View Poll Results: Which should be the staple diet for Pacman frog

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13. You may not vote on this poll
  • Crickets

    3 23.08%
  • Mealworms

    0 0%
  • Dubia roaches

    2 15.38%
  • Nightcrawlers

    4 30.77%
  • Try them all

    4 30.77%
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Thread: Food thoughts for new frog

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  1. #1

    Default Food thoughts for new frog

    I'm getting a pacman frog tomorrow and i just want to clear up some thoughts about food to feed. Should nightcrawlers be their staple food, or should I also feed crickets, mealworms, or dubia roaches? Also, how often and how much at a time? Which ones would need to have calcium, vitamins, or none at all? Does age of the frog play a role in what type of food, amount and how often you would feed? And are nightcrawlers the same as earthworms or fishing worms? I've seen a lot of different opinions and I would like to see some more, Thanks!

  2. #2

    Default Re: Food thoughts for new frog

    No one has to respond, it's fine. I'll just cry

  3. #3
    100+ Post Member Bynny Ribbit's Avatar
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    Default Re: Food thoughts for new frog

    Quote Originally Posted by GourmetBanana View Post
    No one has to respond, it's fine. I'll just cry
    Lol, dry your tears! This forum is not always super active, so responses can take time.

    When it comes to feeding, variety is always best. However, I would cut mealworms out of the line-up completely. Their exoskeletons are simply too chitinous and may pose an impaction risk, especially to young frogs. Crickets are so-so depending on if you're "gut-loading" them or not; if you're feeding them a variety of vegetation and fruits before feeding them to your frogs, then the nutritional benefits can be passed onto your frog. If you go this route, be sure to look up what fruits and veggies are good choices and which are not.

    Nightcrawlers and Dubia roaches are probably the best choices to feed a Pacman. Both boast good nutritional value and are much easier to store than bouncy, smelly crickets.

    Nightcrawlers are the lazy man's choice of feeder because you can buy cups of them at Wal-Mart and then store them in the fridge. Nightcrawlers are different from earthworms, the latter being used interchangeably with Red Wigglers. Red Wigglers are unpopular as feeders since they taste bad to the frog to the point where it can put them off of worms for a long time. So, look specifically for Nightcrawlers that have not been dyed. Also check to make sure the worms are in good condition before buying! I always do because I've sometimes found those cups which have obviously been there too long and become "soupy".

    Dubia roaches require a little more effort, but can essentially be stored and treated the same as crickets. When fed the right stuff, they are apparently a dynamite feeder. I've heard of people forgoing a multivitamin supplement completely if they're gut-loading their roaches, but I would do a little more research to be sure it's safe to do so. However, be careful with roaches. Some people have developed allergic reactions to them, so if you go this route and notice you are having respiratory issues, be safe and choose another feeder.

    As for calcium supplementation, there's two kinds and it depends on the lighting provided to your frog:

    UVB Lighting provided: Calcium without vitamin D3
    UVB Lighting not provided: Calcium with vitamin D3

    With Pacman frogs, some wonder if it's worth the time to provide UVB lighting since they spend so much time under their substrate, so take that into consideration depending on what kind of setup you're going for.

    The amount of food and supplementation does need to be considered depending on the age. The rule of thumb is to feed more frequently and supplement more when they're young and then back off of both feeding and supplementing as they age. I have a rough schedule from my Horned Frogs book written by Philippe de Vosjoli:

    ∙ Froglets up to 2 inches: Feed every one to two days.
    ∙ Froglets 2 to 4 inches: Feed every two to three days.
    ∙ Adults 4 to 5 inches: Feed every seven to ten days.

    He advised to supplement at every feeding, but I think that's a little much for anything bigger than 2 inches. For small frogs, I lightly dusted calcium every other feeding and once a week dusted with a multivitamin. You don't want to mix the two in the same feeding because it's not digested as well. Also, don't be afraid of varying the feeding schedule to your liking; you can always feed an adult more often and just feed them a little less in each sitting. Just keep in mind this is a very sedentary animal and, if you notice it getting pretty fat, back off the food until it gets to a better weight.

    Frog Forum also has a great care article for Pacman frogs here. Probably could have saved myself a lot of time and pointed you in that direction, lol.

    But, I hope this was helpful!

