The Team
Contact us
On Call Duty: 0664/ 88 32 6518
Frog Facility: 2193
Test Version: https://ista.a-tune.com/tickatlab_test/default.aspx
Animal Database Productive Version: https://tickatlab.ista.ac.at/tickatlab/default.aspx
new line registration file: https://seafile.ist.ac.at/lib/bda12159-4a0d-4bc5-ab4d-b1399a21a775/file/new_lines.xlsx
seafile frogs: https://seafile.ist.ac.at/library/bda12159-4a0d-4bc5-ab4d-b1399a21a775/LoSw/
Basic Rules
- New Frog users must get detailed introduction by Verena into basic frog room rules before they are granted free access to the facility. An introduction into frog handling may be done by the facility or a sufficiently experienced person from the lab. Sufficiently qualified are only people that successfully passed the ISTA animal handling course or equivalent.
- Opening hours: 7a.m. to 7p.m, the light cycle is controlled automatically – do not use the light switch.
- When entering the facility please use separate shoes or disposable overshoes provided by the facility.
- Before taking up work in the facility thoroughly wash and disinfect your hands. Due to zoonotic potential and hygienic reasons, it is mandatory to wear gloves for all works in the facility. After finishing your work, wash your hands.
- Avoid working in the fish facility and frog facility on the same day – if you really need to work in both facilities on the same day then please keep in mind to start and finish your work at the fish facility before entering the frog facility. It is absolutely forbidden to enter the fish facility after you have been with the frogs, tadpoles or in contact with any frog water/ material!
When taking frogs out of the system
- African clawed frogs can shed their skin if they are in distress. Therefore, reduce the time of handling the frogs and put them back in the system as soon as possible.
- Use a net for all handling procedures, if possible
- Always use wet gloves while handling the frogs.
- Use a different net for every tank.
Keep the facility clean and tidy
- Clean up after you have finished your work. Don’t leave water puddles, nets, or plastic ware on the work benches.
- Thoroughly rinse used nets with tap water before putting them on the declared area for dirty dishes.
Animal Housing
- Adults, juveniles, and tadpoles are kept in modular recirculating aquatic systems in multi-rack-configurations.
- The animals should be kept in a 12-hour light/12-hour dark cycle
- The water temperature should be kept between 18-22°C
- All housed animals need to be entered in the animal database and must have ONE printed label on the cage.
- African clawed frogs are nocturnal animals, therefore tanks with darkened walls are recommended.
- Be careful that the waterjet entering the tank, isn’t too intense, otherwise the frogs will be in distress. Ideal flow should be high but without agitating the water.
- For tadpoles (before metamorphosis) moderate dripping is recommended
- For frogs a moderate continuous water jet is recommended.
- Execute a health check once per day by inspecting each tank with a flashlight.
- Dead and sick frogs must be taken out of the system as soon as possible to avoid spreading of pathogens.
- Indicators of potential health problems could be discoloration or redness of the skin, apparent wounds, abnormal swimming, changes in body shape and size, bloating, and lethargic response to external stimulation.
- Sick frogs need to be quarantined form the rest of the group and the aquatic team needs to be informed.
- Dead frogs must be put in a bag into the freezer (-20°C). Any withdrawal of dead and euthanasia of sick frogs must be documented in the database.
Feeding
- All animals are fed by the facility -> don´t do extra feedings, leftover food is a high risk for the health of the animals
Tadpole
As soon as the tadpoles reach stage 44 they are animals and need to kept according to the table (Stocking density), fed to the feeding regime and daily monitored.
- A too fast bubbling rate can have a negative impact on the tadpoles; therefore, the flow rate should be kept at 1 water drop per secound.
- The water temperature should be kept at 18-22°C.
- Use the right size of baffels- starting with 500μ net baffles for the small tadpoles.
- If animals should be transferred from the Active Blue room to the frog facility please label them with “for facility”. We will take care of the transport, but this can take up to 3 working days.
Tox Rack Tadpole Room (I.06.EG.201)
- The room temperature should be kept at 21°C.
- Be aware that the room has no automatic day/night cycle installed.
