Raising Tadpoles Raising Tadpoles Know how to care for tadpoles before you collect them. A tadpole is the aquatic larval stage of a frog or toad. Appearing to be nothing more than a head and tail, these lumbering tadpoles spend nearly all their time grazing on algae or swimming to the water surface. Care of tadpoles.
Water is the most important item.
Chlorine, added to most drinking water to remove bacteria and algae, will kill tadpoles. Treat your water to remove the chlorine, as you would for aquarium fish. Another important item is a large flat-surface container. An enamel or plastic pan which can hold 2 to 3 inches of treated water is better than an aquarium. Try not to keep more than two tadpoles for every gallon of water to prevent overcrowding.