FB appetite, behavior, eco earth, health questions

[Hoppity100]

Okay, If I had time to read all posts I would. I decided to write hoping experienced FB owners would see my post. Here are my questions: Has anyone had their FB not eat for a few days due to possible fullness from last meal? Has anyone had a FB with nausea or impaction? I said nausea because I'd have that if I were impacted. And can FB's or are they supposed to eat only every 2-3 days? Mine want food every day. And, how in the world do they digest crickets? Does anyone have any tips for making wax worms and mealworms last longer besides being in butter shelf in fridge with potato? Wax worms I heard don't eat, mealworms I read like honey and oats.

And, does anyone have advice on how I can locate the cricket inside my car? And, another intelligent question: is a possum too large to feed to FB's? (laughing). Can FB's eat soft boiled chicken if offered correctly? Suppose we had bad weather or store was out of worms...in this case is there anything I can offer FB's in case of emergency? They are not fond of earthworms at all. The wax worms don't last long. The mealworms last a little longer. Their favorite food? Crickets.

If anyone has had a frog that was not interested in eating, probably had large meal day or so prior to me noticing, like part of an earthworm or extra mealworm, and otherwise is acting normal, does this mean no threat of impaction or obstruction? Thank you whoever reads this and writes with tips. OH, I forgot to ask if eco earth is okay if frogs get it in aquarium water? Mine have and it must be safe, otherwise I guess I'd have noticed by now. One last one: are all pet store FB's lime green with black slightly bumpy looking spots? I know, alot of questions. The pet stores don't always have an answer.

[MantisMan]

ok my toads can go several days or weeks without food when hibernating
you shouldnt feed mealworms as they cant digest them
waxworms as a treat, crix and roaches, as well as earthworms make great staple foods
be sure any land rocks or gravel are covered with spaghmum moss or peat moss
people have problems with eco earth, i recommend peat or spaghmum moss
color varies depending on genes, temperature, and surroundings

[Hoppity100]

Mine have not hibernated yet, what time during the year would they hibernate, winter? I would not leg my frogs go for even a week with no food. I did hear that mealworms were a problem, yet also heard its not true that they are hard to digest, I don't know yet what to think. And, if there's a problem with eco earth I have not heard what it is. Our stores don't sell the moss you mention, we must be limited here. Is eco earth the next best thing? Thanks

[Hoppity100]

I'll try typing again: when do FB's hibernate, winter? Mine have not yet. I did hear mealworms were a problem, yet also heard they are ok. Is there a problem with eco earth? Our stores don't sell moss, we are limited, eco earth was the best substitute I could find. My wax worms did not live long, I did get earthworms and crickets. I would never let my frogs go a week without food, I don't see how they could survive well not eating more than once a week or longer? Do you own FB's?

[MantisMan]

i own and breed firebellies
the pet store doesnt supply hydratable bricks of substrate?
u can probably find it on amazon, i got 30 castor beans for a penny the other day!!
if u decrease daylight, fill them with waxworms, and put them in 55-58 degree cold, they can go up to 2 months without food

[Hoppity100]

I already have the bricks of eco earth that you add water to, I let it dry and its a tiny bit damp, mine seem to be okay with it. Where do people buy the moss for frogs? We have pet supplies plus, petsmart, and petco. The box stores don't sell it, so I used eco earth thinking it was the next best substrate. I had sand before but it really made cleaning the tank alot harder. I am looking for a flat tray to fit in my aquarium so I can make land bigger. I just hope my substrate is adequate since I can't find the moss.

[FriedrichsFrogs]

turning down food a day or two aftr feeding is odd behavior. Alex seems to have hit on the biggest issues already. Ill just add to stay clear of mealworms completely, their exoskeleton is problematic for fbts to digest and their size can also present problems as fbts only grow to be 1 or 2 inches. Small pebbles should be avoided to use in the tank because they could be swallowed. Continue to monitor your toads behavior

[MantisMan]

turning down food a day or two aftr feeding is odd behavior. Alex seems to have hit on the biggest issues already. Ill just add to stay clear of mealworms completely, their exoskeleton is problematic for fbts to digest and their size can also present problems as fbts only grow to be 1 or 2 inches. Small pebbles should be avoided to use in the tank because they could be swallowed. Continue to monitor your toads behavior

my biggest firebelly, moaper, is 2.5 inches
but anyways there r only a few reasons mine dont eat
1: hibernation
2: mid-late spawning season when they r actually spawning, females still eat a lot but dont be alarmed if males have a reduced appetite, eating isnt the first thing on their mind
3: they've just gorged themselves
4: they r sick or dead for some reason
5: 1-3 day old tadpoles, metamorphosizing toadlets, and baby toadlets often have reduced appetite for the first month because their tongues dont seem sticky enough to grip food

here r a few links u can look get substrate from:
Amazon.com: Zoo Med New Zealand Sphagnum Moss, .33 Pounds (150 grams): Pet Supplies
Amazon.com: Zoo Med Terrarium Moss 30 to 40 Gallons: Pet Supplies
if u use this stuff, make sure to remove the big wood chips from the surface layer so they cant injest or be stabbed by them:
Amazon.com: Hagen Exo Terra Coco Husk Terrarium Substrate, 7-Quart: Pet Supplies

more:
Amazon.com: Exo Terra Plantation Soil, 7.2-Quart: Pet Supplies
Amazon.com: Small Animal Supplies Green Terrarium Moss - Xl (30 To 40Gal): Pet Supplies

so these r just a few suggestions

[Hoppity100]

Oh, thanks for sending that, do you know if eco earth fiber substrate is safe if I can't get any moss for some reason? If its not safe, I just wondered why? Thanks I forgot to mention if eco earth is not safe, would this be from size and shape of substrate if frogs eat it by accident? That's all my store had, I'll have to use it till I get moss. I'd use sand but that makes tank really hard to clean and rinse.

