Fifteen minute feeding rule?

[nlopez]

Hello, guys! I looked around for a while but couldn't find one particular answer to this. I have seen a few places that you should feed a pacman however much he/she can eat in 15 minutes. Is this only when feeding every few days? I had previously given my pacman more than two crickets in a day, but he would only eat two per day, so I started giving him only two so that the others wouldn't hang out in the tank and bite him. However, he obviously eats them much quicker than in 15 minutes, and I am feeding him two crickets daily. Today, since I had not fed him for a few days while waiting for him to poop, he ate four crickets in just a few minutes. Should I have given him more if he kept eating? Should I give him as much as he can eat in 15 minutes daily, or every few days? Or is sticking to these two crickets per day a better schedule since I have established that as the amount he will DEFINITELY finish per day? I am unsure how old he is, but he was being fed daily at the pet store so I stuck with that schedule so far, and he seems to be eating regularly as well. Thanks in advance for the advice!

[GrifTheGreat]

I don't use the rule, but I feed them what they want and will eat. If they eat a large meal then skip a day or 2 then feed again. It is easier to keep track of how much they eat with a schedule like the 15 minute rule. I know how much they eat when I feed them and don't have trouble keeping track. It doesn't hurt if he eats his usual 2 and you offer him a couple more. When he has a growth spurt he will eat more and need to because during these periods of growth is when they need the most nutrition. Be sure you dust with calcium dust every other feeding and once a week with a multivitamin. You'll need calcium with vitamin D3 so they can properly metabolize the calcium.

[nlopez]

Thanks for the info. I had fed him four because, as you know, I had skipped a few days due to his constipation. I will likely go back to the two per day either tomorrow or the next day. I do dust with Ca+D3 twice per week (I did it the first time this week with today's larger feeding), but I was told I didn't need to dust with an additional multivitamin powder if I am feeding those vitamins to the feeder crickets to "gutload" them- is this true? The feeder crickets are currently eating Fluker's Orange Cubes (food, water, and vitamins), usually for at least 24 hrs before being fed to my froggie.

[GrifTheGreat]

Thanks for the info. I had fed him four because, as you know, I had skipped a few days due to his constipation. I will likely go back to the two per day either tomorrow or the next day. I do dust with Ca+D3 twice per week (I did it the first time this week with today's larger feeding), but I was told I didn't need to dust with an additional multivitamin powder if I am feeding those vitamins to the feeder crickets to "gutload" them- is this true? The feeder crickets are currently eating Fluker's Orange Cubes (food, water, and vitamins), usually for at least 24 hrs before being fed to my froggie.

They don't always get as gut loaded as you might think so as a precaution most of us frog owners(not just Pacman owners) will dust with a multivitamine once a week to make sure they are getting the vitamines they need. It would be wise to d the same so your frog doesn't come down with a vitamine deficiency. I used those cubes before they seem to go bad before the crickets eat them. I use the high calcium cricket diet and high calcium cricket quenchen gel. They seem to work well and since they are what most pet stores use the crickets munch away at them. The orange slices are fine though.

[Heatheranne]

I do not use the 15 minute rule anymore either. Tank will eat til he's bloated if I do. I watch him very closely. Currently as I feed him he passes feces every 3 days. And he soaks nightly, sometimes only a few minutes, sometimes longer.

Tank currently eats nightly. He is just over 4" now. He eats about 6 crickets a night. Sometimes I'll give him a few extra if he's looking for more. Basically, if his belly looks nicely full after his 6, I'll stop there. If he looks a little empty, I'll give him a couple more. He can eat a lot more and will if I let him and has become bloated twice in the past, having to give him extra soaks so he would expel his feces. But, that is Tank's personality. He is an eating machine, lol! Many will stop when full . If I give him dubias, I give him two medium nymphs. I dust with flukers calcium/vita D3 every other feeding and herp multivitamin powder every Sunday. It works very well. And he is a nice solid healthy pac .

It has worked so well I do it for my little pac as well. She is about 21/2" and eats 3 medium-large crickets a night . I have trained her to soak nightly also. Every night after dinner .

Just thought I'd share .

[Heatheranne]

Oh, I feed my crickets flukers orange water gel and the flukers powdered cricket food. Sometimes an occasional slice of fruit left from cutting up food for my dubias .

[En333]

I've tried the orange stuff. They all died 0.o no clue why but we give em different stuff now... I do dust them though

[Killer Kyle 41]

ive tried the orange water gel too and all of the crickets died as well

[nlopez]

Wow, really? I'm glad none of mine have died then. I have been feeding these remaining crickets the orange cubes for about a week now, but I think I'll look into dusting with a weekly vitamin as well (since obviously some have more time to eat the orange cubes than others, depending on who is lucky and fed to my froggie first). Can't have my baby getting a deficiency.

How do you guys measure your frogs? He has definitely grown since I got him. Also today, he looks pretty full, but instead of the other night where he looked inflated (because he was constipated), he looks rounded, like he is getting larger instead.

