Feeding problems

[ejh805]

This past week (3-4 days?), my frog has been on hunger strike. Unless I offer her "junk-food"...
She can't seem to catch crickets efficiently (even with back legs pinched off), and she WAS eating nightcrawlers, but has been turning her nose up to them.
The only thing I've been able to find that she downs with enthusiasm are super worms. I know they can cause impaction, so I'm hesitant when I feed them to her. But her bowel movements have been regular, so as of now I don't think there is any cause for alarm regarding that.

Is there anything I can do to make the super worms more nutritionally complete? Or any way I can make the night crawlers seem more enticing? When I cut them in halves or pieces they just stop moving and she completely ignores them. Whole, she shows more interest but they're huge compared to her.

Thank you

[Bruce]

This past week (3-4 days?), my frog has been on hunger strike. Unless I offer her "junk-food"...
She can't seem to catch crickets efficiently (even with back legs pinched off), and she WAS eating nightcrawlers, but has been turning her nose up to them.
The only thing I've been able to find that she downs with enthusiasm are super worms. I know they can cause impaction, so I'm hesitant when I feed them to her. But her bowel movements have been regular, so as of now I don't think there is any cause for alarm regarding that.

Is there anything I can do to make the super worms more nutritionally complete? Or any way I can make the night crawlers seem more enticing? When I cut them in halves or pieces they just stop moving and she completely ignores them. Whole, she shows more interest but they're huge compared to her.

Thank you

My adult female is the same way. Superworms aren't as much of a risk for impaction as mealworms, but you're right, the risk is still there. As for making them more nutritional, you could try gut loading them or dusting them with calcium and multivitamins.

If she's able to eat supers, she could probably eat a whole nightcrawler. If she's showing interest, I say let her go. Nightcrawlers have almost no risk of impaction. You can also try tong feeding or dusting the nightcrawlers...

Pics would help. Also, what is her enclosure like? Substrate, temps... Etc.

[ejh805]

How do you gutload super worms?
And I do dust every other one with either calcium or vitamins or calcium/d3. It gets alternated.


She can and has eaten whole night crawlers before, but has lost interest in them. She'll try to get them in her mouth about twice and then turns away.

Since I brought her home, it's come out that she's pretty darn shy, and I don't think she likes the tongs. When I dust the night crawlers, she spits it out and wipes the powder off her tongue.

I'll post pics when I get home.
As far as her enclosure, its a 40 gallon breeder 1/3rd water, 2/3rds land.
Substrate is eco earth, rehydrated brick coir stuff.
Temps stay between 77-83 during the day, and drop to mid-low 70s at night.
Humidity stays around 70-80 percent. Sometimes a little more or little less. I mist in the early morning and right after I turn her lights off at night.
Heat is supplied by a heat mat on the side of the tank and a light that I use to give her a day/night cycle. Her water area is unheated, and has a filter.
The entire backside and a bit more has large fake plants to provide cover.

Anything else?

[ejh805]

Here are those enclosure pictures you asked for.

[Maharg]

Why dont you try silkworms, or if he is big enough Hornworms? Most frogs find that to be the ultimate treat.

[ejh805]

Graham,

I'm trying to find something I can use as a staple.
And aren't silkworms and hormworms rather expensive?

[Maharg]

Graham,

I'm trying to find something I can use as a staple.
And aren't silkworms and hormworms rather expensive?

Yes, they are. But remember Pixies are massive. I dont know how food costs work out in Alabama but in Calgary nightcralwers and crickets are relatively expensive and you need to feed so many that it ends up costing a lot. My main staple for my large Rococo is Hornworms for this reason. I know some members may disagree but with massive frogs such as Pixies and my Rococo, crickets are pointless. And if you arent having luck with nightcrawlers id give it a shot. Hornworms are GIANT and end up being fairly filling for their price. Especially when a staple of mice isnt really an option.

[Pluke]

Have you tried Dubia roaches? They are big and gut loaded they will be quite nutrional. Supposedly they are easy to breed, too. I'd suggest hornworms but they're more of a treat because they can be expensive and grow extremely fast. I think your best bet might be roaches, I suggest buying $10 worth and giving them a test drive.

[ejh805]

That's definitely something to consider.
Here, nightcrawlers are about $2 and some change for a cup of 24. And crickets just depends on where you buy them from.
I'd have to have silkworms and hornworms shipped in which would be very expensive. And right now, my pixie is maybe the size of a 50 cent piece.
Once s/he gets bigger I may look into hornworms if s/he still isn't accepting night crawlers.

[ejh805]

Have you tried Dubia roaches? They are big and gut loaded they will be quite nutrional. Supposedly they are easy to breed, too. I'd suggest hornworms but they're more of a treat because they can be expensive and grow extremely fast. I think your best bet might be roaches, I suggest buying $10 worth and giving them a test drive.

