Feeding/Dusting schedule question

[Gentlemangorath]

So I'm not entirely new to frogs, but I'm hardly an expert, and I feel like I've lost the understanding of when to dust crickets and with what. I had normally been under the impression that crickets should be dusted with vitamin once a week, and then calcium during other feedings. What has confused me is that someone on this forum said that calcium dusting should be done every other feeding to prevent overdose, which doesn't entirely make sense if I basically feed my little guys three times a week (every other day, calcium, vitamin, calcium. it would become vitamin, calcium, no dusting or something like that). So my question is, would that statement the poster made have applied to if it was a daily feeding schedule? As in, if you feed your frog every day, only dust with calcium every other day? If that were the case, that makes total sense and I've just become confused :P.

Also, side question about expiration dates of calcium powder (which I hope can still be asked here); I read that vitamins/calcium tend to expire about a month (?) after opening, and I've had my Calcium powder for almost a year now. The expiration date on the container says 4/15, but that seems way longer than what I had read the effective date of the supplements are. So, should I replace my calcium powder or is it still ok for use?

[Mentat]

Hello Abraham! Not an expert either; but dust food with CA 2X and multi-vitamin 1X a week for daily feeders (skip Sunday). Sometimes I miss a dusting; usually I don't . It's not what everyone does and it's not meant to be the rule; it's what works for me .

So what happens if you feed every other day or once a week? You interpolate, adapt, follow your Heart, and most of all, observe your frogs . Obviously this info is no good if frog keeper is compulsive about their frogs and a strict keeper of schedules .

So let's say you feed 3X a week... dust CA, skip, no dust, skip, dust vitamin, skip, skip (or something like that). Once a week... dust CA, dust vitamin, no dust, dust CA, etc. Important thing is not to mix CA dusting with vitamin dusting, because it may affect CA absortion.

I keep opened supplements in their tightly closed original containers on refrigerator and I'm pretty sure product is good past their expiration date. Good luck!

[Heatheranne]

So I'm not entirely new to frogs, but I'm hardly an expert, and I feel like I've lost the understanding of when to dust crickets and with what. I had normally been under the impression that crickets should be dusted with vitamin once a week, and then calcium during other feedings. What has confused me is that someone on this forum said that calcium dusting should be done every other feeding to prevent overdose, which doesn't entirely make sense if I basically feed my little guys three times a week (every other day, calcium, vitamin, calcium. it would become vitamin, calcium, no dusting or something like that). So my question is, would that statement the poster made have applied to if it was a daily feeding schedule? As in, if you feed your frog every day, only dust with calcium every other day? If that were the case, that makes total sense and I've just become confused :P.

Also, side question about expiration dates of calcium powder (which I hope can still be asked here); I read that vitamins/calcium tend to expire about a month (?) after opening, and I've had my Calcium powder for almost a year now. The expiration date on the container says 4/15, but that seems way longer than what I had read the effective date of the supplements are. So, should I replace my calcium powder or is it still ok for use?

Yes, the every other day calcium is a schedule for daily feeders. Mvi is always once a week, unless you use Repashy which is formulated to be used daily.

For example, my retf's and darts eat daily
Monday - MVI
Tuesday - none
Wednesday - Ca++/D3
Thursday - none
Friday - Ca++/D3
Saturday - none
Sunday - Ca++/D3

My adult pacmans only eat every 2-3 days.
Monday - MVI
Tuesday - none
Wednesday or Thursday - Ca++/D3
Friday or Saturday - Ca++/D3
Sunday -none
...basically I give the mvi every Monday and the calcium/D with each other feeding. They get a little more calcium dust on their food because their dubias are bigger. Adult pacs will eat larger meals less often.

My American bullfrog eats every day to other day. It depends on his mood I guess. I dust his dubias 3x/week because of the potential loss of calcium if the dubias get wet since he is in an aquatic tank. Remember though that the calcium may remain in the water until the next water change if the dubias jump in. You don't want too much calcium afloat in the water either. I do weekly water changes and he is a big 5" male.

They are basic guidelines, but like mentat mentioned, a little common sense plays a role also.

What types of frogs do you have?

I follow the expiration dates when buying them and replace mine every 1-2 months. The mvi will expire faster than the calcium. If you are wasting lots of product, some brands sell them in smaller sizes.

[Gentlemangorath]

So I've been pretty much doing it right, but I need to refrigerate/replace my calcium and MVI. Thanks for the feedback. And I've got cute little Green Tree Frogs, H. cinerea, two males (I think).

[Heatheranne]

Awe

[guilletto]

when you say to dust crickets, how many crickets should i dust? because a milk frog eat too many, not?:S

[Heatheranne]

How big is your frog?

[guilletto]

How big is your frog?

five or six months (amazon milk frog). How many crickets per day and how many dusted?