- The flow rate of the tanks must be discussed with the group.
- Please consider the BSL2 guideline.
Tadpoles
- Tadpoles are raised in the Active Blue Room or in the Injection Room.
- If the tadpoles are demanded for BLS2 experiments, they are moved to the Tox Rack.
- In order to decontaminate the surface of the tanks easily, a Set up Box from Tecniplast is recommended to use for the Tox Rack.
- BSL2 Experiments on tadpoles lasts roughly 3 days. Afterwards, the animals are killed.
- If an animal dies within those 3 days, remove it from the tank with a disposable pipette and dispose it in a red plastic bag.
- Prepare feed for 3 days in a tube and dispose the tube in the S2 waste afterwards.
- If tanks are dirty or used, the surface will be decontaminated (Perform Classic) and washed afterwards.
| Weekend | responsible Person | Public Holiday | responsible Person | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| new round | |||||
| 28-29.09.24 | Florina (swap with Stavros (swap with David)) | ||||
| 05-06.10.24 | Matt (swap with Florina) | ||||
| 12-13.10.24 | Filip | ||||
| 19-20.10.24 | Florina (swap with Matt) | ||||
| 26-27.10.24 | Sophie | ||||
| 02-03.11.24 | David (swap with Stavros) | 01.11.24 | LSF- René | ||
| 09-10.11.24 | Thomas | ||||
| 16-17.11.24 | LSF- Verena | ||||
| new round | |||||
| 23-24.11.24 | David | ||||
| 30-01.12.24 | Florina | ||||
| 07-08.12.24 | Filip | ||||
| 14-15.12.24 | Matt | ||||
| 21-22.12.24 | Florina and Georgiy | 24.12.24- Jula | 25.12.24- René | 26.12.24- Verena | |
| 28-29.12.24 | Florina and Georgiy | 31.12.24- Florina and Georgiy | 01.01.25 Andi | ||
| 04-05.01.25 | Florina and Georgiy | 06.01.24- Florina and Georgiy | |||
| 11-12.01.25 | David (swap with Sophie) | ||||
| 18-19.01.25 | Sophie (swap with Stavros) | ||||
| 25-26.01.25 | LSF- Andy | ||||
| 01-02.02.25 | Georgiy | ||||
| 08-09.02.25 | Giulia | ||||
| new round | |||||
| 15-16.02.25 | Stavros (swap with David) | ||||
| 22-23.02.25 | Filip | ||||
| 01-02.03.25 | Florina | ||||
| 08-09.03.25 | Sophie (swap with Georgiy) | ||||
| 15-16.03.25 | Giulia | ||||
| 22-23.03.25 | Matt | ||||
| 29-30.03.25 | Georgiy (swap with Sophie) | ||||
| 05-06.04.25 | Stavros | ||||
| 12-13.04.25 | LSF-Verena | ||||
| new round | |||||
| 19-20.04.25 | Giulia (swap with David) | 21.04.25 René | |||
| 26-27.04.25 | Filip | ||||
| 03-04.05.25 | Florina | 01.05.25 Sophie | |||
| 10-11.05.25 | Georgiy | ||||
| 17-18.05.25 | Stavros (swap with David (swap with Giulia)) | ||||
| 24-25.05.25 | Matt | 29.05.25 Giulia | |||
| 31-01.06.25 | Sophie | ||||
| 07-08.06.25 | Stavros | 09.06.25 Verena | |||
| 14-15.06.25 | LSF- Réne | ||||
| new round | |||||
| 21-22.06.25 | LSF- Verena (swap with David 25-26.10.25) | 19.06.25 Giulia | |||
| 28-29.06.25 | Florina (swap with Filip) | ||||
| 05-06.07.25 | Filip (swap with Florina) | ||||
| 12-13.07.25 | Giulia (swap with Georgiy) | ||||
| 19-20.07.25 | Georgiy (swap with Giulia) | ||||
| 26-27.07.25 | Matt | ||||
| 02-03.08.25 | Sophie | ||||
| 09-10.08.25 | Alexander (swap with David Nov. (swap with Stavros) | ||||
| 16-17.08.25 | LSF- Jula | 15.08.25 Verena | |||