I have a deathly fear of roaches. It could probably be labeled as a phobia... can't even look at pictures...

IF I could find a way to keep them without touching them or looking at them for too long I night be able to stomach it.

[Maharg]

That's definitely something to consider.
Here, nightcrawlers are about $2 and some change for a cup of 24. And crickets just depends on where you buy them from.
I'd have to have silkworms and hornworms shipped in which would be very expensive. And right now, my pixie is maybe the size of a 50 cent piece.
Once s/he gets bigger I may look into hornworms if s/he still isn't accepting night crawlers.

Definitely worth a shot. Especially when you consider that if you buy a cup of say 50 or 100 crickets for a feeding, about 20% will be dead right off the bat. Another up to 20% will find a way to bury or hide and die in the tank. Which sucks for your Frog and tank cleaning as well.

Pluke has a method he is using for breeding Hornworms in the feeders topic section. Ill be giving it a try. Maybe you can look into it too.

[Pluke]

Think of Dubia Roaches as Giant Roly Polys.. that's what they look like any way, just don't get any adults and you won't be bothered. They really aren't that bad. They can't fly, jump, or even climb the side of a plastic container. They're extremely defenseless and harmless. They don't really smell either, not as bad as crickets anyway.

There was another person on here who said that they had a fear of roaches, too. They ordered themselves some dubia anyway and over came that fear. You don't have to touch them, just use tongs. You say your frogs the size of a 50 cent piece.. I suggest getting some small-medium size roaches. You can usually find them priced at 100 for $10. Atleast at reptile shows. Definitely worth a try. EMBRACE YOUR FEAR, FOR THE GOOD OF YOUR FROG~!

[ejh805]

Think of Dubia Roaches as Giant Roly Polys.. that's what they look like any way, just don't get any adults and you won't be bothered.

I like roly polys.... maybe I can do this.

[Pluke]

Lol, that's the spirit! The only ones of the dubia's that don't look like giant roly polys are the adult males. They have wings, don't worry they can't fly or anything.. they will glide or flutter if falling though. You don't need adults anyway. Another thing I should have mentioned, they can be annoying when trying to feed them to your animal on eco earth.. these things like the burrow and will almost immediately burrow when placed on the eco earth, it's really frustrating, lol.

I imagine with a pyxie it won't be bothered if you move it to another container to feed.. my pacmans on the other hand, they don't like being moved before feeding. Needless to say, they rarely eat roaches. I have 100+ dubia's I'm just raising for the heck of it since the only thing that eats them in my tomatos and most of the roaches are too big for them. Rarely does one of my pacmans eat a roach.

[Maharg]

Roaches are something id definitely take advantage of if they were readily available in Canada. Ive heard that they are actually illegal here which makes sense cause ive only seen them once in the decade ive owned herps and arachnids. I actually bought the roach as a pet but had I known I would never see them again I would have bought them out and tried to breed.

Is there no worry of impaction with a staple of roaches?

[ejh805]

How could I house these terrors?
And is there anywhere in particular you'd recommend I purchase from? Gonna have to go the online route since I cannot find them locally.
My pixie gets stressed when I move her and may or may not eat. It's just chance. Could I put a shallow plastic feeding dish in the terrarium that they couldn't climb out of?

Also, I second Grahams impaction question.

[Maharg]

You may also want to try just not cutting the worms into pieces. Remember Pixies are evolved to be extremely tough and eat beastly amounts and sizes. I had the same problem with my baby Pacman so I tried giving the worms full and she ate them down with ease. There is no risk of choking in my opinion. The worm was probably 4 inches and the frog maybe an inch. They know what they are doing and how to handle the worm properly. They do it in nature just fine.

[Pluke]

I'm pretty sure that there is a very LOW risk of impaction with Dubia's. They have less chitin than crickets, mealworms and superworms. I've heard that Dubi Deli is a reliable source, they're just kind of expensive, maybe I'm just used to expo prices. Dubi Deli | Dubia Roaches I believe it is. Here is an add on faunaclassifieds that seems to have a better deal, I don't know how reliable they are though since I've never personally ordered from them, nor have I heard of them. Special 10% OFF Dubia Roaches Size 1/2" and Under Free Shipping - FaunaClassifieds Those are probably the size you'd want, too. 1/2" and under.

I second what Graham said, I don't cut my worms up anymore unless the frog is real small. You could always see if he gets a hold on a hole worm and if he seems to have trouble with it you can always pinch off the rest of the worm. I don't think it'll have trouble though.. as Maharg said, these things are built to consume.

EDIT: Yes, You can use the bowl trick with these roaches. They cannot climb real smooth plastic.

[ejh805]

Yeah, I quit trying to feed cut up worms.
The problem isn't so much the worms size, as the frogs general disinterest in them. I don't think they move enough and she wont eat from tongs.

I think I'll order from that ad and post how it goes.

[Wicked frogs]

Em that set up is friggin sick dude.