Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What's a good way to tell when I've fed my frogs enough? I've been feeding them once a day slowly over the course of an hour or so (while I'm in the herp room cleaning snake cages). They never seem to get tired of eating and will keep going unless I cut them off. Is there a rule of thumb for # of flies or anything? They all seem to be growing at a pretty good rate with what I'm doing now, but I don't want to over do it....

Also, on average, how many D. melanogaster cultures do you keep going for 4 frogs? I have 4 cultures going now & seem to throw out more flies than I use... lol... is it easier to keep less cultures of a larger fly (like D. hydei)?

A rule of thumb is to toss a buch of flies in during the day and let them go to town. The next day of you still see flies add less, if you don't see flies add more the next feeding. And tincs are a big frog that like little sized food so they will eat a lot of small flies.

The number of cultures is something you have to work out. It really depends on what frog you have and how big they are, and the size of culture you are using. It is better to have an extra culture going just in case one of the others doesn't produce or gets moldy.

Now hydei, take longer to reproduce, and you are more likely to lose a culture to mold because of this. I use both flies, but I don't care for the hydie all that much.

Darts need more than just flies too. I like using flies, springtails, pinheads, termites, lesser waxworms, and field sweepings when warm enough, but I am just getting OT now.

Benjamin
www.thechocohut.com

I'd say watch your frogs--if they appear to continue to actively feed, then keep feeding them. Conversely, if your frogs appear to be gaining too much weight and get that bloated look, back off on the extended feedings.