| new round | |||||
| 23-24.08.25 | Alexander | ||||
| 30-31.08.25 | Giulia (swap with David) | ||||
| 06-07.09.25 | Filip | ||||
| 13-14.09.25 | Giulia (swap with Florina 10.01.26)) | ||||
| 20-21.09.25 | Verena | ||||
| 27-28.09.25 | Sophie (swap with Giulia) | ||||
| 04-05.10.25 | Matt | ||||
| 11-12.10.25 | David (swap with Giulia (swap with Sophie)) | ||||
| 18-19.10.25 | Stavros | ||||
| 25-26.10.25 | David (swap with LSF- Verena) | ||||
| new round | |||||
| 01-02.11.25 | David (swap with Alexander Aug.) | ||||
| 08-09.11.25 | David | ||||
| 15-16.11.25 | Florina (swap with Filip) | ||||
| 22-23.11.25 | David (swap with Filip (swap with Florina)) | ||||
| new round | |||||
| 29-30.11.25 | Alexander | ||||
| 06-07.12.25 | Filip (swap with David) | 08.12- Filip | |||
| 13-14.12.25 | Filip | ||||
| XMAS DUTY LIST | |||||
| 20-21.12.25 | Sophie | 24.12.25 Jula | 25.12.25 René | 26.12.25 René | |
| 27-28.12.25 | Verena | 31.12.25 Andy | 01.01.26 Andy | ||
| 03-04.01.26 | Filip | ||||
| 10-11.01.26 | Matt swap with (Florina (swap with Giulia Sept.25) | 06.01.26 Stavros | |||
| 17-18.01.26 | Florina (swap with Matt) | ||||
| 24-25.01.26 | Sophie | ||||
| 31-01.02.26 | Stavros | ||||
| 07-08.02.26 | Verena | ||||
| new round | |||||
| 14-15.02.26 | Alexander | ||||
| 21-22.02.26 | David | ||||
| 28.-1.03.26 | Filip | ||||
| 07-08.03.26 | Andy | ||||
| 14-15.03.26 | Florina | ||||
| 21-22.03.26 | Giulia | ||||
| 28-29.03.26 | Matt | ||||
| 04-05.04.26 | Sophie | 06.04.2026 - free | |||
| 11-12.04.26 | Stavros | ||||
| new round | |||||
| 18-19.04.26 | Alexander | ||||
| 25-26.04.26 | David | 01.05.2026 - free | |||
| 02-03.05.26 | Filip | ||||
| 09-10.05.26 | Florina | 14.05.2026 - free | |||
| 16-17.05.26 | Giulia | ||||
| 23-24.05.26 | Simone | 25.05.2026 - free | |||
| 30-31.05.26 | Matt | 04.06.2026 - free | |||
| 06-07.06.26 | Sophie | ||||
| 13-14.06.26 | Stavros | ||||
| new round | |||||
| 20-21.06.26 | Alexander |
Frog Duty Weekend:
It is mandatory to use gloves and overshoes! If you have to take out frogs use one net per tank. Please update the database, if you see sick or dead animals!
Emergency Phone Numbers:
On Call Duty: 0664/ 88 32 6518
Verena: 0664/ 88 32 6128
To Does:
- Water vales: Check water values and write down the value in the document:
- Conductivity: target value 900 µS/cm
- pH: target value 7.2 -8.8
- Temperature: 18°C
For the case that the values are not in the range, please contact the Aquatic – Team
- Health check: Take out each frog drawer and do a visual control, if needed take the flashlight.
- Are all animals alive?
- Yes: Perfect!
- No: take the dead animal with a net out of the tank, put the frog in a plastic bag and place the dead body in the freezer.
- Do the animals have obvious injuries?
- Yes: take out the injured frog and place it in a separate tank- label the tank new tank with the tank number of origin and inform the Aquatic Team.
- No: Perfect!
- Are all animals alive?
- Check the control panel of the frog facility. Are there any alarms?
- Yes: contact the Aquatic Team
- No: Perfect!
- Check if the tanks have a sufficient water supply