Hi everyone,

I am new to this forum. I am very experienced with reef and planted aquariums....not at all experienced with the husbandry of frogs and toads. I love amphibians though, and have been thinking about adding one to my home. I will definitely be doing more research before I actually acquire an animal, but I wanted to ask a few direct questions on here about something that is at the forefront of my thoughts and planning for this: diet. PLease give me some advice on feeding practices and what species might be good for me!

I have acquired a terrarium that has a capacity of several gallons. I have not planted it yet, so I could do a dryer or more tropical set up based on species. It will be a fairly low tech set-up. Room temperature (which for my house is normally low or mid 70's). I can mist it as much as needed. I do not plan to put any electrical components on it (lights, heaters, etc). I can place it an area with lots of light though, and it would not get below 70 degrees. I am looking for a smaller species. I'm also guessing I would need a species that is not very demanding. I would be open to a frog or toad. I would even consider a praying mantis if amphibians would not do well in this setup.

For feeding, I have to be honest, I want nothing to do with crickets. I am scared of them. I kept some smaller lizards and snakes when I was younger...I would find crickets in random places, including on my nose in the middle of the night. lol I don't really want to deal with them at this stage in my life. I also don't want to have roaches in the house. I have read on this forum about the dangers of feeding mealworms. I could do wingless fruit flies (my fish would love them as well). Are there any other recommended foods? I was also wondering about supplementing with dried insects (I could create movement with tongs) Any type of worms I am fine with too.

So please give me advice for what my feeding options might be and what sorts of species could do well in that sort of setup. I just want some life in my terrarium, and I love frogs and toads. I know that I am a total newb with these guys. I am not going to run out and get an animal, but I wanted some advice on what to start looking. Are toads easier to feed if one needs to do a non-cricket diet? I know that they will consume earthworms and hard shelled bugs. I love the poison dart frogs, but I believe most of them need more specialized housing. Maybe there is a small tree frog that would fit the bill? Please help. I am completely open to suggestions. Thank you

Christina