thanks so much for replying! as soon as i scooped him up and interrupted his journey, i knew i had to do my best for him. he was healthy when i got him, so he needs to stay that way. problem was, no one i know has frogs at all, and info on his species is slim out there. i spent hours researching, but everything he does that doesn't fit makes me worry. i joined Frog Forum 2 days after i abducted him, but didn't post for fear i'd be chastised for the kidnapping and because he's not one of the popularly kept frogs or toads. nothing too exotic or exciting about him, but i find him enthralling. then i realized that ANY help over here is valuable. they might be different species with different needs, but more similarities than i'd find say, at a bird forum. plus, you all love frogs. right there is a good reason to share.

little man seems active and is waiting for food right now. as always. i read the original conversation quoted in that thread, and it was more like a forum fight between 2 fly larvae companies. one said that phoenix worms can sit on a shelf and get old and tough before they get fed off, and the phoenix worm people were all mad about that. then they admitted it happens, and suggest poking holes. truthfully, i ordered 2 cups of them recently and one was obviously older, as it had some black ones and even some that weren't moving. that's the one i've been feeding out of, even some of the black ones who were still wiggling. those may have been passed too without me noticing, dunno, but i doubt it. so i guess i can poke holes in the last survivors living in old cup, or freeze and toss the lot to start feeding out of new cup. i'm not giving up on phoenix worms just yet, cuz this was the 1st i've ever seen them as poo like that. they were most definitely dead, btw. it would be very creepy to realize that the ones i've been finding who've buried themselves in dirt were not escapees but actually poop. ew. PERHAPS, tho he doesn't necessarily need heat, it HAS been quite cold here the past few days, and altho his tank is comparatively warm, a temp drop may be affecting his digestion when not in a warm bath. tho not his appetite. happens with other bug eating critters.
i'm quickly running out of feeder dubia and my roach breeding won't produce for another few weeks. the only other thing i have is mealworms and if i'm worried about impaction that's the last thing i want to be using regularly, or at all... i swore off of crickets, but i'll probably go get 50 from petco. half the price of baby dubia, but twice as annoying. i've handled them before, i can do it again. and 50 is manageable. there, i talked or typed myself into a plan.

banjo has only pooped once right in the bowl, and only when i'd heated up some water for a soak. the rest of the time, i have to look for it. i WISH he went in the bowl like a cat in a litter box! but it's not that difficult to find; he makes a depression in the dirt and i've even watched him "go". digs a semi-hole like he's going to burrow then does his business. the worms i found were in such a depression (moreso if they'd been alive, i guess). since he's not quite grown up yet, i feel like i need to feed and dust his food with vitamin or calcium every day. i also give him snacks or 2nd meals sometimes, which has made him fat... he can stand an experiment for a day, i think.

i didn't know there was a difference either, between the 2 substrates! i just checked my package and it said "compressed coconut fiber expandable substrate" phew. i could've sworn i'd read that it was right for him, which is why i stocked up. i'll still do my best to make sure he's not eating it. gets hard cuz he enthusiastically climbs into food bowl to get at food sometimes. brings his dirt with him. ah well.

i'm definitely not going anywhere, and i'll be taking pics. most end up being through translucent plastic, but with focus on, all his glorious detail is visible. thanks so much for kind and helpful words.