Feeding african clawed frogs earthworms

[mpmistr]

Earthworms are fine. I would wager they're close to 90% nutritionally complete enough to be considered a staple diet if fed exclusively. I feed my xenopus a lot of earthworms it makes up at least 70% of my frogs diet and I would say my frogs are very healthy.

I get my earthworm a from bait shops or Walmart bit if you can get some online that works too just store them in a cool place that stays under 70F.

You may need to cut the worms if your frogs are small but they can eat nightcrawlers whole before too long. Stay away from red rigglers or red worms get nightcrawlers which are bigger because red works are toxic or at the very least excrete mucus that frogs find distasteful.

I would keep trying to get your frogs to eat reptomin because its a good food to have just in case you don't have works and I think it helps round the diet out a not too. My frogs eat nothing but nightcrawlers and reptomin.

[Jenste]

Also, sometimes you can introduce too much variety into the tank and spoil them. If earthworms become too expensive/out of season, you can make them adjust to Reptomin.
Fast them for a few days (even a week and it won't effect them negatively) and put a few Reptomin in. Remember to do a small feeding at first so that they are eager for it and don't over eat after fasting.

If they don't except it, fast again another few days and try again. Be vigilant. They are like kids...why eat the broccoli when they know dessert is coming?

Once they are eating well on Reptomin you can use Earthworms 1-2x a week as treats. Do not use wild caught earthworms due to exposure to parasites and potential chemicals/plant and lawn treatments. Use bait worms as suggested above or order online and grow your own colony.

[mpmistr]

I actually picked up some nice pesticide free dirt today for my own earthworm colony.. I'm going to try keeping them in my fridge in a critter keeper.

It took me a while to get my frogs to eat reptomin too, I didn't feed them for days at a time and eventually they accepted it. I shake the bottle in front of the tank now and they start their little 'feed me' dance so just have patience and let them get hungry enough to accept it, once they start eating it, they'll be hooked.

[Gemma]

Thanks for the advice. I had planned to buy lob worms (which I think are nightcrawlers?) online, but then I ended up buying dendrobaena worms instead because the smallest are only 3cm long. I think these will be a better size for my frogs, and you get more for your money. If my frogs like them, I'll look into growing my own colony. These are OK for ACFs, aren't they? I know they're good for other amphibians and for axolotls.

I'll definitely keep trying the reptomin. I tried to feed it to them again today and they just spat it straight back out again. They really are like kids! Hopefully fasting them will work. I'll give that a go.

I shake the bottle in front of the tank now and they start their little 'feed me' dance so just have patience and let them get hungry enough to accept it, once they start eating it, they'll be hooked.

Ah, I love their 'feed me' dance!

Thanks again.

[mpmistr]

I'm not really sure what lob or dendrobaena worms are, I think they are european nightcrawlers? They use the term red wriggler (smaller, somewhat toxic red earthworms) and canadian nightcrawler (the ones I use, bigger worms) here in the states. I imagine they'll do just fine. If they're good for axolotls, I doubt a clawed frog would turn their nose up at it, there is very little they won't eat.