive there. The water fouls far too quickly. They need an amazing amount of clean, fresh water and a way to get out of the water by the time they have front legs--as they are also using lungs by this time. They will also need live, submerged plants as food.