Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi - I had been researching darts for a few months and came across two healthy looking azureus for a great price at my local pet store. I really wanted to buy from a breeder but ...the situation seemed safe. Ran into another customer there who worked at the National Aquarium in Baltimore in the Dart exhibit (almost seemed fated)he took a peek at one for me and said that he looked like a very healthy male. The other was hiding and I am not sure of the sex. Pet store said the breeder only fed them fruitflies but the aquarium guy confirmed my research and said that they need more substantial and varied food. So I picked up some pinheads and vit. dust while I was there. They seem happy and come out to greet me for their mist in the morning and afternoon but I haven't seen them eat a thing in 2 weeks!!! Nothing- have seen fruit flies land right on their snout and they just flick them off. I think they may have eaten a few crickets or else they are hiding in the plants.Will dart frogs eat other insects if they have been raised on fruit flies? Going to set up a springtail culture and then later a termite culture but for the time being I am worried they dont seem like the voracious eaters I was expecting.... PLEASE any advice would be great. I have read that they fail very quickly....Thanks in advance for your time.
Eve S.

Eve,
The main thing I would do is keep an eye on them and watch for any weight loss. If you are feeding them heavily them may be eating throughout the entire day and not really hungry when you put the new flies in. Are there still flies in the tank from the day before? If so they are probably eating the entire day and not just when yoyu put them in the tank. The main thing is to monitor their weight. If you notice a loss then you should take more drastic measures.

Good luck,
TonyT

Thanks - I hadn't thought of that but that makes sense because there are flies left in the cage the next day. One of them seems to be maintaining his weight but the other seems thinner. His back more angular than when I got them- should I take him out and keep him in a sweaterbox or shoebox until I am certain that he is eating? I really appreciate your time- thanks so much.

Eve

Yes I would definately seperate the 2 of them. Keep a close eye on them ans good luck.
TonyT

The more angular one may be the male. I wouldn't separate them at this point, since they don't appear to be competing for food or fighting. Just make sure they have plenty of dusted food. You may not actually see them eat for awhile. Some individuals are more shy than others, although azureus aren't usually among the shy eaters, or particularly shy about being observed. While a food variety is nice, during winter all of mine are pretty much confined to eating fruit flies and spring tails, since cricket raising has not been among my talents and patience and these can't be shipped here during winter. They will also take rice flour larvae and field plankton in season. I don't think they get confined to just eating one thing. They seem to enjoy eating just about anything that moves that will fit into their mouths. I think the feeding instinct is about live movement, although the larger frogs like my adult leucomelas spit out their first soil centipede and never try them again. I think they learn what doesn't go down well, and don't repeat these mistakes, but still try about anything else.

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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus