Feeding and housing newly morphed ACFs

[Gemma]

As said above, once the body begins compressing from tadpole to frog shape and the tail is shrinking, stop feeding. Once the tail has been absorbed a full 24-36 hours you can start feeding your newly morphed froglet.

This is when you should introduce him to what will be the staple of it's diet - hold off on treats such as bloodworms so they don't become spoiled. They can be like children...too much dessert and they won't like their veggies!

Jen, I was wondering if you could help me please. On your website it says to feed newly morphed froglets 1-2 tadpole bites twice a day. My Zoo Med food still hasn't arrived because the snow is stopping the postman being able to get to my house, so I've been feeding the frogs chopped up reptomin instead. I'm not sure how big the tadpole bites are compared to the reptomin sticks though to know if I'm feeding them enough. I've been giving each frog about a third of a stick of reptomin twice a day (every 12 hours). Should I be feeding them a bit more? They would probably eat more but I'm scared of overfeeding them.



Also, general update: I have 4 froglets without tails now I also have one more froglet who will probably have no tail by tomorrow, and loads of the tadpoles have all 4 limbs and/or look like the frog/tadpole in the pictures at the top of this page, so I should have lots more little frogs by this time next week I can't believe how quickly they're morphing.

[Jenste]

I think you are feeding them just fine. It is so easy to worry about them, isn't it?

[Gemma]

I know, I never stop haha! Thank you

[Geoff]

I've been giving each frog about a third of a stick of reptomin twice a day (every 12 hours). Should I be feeding them a bit more? They would probably eat more but I'm scared of overfeeding them.

In my experience it's good practice to feed newly metamorphosed froglets as much as they will eat otherwise their growth rate will be slower. The bigger and stronger they are, the more resilient they are to potential health problems that weaker animals may succumb to.

[Gemma]

Thanks, Geoff. I might start feeding them a bit more then. It's hard to judge how much they will eat in one feeding session since they're not very good at finding their food. I'd go by the however much they will eat in a certain amount of time rule, but they spend more time searching for the food than they do eating! I always check back half an hour or so after I've fed them though and all of their food has always gone.

[Gemma]

Just showing off some of my baby frogs They're blurry because they were doing their excited little I've-got-food swim.