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Fire Belly Toads: Food options other than crickets

emly Dec 18, 2004 08:37 PM

Feeding crickets to my toads can be a real hassle, especially since they stoped accepting dead crickets from me (they used to eat them if I wiggled the dead cricket around a bit). I was wondering if mealworms are a good substitution for them? Will any dietary issues arise from this? I was thinking I could just leave a dish sunken into the gravel with a few mealworms inside for the toads to eat as they please.

I'm not very knowlegable on that type of food so please give me any information on how to care for mealworms. thanks.

Replies (4)

Buddy25 Dec 19, 2004 06:50 PM

First of all, if your feeding dead crickets that have actually died in your care. Don't feed it... they died for a reason and they shouldn't be fed to your fbt. Can-o-crickets is another story, but alive crickets is the healthiest and most nutrtional way to go opposed to dead.

Mealworms aren't exactly a great option for your firebellied toad because of their hard exoskeletons, that may block your lil froggies system causing him to become impacted. If your going to feed any mealworms, feed FRESHLY molted.

Other food options include; silkworms, earthworms, waxworms(should be a treat), guppies, etc.
-----
Steven ,

and flock;
-1.1 Cockatiels(Buddy and Jake)
-1.1 Budgies(Chipy and Peaches)
-1.0 Orange cheeked waxbill

And slime/scales;
-1.0 Firebellied toad
-1.0 Japanese firebellied newt
-1.0 Leopard gecko
-4 leopard frog tadpoles

Fish, feeders and other wriggly things!

emly Dec 19, 2004 11:10 PM

No, I don't feed them dead crickets found in the tank. I gut load the crickets and then freeze them and then unthaw them just before I feed them to my toads.

Is the nutritional content in those alternatives you mentioned good enough to be used as a substitute to crickets, or in other words, the staple food for my toads?

Buddy25 Dec 20, 2004 07:59 AM

Hey there,
the only insect of the list I would recommend as a staple diet would be the silkworms. Silkworms are superior to any feeder insect in nutritional value. If you can afford them, or can find a supplier, your on your way towards a healthy and happy toad!

-----
Steven ,

and flock;
-1.1 Cockatiels(Buddy and Jake)
-1.1 Budgies(Chipy and Peaches)
-1.0 Orange cheeked waxbill

And slime/scales;
-1.0 Firebellied toad
-1.0 Japanese firebellied newt
-1.0 Leopard gecko
-4 leopard frog tadpoles

Fish, feeders and other wriggly things!

Fleck Dec 25, 2004 09:40 AM

Have you thought about buying a small tank or simply a large plastic container with lid and holes to keep the crickets in?
I keep geckos tho looking into toads and find simply keeping live crickets in something with a lid some paper and wet towels carrot slices,etc keeps them for weeks.
Roaches tho may sound gross are good to . this site is for roach care
http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/Roaches/
They sell feeder captive bred tiny roaches in many sites. Lol i know it sounds gross but these arent the dirty regular roaches.
Fleck

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