Tadpole Update

So, we've had the frogs for a while now. The kids have really enjoyed seeing them grow. Recently, they've been getting too big for their original container. While Dan was visiting high school friends "back home" I took the kids to the pet store to get a bigger home.

But...when I got there it turned out they didn't have another larger plastic container. The pet store guy convinced me a 10 gallon tank was a good idea. The one plastic one they had wasn't much better and it was sold as a hermit crab kit.

Once the 10 gallon tank was on the counter, I thought about how I could change out 10 gallons of spring water very often so that's when they started talking filter. R10 protested because it specially says not to filter the water for the tadpoles. We are still in debate with that one.

Added to the pile was a net to scoop frogs and some drops for our tap water (to take out the chlorine). Not sure I'm taking a chance on our tap water...fit for human consumption but possibly too many minerals for small vertebrates.

I should add that while I was in the store, my friend called to tell me some bad news and give her a little advice. I never get cell phone calls. Almost ever. So, I had to take the call interrupting pet store guy. In the meantime, my kids were running around looking at all the animals as if we've never seen live animals. Ever. It was like a trip to an exotic location. I need to remember this for the future.

Before laying down the cash for these items, I made sure that I could put something else in my new tank...you know...in case the tadpoles didn't make it. The pet store guys assured me lots of things could live in my new tank.

So...this is the official homeschool adventure tank. Whatever will live in it, we'll enjoy.

R10 helped me fill the 10 gallon tank with spring water from the store...that was a lot of recycling when we finished.

Once the tank was full, I transferred the pollywogs to the new 10 gallon tank with my new net.

I8 snapped this shot of our biggest tadpole- they have whiskers! Kinda like catfish. And I love the frog card in the corner.

This week we'll get some more pictures because they have back legs and a few have front legs. Very cute. They seem to be doing well.

And just so you know...like so many things we bring home to our house, a ten gallon tank looks A LOT bigger in our house than it does in the store.

So much for our learning table- it's been usurped by small underwater almost frogs...I think I need a new spot. It took me a while to figure that one out so this might take some effort.

This week we are going to make a mural to put behind the tank so it's less bare. Should be a fun project.