Tadpoles

[TittyNotSusan]

My neighbour's DD has brought home some tadpoles from school to look after over the weekend. They are in a large plastic storage box with gravel and a rock. They are still tads but the biggest one has tiny back legs.

There is no filter, and she was told to take out a few jugfuls of water and replace each day. Does this sound OK? She also has some dechlorinator to add.

I would have thought nothing of this without learning about water care since I've had tropical fish, but can't help thinking they should have a filter or more water changes? What is the maximum water they should be changing each day without overdoing it?

They are feeding them lettuce and spinach. Anything else they could give them to vary it a bit?

Thanks

PS in case you think I'm interfering - they are at my house at the moment and will be here all week so I feel responsible for them not dying!

Keep the box out of direct sunlight. Tadpoles are fine with that level of water changing, but they need some more protein in their diet if they are developing legs.
Daphnia are good, dried or live in addition to the vegetables.

Yes, they'll be OK without a filter. We've successfully raised a load without one- just keep up with the water changes and they'll be fine. They grow surprisingly quickly! I just fed ours on high protein fish food and I think they ate some of the smaller water louses that came in on the pond weed.

I've got tropical fish flakes or shrimp food. Do you think either of those would be OK along with the veg?

The fish food probably has more protein, it should say on the ingredients. I don't know loads about amphibians but it seems tadpoles will eat anything they can fit in their mouth, which is a similar diet to a lot of fish.