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  5. #4

    Default Re: Food thoughts for new frog

    Quote Originally Posted by Bynny Ribbit View Post
    Lol, dry your tears! This forum is not always super active, so responses can take time.

    When it comes to feeding, variety is always best. However, I would cut mealworms out of the line-up completely. Their exoskeletons are simply too chitinous and may pose an impaction risk, especially to young frogs. Crickets are so-so depending on if you're "gut-loading" them or not; if you're feeding them a variety of vegetation and fruits before feeding them to your frogs, then the nutritional benefits can be passed onto your frog. If you go this route, be sure to look up what fruits and veggies are good choices and which are not.

    Nightcrawlers and Dubia roaches are probably the best choices to feed a Pacman. Both boast good nutritional value and are much easier to store than bouncy, smelly crickets.

    Nightcrawlers are the lazy man's choice of feeder because you can buy cups of them at Wal-Mart and then store them in the fridge. Nightcrawlers are different from earthworms, the latter being used interchangeably with Red Wigglers. Red Wigglers are unpopular as feeders since they taste bad to the frog to the point where it can put them off of worms for a long time. So, look specifically for Nightcrawlers that have not been dyed. Also check to make sure the worms are in good condition before buying! I always do because I've sometimes found those cups which have obviously been there too long and become "soupy".

    Dubia roaches require a little more effort, but can essentially be stored and treated the same as crickets. When fed the right stuff, they are apparently a dynamite feeder. I've heard of people forgoing a multivitamin supplement completely if they're gut-loading their roaches, but I would do a little more research to be sure it's safe to do so. However, be careful with roaches. Some people have developed allergic reactions to them, so if you go this route and notice you are having respiratory issues, be safe and choose another feeder.

    As for calcium supplementation, there's two kinds and it depends on the lighting provided to your frog:

    UVB Lighting provided: Calcium without vitamin D3
    UVB Lighting not provided: Calcium with vitamin D3

    With Pacman frogs, some wonder if it's worth the time to provide UVB lighting since they spend so much time under their substrate, so take that into consideration depending on what kind of setup you're going for.

    The amount of food and supplementation does need to be considered depending on the age. The rule of thumb is to feed more frequently and supplement more when they're young and then back off of both feeding and supplementing as they age. I have a rough schedule from my Horned Frogs book written by Philippe de Vosjoli:

    ∙ Froglets up to 2 inches: Feed every one to two days.
    ∙ Froglets 2 to 4 inches: Feed every two to three days.
    ∙ Adults 4 to 5 inches: Feed every seven to ten days.

    He advised to supplement at every feeding, but I think that's a little much for anything bigger than 2 inches. For small frogs, I lightly dusted calcium every other feeding and once a week dusted with a multivitamin. You don't want to mix the two in the same feeding because it's not digested as well. Also, don't be afraid of varying the feeding schedule to your liking; you can always feed an adult more often and just feed them a little less in each sitting. Just keep in mind this is a very sedentary animal and, if you notice it getting pretty fat, back off the food until it gets to a better weight.

    Frog Forum also has a great care article for Pacman frogs here. Probably could have saved myself a lot of time and pointed you in that direction, lol.

    But, I hope this was helpful!
    Thank you so much for this info!

  6. #5
    Junior Member Fat Frog's Avatar
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    Default Re: Food thoughts for new frog

    A staple diet of crickets is fine,I gut load all my feeder insects so they get more goodness from their bugs. I shake and bake (not really bake) the insects around every 3rd feeding with calcium and a mineral vitamin suppliment.

    When they get bigger I offer worms such as red wigglers which are the smaller worms. my budgetts eat the largest night crawlers I can get.

  7. #6
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    Default Re: Food thoughts for new frog

    i feed mainly night crawlers, hornworms and a vet recommended a treat of mollies or guppies once a month. they are live bearing fish.

  8. #7
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    Default Re: Food thoughts for new frog

    I feed primary dubia and crickets with the occasional earthworm for a treat. Dust the crickets and roaches with vitamins. Not sure about earthworms, I’ve never dusted them. I feed with tongs one at a time to insure everyone gets eaten and nothing escapes and hides in the enclosure. I feed 3 times per week, and as much as the frogs will eat. I might be over feeding but I like my frogs fat and happy.

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