[Hoppity100]

Oh, I read that sphagnum moss was too acidic, I don't have moss for mine, can't find any. Mine are very content, their water is 76 degrees, the male calls the female every night. I feed mine almost every day but alternate the amount. I can't imagine any animal going for weeks without food and not minding. If hibernating they can get by. Why do people say frogs can go without food for days or weeks without asking the frogs? They don't have a choice if they're not fed. Mine are fine! They practically clap their feet when they see food coming. LOL I tried earthworms and they weren't impressed. I then cut worms into pieces but they don't wiggle long after doing that. The worms are just too long. Mine love crickets.

[Hoppity100]

Have some questions: do eggs first appear as many small white dots that look like grains of sand? I looked at driftwood tonight and found all these white dots! The male calls the female every night. They get along real well. Yes, the male was not hungry recently, now I know why. LOL And isn't the husk substrate more risky than the fiber substrate?

[MantisMan]

sounds like shed skin
eggs are laid singly just under the water's surface
they r encased in a double membrane and are half black, half white spheres
trust me u will know when they spawn, mine do it all night and after each egg makes a stupid croaking sound

[Hoppity100]

Oh, I just looked at my driftwood, white dots are like sprinkled on it again. I don't think these are eggs but either from water or moisture. Tank is getting cleaned tomorrow, I will rinse wood now. White dots are not in the water, but thanks for describing what eggs look like. Like you said, I'll know when anything is spawning. Your stupid chirping sound is funny except mine do it at night and I for some reason, don't mind it. They don't chirp all night. Here's something: some people describe crickets and worms as stupid. I used to think so until I watched the crickets in the tank...they are on high alert. They're not as stupid as I thought. The worms must not have eyes, but they slither away not knowing they're right in front of a frog's mouth (laughing). The worms need glasses but if they don't have eyes they wouldn't wear glasses anyway LOL

[FrogFriend]

If you have a PetSmart in your home town, you should have moss. This is where I got my moss from. If your store doesn't carry it then you can either order from the website or the links that you were sent. As for eating, I know everyone says that FBTs eat ALL the time, but mine will get full and not hunt when they are done. I remove anything that is not eaten but I try to make sure I don't put more in there then what they can eat. Especially after putting the Calcium powder on, the crickets wont last long after that. As for not eating for extended periods of time and being ok with it, gotta remember that some animals, especially ones that hunt or hibernate, are built in a way that if the food is not there then they can go with out, or maybe they just can't catch anything that night...this is how the wild works. Now, me personally, I wouldn't push it with my toads. I feed them every 2-3 days. When I first got them they seemed like they had to eat ALL the time and whatever and however much was put in their tank was eaten. But they were younger, it was going into the Spring and who knows how often they were really fed at the places I got them from. I used to be very particular about feeding them. I had my tongs and ensured that each toad got at least one cricket. There were a couple of problems with this! 1) They started to get bad at hunting 2) They were getting a bit chubby and lazy and 3) I realized in the wild some toads are quicker to the food then others and this made the one that maybe didn't get as many more driven to hunt at the next feeding. I did however always ensure that if I hadn't seen one get any food in a couple of feedings that I would offer a cricket specifically to that one...and it was always this one in particular. His hunting abilities have gotten a LOT better and I don't have to worry so much anymore. Anyway, it's all a learning process. I wish I had known about this forum when I first got my toads, it would have helped! But I don't know everything and this is my first winter with them, so I am glad I am here now and can ask questions.

[Hoppity100]

Thanks for writing: my skinny frog came from the store like this, I just got 2 more FB's several days ago. I thought he needed to be in ICU with an IV. Because he is thin, I offer him more worms and he is eating them. My other FB's look chubby, and also their bodies are relaxed in their semi-humid environment and the first 2 look a little bigger. I know animals adapt to going without food under certain conditions (like weather or no food available). They have to adapt, they don't have a choice. Cracks me up when some owners go days without feeding them. What does that accomplish? Days are different than weeks. Yes a frog can go a few days without food, but not a few weeks like I read. Yes they might appear chubby from prolonged sitting, caused by boredom. But like you said, it is a learning process. Glad you are type of owner who pays attention. The cricket thing: I just add crickets to tank, keeping them separate worked for a while but those suckers escape. Now I have to determine how to get FB's to eat an earthworm. When I cut worm into pieces it does not wiggle long enough, so they don't go for it. I can see why they don't, the worm is too long! Frogs realize they have no way of biting a large worm. I will try dangling piece of earthworm to each frog.

Getting back to your toad: toads love mud. They love mud like I love pecan pie. They feel safe, maybe warm, they like moisture. Yes they can go a few days without food. Yes my frogs want to eat but not all the time. I have noticed they eat when they are hungry. I have offered a worm that was refused, frog didn't want it. Worm went back into container. They might eat because they don't know when their next meal is. They are in captivity and still have no way of knowing when they will see food next. So, as an owner, its good to watch their habits, you will see eventually when they like to eat. But the cricket thing, I solved that by putting crickets in the tank, they have so many places to go and they last longer. Hope all this helps. Sounds like you really care about your pet.