I had only been feeding him two crickets per night since he had previously left food jumping around his tank when I fed him more, but last night ate four no problem. I suppose I will try three tonight and if he continues to eat three I will increase his intake, since it appears he has gotten larger. I would estimate he is the size of Heatheranne's smaller pacman, but that is just by looking at him and not actually measuring.

And Heatheranne, how do you mean you trained them to soak?! I would LOVE to know! haha My little nugget hardly ever gets in his soaking dish, mostly only when prompted- since I've had him, he has pooped once or twice on his own, and once with my forcing him to soak because he was constipated. I'd love it if he knew when to soak and could poop on a regular schedule so he does not get constipated again.

[GrifTheGreat]

Wow, really? I'm glad none of mine have died then. I have been feeding these remaining crickets the orange cubes for about a week now, but I think I'll look into dusting with a weekly vitamin as well (since obviously some have more time to eat the orange cubes than others, depending on who is lucky and fed to my froggie first). Can't have my baby getting a deficiency.

How do you guys measure your frogs? He has definitely grown since I got him. Also today, he looks pretty full, but instead of the other night where he looked inflated (because he was constipated), he looks rounded, like he is getting larger instead.

I had only been feeding him two crickets per night since he had previously left food jumping around his tank when I fed him more, but last night ate four no problem. I suppose I will try three tonight and if he continues to eat three I will increase his intake, since it appears he has gotten larger. I would estimate he is the size of Heatheranne's smaller pacman, but that is just by looking at him and not actually measuring.

And Heatheranne, how do you mean you trained them to soak?! I would LOVE to know! haha My little nugget hardly ever gets in his soaking dish, mostly only when prompted- since I've had him, he has pooped once or twice on his own, and once with my forcing him to soak because he was constipated. I'd love it if he knew when to soak and could poop on a regular schedule so he does not get constipated again.

Most of the time if you get healthy crickets they don't die. Some of these frogs don't use their water dishes at all unless the owner places them in there. Some will occationally and others use it like clockwork. It just depends on the personality of your frog. They won't dehydrate though as long as you keep the soil moist and humidity up. Soaking them yourself once a week is fine as well. Heather is very good with her frogs so I'm not surprised she can train them to use their water dish. mine talk to me so I guess it also depends on how gentle and good you are with them.

[Mentat]

I've read about the 15 min. rule but do not time my feedings (African Bullfrog & C. cranwelli). African Bullfrog eats all it wants in around 10 min.; Pacman is a little slower. Feed both daily until they were close to 3 in. mark; then went on every other day. Just moved the African Bullfrog into 2 off, 1 on schedule. African Bullfrog feeds well of tweezers, but Pacman misses and bites tweezers a lot, so now just release food in front of it.

C. cranwelli was being fed 2 crickets a day at Petsmart when I bought it around a month ago. Ate 2 and a night crawler 2nd night at home. Currently passed 3 in. and eats 5-6 crickets and 3-4 night crawlers per feeding. Like Heather; I dust Ca supplement every other feeding and multivitamins once during weekend.

Sometimes they just stop eating their food or kind of take their time to swallow the last worm blinking their eyes a few times... that's my signal to stop. It helps to learn about your individual frogs habits by keenly observing their behaviors and movements. Hope this info helps a bit; don't have much experience myself, but my frogs eat well and grow like weeds. Stilgar (African Bullfrog) went from 2 to 5 inches in 7 weeks and Pacman went from close to 2 in. to 3 in. in 3 weeks!

[Heatheranne]

Mine are very similar to Mentat's. I observed their behaviors closely also. They have their own little personalities.

Tank will not eat from tongs unless it's a dubia. Baby Chomper will eat from fingers, tongs, or if I just toss her crickets in. She is a clumsy hunter though so I mostly feed her. Tank is a very quick and accurate hunter. He always has been. He's fun to watch .

I measure mine with a plastic ruler card I got from a bank a while back. I just scoot them onto it. I'll post a picture.

Every night after they eat I'd scoot them into their water ponds. I change their water every night just before feeding them so it's nice and fresh and warm. I let them decide how long they'd like to stay in, unless they are bloated, and in that case I scoot them in a few times until they stay. I put the heat lamp right over that section of their homes and they'll usually stay in for a good 10 minutes or more . They seem to like it. I think it becomes a matter of habit and routine rather than actual training, but it works . Now they often get in by themselves.

Then I just let them be until their next feeding .

[nlopez]

Yea I have seen my froggie do that blinking thing to signal finishing eating, that is usually when I stop also. I never thought of routine being a type of training, but now that you explain it Heather, it makes complete sense. My (what I think is a) boy seems to not soak at all, but maybe he just needs some encouragement.

Thanks again for all the info guys. Being a new pacman mommy, this stuff really helps to hear how other owners take care of their froggies too!