Feeding (and plants)

[reptileszz]

Hi all, how do you get your frogs to eat Reptomin? I have been feeding the sinking pellets by xenopus express but they are super tiny and he (the great unnamed ACF) eats a few of them but not a ton. A lot of them swirl around at the bottom until I vacuum them out. Should I just put the reptomin in and nothing else for a couple of days? He is super active and going to the top a lot. One would think he would go after one at some point. I even put a couple of floating cichlid pellets in there to see if he wanted them but nope.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,
Carole

PS I was out of town for 6 days and my two moneywort plants were almost completely dead/rotting when I got home. It was cooler in here than usual and there is no tank heater. Would that do it? It might have dropped to like 68 degrees for a time. Frog seems ok but those plants were nasty and are now gone.

[Jenste]

I doubt a few days of 68*F would do it. Trim back the dead section of the plants and see if it bounces back.

Fast for a few days then add in a few of the Reptomin. If he ignores them fast two more days then try again. Repeat until he eats. I would forgo any "treats" for at least a month after he starts eating the Reptomin so that you don't have to get him to eat properly again.

[reptileszz]

I doubt a few days of 68*F would do it. Trim back the dead section of the plants and see if it bounces back.

Fast for a few days then add in a few of the Reptomin. If he ignores them fast two more days then try again. Repeat until he eats. I would forgo any "treats" for at least a month after he starts eating the Reptomin so that you don't have to get him to eat properly again.

Thanks, the plants were shot except for the top inch. I chucked them yesterday as they were so gross. The wisteria is fine and looks like it is reproducing. Will try the tough love routine with the frog. He is seriously active. Up and down all the time today.

Thanks!
Carole

[rodsboys]

Tough love is the way to go. I find young males to be a PITA when it comes to eating at first. It's like they're super models!
But seriously less frequent feedings, less variety, less food per feeding helps a ton. Be glad there is not a greedy female in with him, she could be working to eat him.

[mpmistr]

I have a method for feeding these frogs reptomin effectively. I will admit it's strange.

Anywho this is how I feed my frogs reptomin. I mix it with PE Mysis Shrimp (PE is the brand, feel free to substitute but PE is considered the best quality). Mysis shrimp are small crustaceans, pretty much freshwater brine shrimp.

I take a tiny bowl that I do not use soap on and put the frozen cube of mysis shrimp in it, add some tank water and let it thaw. I drain most of the water out, then add some reptomin and let it get a little soggy. I then just squeeze it into a clump and hand feed it to my frogs. They go pretty crazy for it. The mysis gives the reptomin a really appealing smell to them and all things considered mysis shrimp is pretty good food for a growing small frog.

I still use the same method today even though my frogs are quite large, I just make bigger reptomin clumps. My frogs are terrible at eating reptomin by itself, they have a lot of trouble finding it I never just drop pellets in. It just creates too much of a mess.

Any mysis left over I just feed to my fish, who also love the stuff.

P.S. Your plants probably need more light, 68F is fine for the frog and the vast majority of plants. You may want to try Java Fern and Anubias if your light is inadequate to grow other plants. It's that or upgrade the lights.

[reptileszz]

P.S. Your plants probably need more light, 68F is fine for the frog and the vast majority of plants. You may want to try Java Fern and Anubias if your light is inadequate to grow other plants. It's that or upgrade the lights.

Hmmm, I did put the light on a timer and it wasnt on as much as when I am home. I bet that did it.

Thanks,
Carole

[reptileszz]

Where do I get mysis shrimp? Is it in the freezer at Petsmart by any chance?

Carole