Tadpoles in the grey tank??

[TheFrailer]

OK, so I've been stranded for several weeks waiting on a warranty repair for a blown head gasket for the truck to tow my 5th wheel. I noticed a few days back, during a period of rain, that I seemed to have a frog somewhere in the rig. Didn't give it much thought until I went to dump my holding tanks this morning. As usual, I dump the black tank first, back flush and close it off. Then move on to the grey tank and back flush it.

I should mention at this point that I am full timing and have been leaving the grey tank open and just letting it flow through. I suspect that it might hold a bit of water as the valve never seems to open quite as far as the black tank valve does. That said, I always back flush it when I empty the black tank.

Anyway, as I back flush the grey tank, I notice in the last bit of water leaving (I have the see through attachment) that there appears to be tadpoles in the water. I back flush again and see that there are indeed tadpoles.

So... here's my question.....

What is safe to add to my grey tank that will kill these unwanted parasites?

I also wondered if this were a common problem for anyone else that left their grey tanks open, to flow through?

[mgirardo]

I've never heard of tadpoles in a grey tank before, but I guess it isn't any more out of the realm of possibility as a snake or rat crawling out of a toilet in a sticks and bricks house, which I have heard of before.

Tadpoles are not parasites, they are amphibians. No harm with them being in your grey tank. They eat algae and rotting plant matter, so if you have none of that in your grey tank, then they should die on their own. If they mature to frogs, they will most likely hop down the sewer hose to freedom. If you are set on getting rid of them, like all amphibians, they do not tolerate chlorine well at all. Even a tiny bit of chlorine will kill them. Close the grey tank, put a couple gallons of water in the tank and then a couple tablespoons of bleach. Let it sit an hour or two and they should be dead.

We live in our camper for 4 - 5 months at our seasonal campground. We too leave our grey tanks open all the time. With the 4 of us, we'd be emptying the grey tanks (we have 2) on a daily basis. No point in that. Enough water moves through both tanks on a daily basis to keep the tanks clean. Towards the end of the season, I usually fill them, add a cup or two of bleach and let them sit. Then empty both. Never had issues the last 4 years doing this.

-Michael

[down_home]

Huumm toadie frogs in the tank. Enough of the might get a good chorus to sing you to sleep.
Tree toads even frogs somehow know where water is. They came in the vent on top of the coach, no doubt.
In some areas around springs, you find toad eggs in the folds of leaves, where it is almost always wet.
Some of them are works of art. They take on the colors of their surroundings, I heard. We had some on the grape vines or the post that had blue, green and some black striped separating those and other colors. Beautiful creature.
Had to remove many frogs/toads from the gutters along with leaves.
Maybe get all the RVs with frogs, in the tanks, in one section and really have symphony. 🙂
Wife won't let me use the facilities if she hears here are frogs in there.

[Big_Katuna]

Its probably worse in Florida (everything else is) but I close my gray tank valve to keep out unwanted visitors and dump daily.

Its not uncommon to take the cap off of the sewer connection and see cockroaches, sewer flies, etc and rats live in sewer systems, too.

[rockhillmanor]

Well besides the fact that you by now know, that you should leave 'both' tank valves 'closed' when parked whether it be a month or just a day.

Because you need water to move sewage and water to move food stuffs, grease etc from the gray and blacks OUT of your tanks. Otherwise it just builds up on the bottom of your tanks. Not to mention that you are getting all and everything that is in that sewer system sewer gas and flies right back into your tanks. And my guess its fly and/or mosquito larvae too.

I'd clean both tanks out with some bleach. Fill both tanks up with water to just about fill and pour bleach down the toilet and the sink. Let it set for awhile and dump both tanks.

When I clean out my black tank I just run the bathroom sink (since it dumps to the black tank) untill black tank is full with just water and then run the kitchen sink to fill gray.

[eric1514]

SCVJeff wrote:
Did you actually SEE them, i.e. Are they big anough to make them out? I would suspect sewer flies before tadpoles and they too are black but don't look like flies when under water trying not to get washed away.

Yup. Sewer flies or mosquito larvae.

[bucky]

Is your grandchild missing a pregnant frog?
Look froggy a swimming pool. Whoops!

[paddykernahan]

Would snakes possibly get rid of them?:D

[SCVJeff]

Did you actually SEE them, i.e. Are they big anough to make them out? I would suspect sewer flies before tadpoles and they too are black but don't look like flies when under water trying not to get washed away.

[rexlion]

You would commit tadpole genocide? Wholesale slaughter of defenseless baby frogs? LOL 😄 Yeah, bleach should be just the ticket.

I'd give my left toad to know how they got in there....

[NanciL]

MrWizard wrote:
I feel sorry for the tadpoles, stupid frog

I would not consider tadpoles as parasites

Unless you have a washing machine for laundry, there is no really good reason for leaving the gray water open

How did a frog get in the gray tank if the dump house is connected to a fhu site

See my post above.

Jack l

[MrWizard]

I feel sorry for the tadpoles, stupid frog

I would not consider tadpoles as parasites

Unless you have a washing machine for laundry, there is no really good reason for leaving the gray water open

How did a frog get in the gray tank if the dump house is connected to a fhu site

[fpresto]

I too would never consider a tadpole a parasite.

[fj12ryder]

I just wonder how the frogs got in there in the first place. Can't have tadpoles without frogs. And I don't think tadpoles qualify as parasites, wanted or unwanted.

[Lynnmor]

Just leave the tadpoles in there to eat any residue in the tank. No harmful chemicals needed.