Freshwater Fish
Tadpole.
Live tadpoles — a fun, temporary project that'll grow legs and transform into frogs over a few weeks. Keep them in clean, dechlorinated water with an easy way to climb out as they develop. A great hands-on lesson for kids and curious keepers.
We keep this species at our Erie store. Come and see it in the tanks, or call (814) 456-9445 and ask what we have in right now.
Sea Cave keeps this species. You will find these in the tanks at 660 East 14th Street in Erie. We never ship live animals.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
We never ship fish, coral, or invertebrates — every animal here is one you meet in person. Each one is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it goes out into the display tanks. This is a species we keep, and what is swimming on any given day changes with the deliveries, so please call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Temperament
- Semi aggressive
- Adult size
- 3"
- Min tank size
- 20 gallons
- Diet
- Carnivore
Good tank mates
These are live tadpoles that will grow legs and turn into frogs over a few weeks, so this is a short-term project rather than a community fish, and we don't have a temperament logged for them. We'd recommend keeping them on their own while they develop rather than mixing them with fish. If you're planning what comes next once they morph, call us and we'll help you set it up.
Good to know
Tadpoles start life as plant-grazing herbivores and gradually shift toward a more carnivorous diet as they grow legs and metamorphose into frogs.
What is in the tanks and each animal's temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. What is in the tanks and each animal’s temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for advice on pairing.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
- B
Banded Killifish
Peaceful schooling midwater fish inhabiting the same slow, vegetated, soft-substrate habitat as Tadpole Madtoms. At 3–4 inches they are comparable in size, removing any predation vector in either direction. They occupy the upper water column, leaving the madtom's benthic territory undisturbed.
- B
Banded Sunfish
All Enneacanthus species are explicitly listed as fully compatible with madtoms by multiple native-fish aquarists. Both species share slow, heavily vegetated, soft-water habitat and similar water parameters (pH 6.5–7.5, cool to room temperature). At 3–4 inches the size match is appropriate and neither poses a predation threat to the other.
- C
Common Shiner
Peaceful schooling fish that occupies the mid-to-upper water column, well above the bottom-dwelling madtom. At 4–6 inches they are large enough that the madtom cannot eat them, and shiners are not predatory toward catfish. Jonah's Aquarium native-fish compatibility guide lists shiners and minnows as compatible with madtoms in community setups.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.