Stubborn pacs and waxworms

[dpcsquid]

Hey everyone! First off, I've been here for about a week now and I want to say that the community and everyone in it has been great and very supportive! I hope that you guys can bear with a few more questions.

My frogs both came from Petsmarts, and I'm fairly sure that they were only being fed crickets. Reading up on the forum and care sheets, I saw that variety was recommended--so I went out and bought some waxworms. The forum said not to expect them to necessarily start eating them right away, because Pacs can be picky, and that if they don't eat, you can always withhold food for a while until they take the new food.

I have 2 Pacs: one that's almost 3 inches (I'm assuming older) and one that's just over an inch. The first day they refused to eat the waxies, but gobbled up their crickets. Okay. So I withheld food from them the next day, only offering the waxworms with tongs. No go. Today I was able to get the larger pac to eat a waxworm with tongs (but I think it was more attacking the tongs because it looked surprised when it got something in its mouth and refused to take more), while the baby took a few of the waxworms when he was put in a separate container with just him and a few worms (the larger one did not like this and kept trying to get out).

So I have a few questions: I know the time varies, but for some of you who have been through this before, how long does it tend for them to start eating new foods? And what's the maximum amount of time I should try this if the older one keeps refusing? In addition, how often/ how many waxworms should I be giving at a time? Do you guys feel like you have to tong-feed them, or do they eat them out of their tank, or do you isolate them? I'd love to hear what everyone else does!

Wish me luck!

[GrifTheGreat]

First off, wax worms are not a good staple diet. They are fatty and less nutrious and if fed in large quantities can cause impaction. Try nightcrawlers/earthworms; they are much more nutritious and you can cut chunk off to the appropriate size for each frog. (General rule of thumb is nothing bigger than the distance between the frog's eyes.)

A lot of diet and whether they will eat from tongs has to do with the individual frogs. I've had some that eat from tongs the first night and some that take a couple months to get used to them. The main reason for tong feeding is to reduce the amount of substrate that they injest. They each also have individual likes and dislikes of different foods. I prefer to diversify their diets as young as possible; it helps get them used to eating different foods and gives them a diverse diet which is healthier. You may have difficulty feeding other food items to an older frog who has been raised on one type of food only. Do not withhold food from your baby pacman to try to get him/her to eat other food. That is a crutial growth period and he/she needs all the nutrition they can get! Keep offering the worms, but if the frogs isn't interested give the crickets.

I will write more later, but my lunch break is over :-/ Just wanted to get a quick reply to you!

[IvoryReptiles]

Grif is correct. Waxworms should not be a staple diet, but a treat. Nightcrawlers/Earthworms are a good staple diet worm and are much more affordable too. The smaller frogs need to be offered food nightly. They may not eat nightly, but as Grif stated, this is a crucial growing point in life and they need to pack in all they can to grow strong & healthy. They are individuals, and will not always like the same foods everyone else's frogs like.
The older frogs may eat less than the younger ones, but it also depends on how much you are feeding nightly. Also feeding in the evening is better since they are nocturnal. There are many foods you can offer to give them a varied diet : crickets, earthworms, hornworms, dubia roaches, waxworms, Samurai Pacman Food.
If you have only a few frogs and feed them the Samurai food, it's convenient. It is cost efficient and is claimed to be a complete diet, so no need for supplements & calcium is needed when feeding it as a staple food.

[dpcsquid]

Thanks so much to both of you guys! I'll go out and get some nightcrawlers tomorrow. Hopefully they'll take to them well. The idea of chopping them up kinda...((shudder))...but anything for my frogs!