Feeding (and plants)

[rodsboys]

You can try to put him in a small container with food. I have done it in the past with these guys, dwarf frogs, newts, and sick turtles. One he is eating with gusto you can start feeding in his regular tank.

[Jenste]

Actually, this is the time to be tough.

Please try what I suggested and DON'T feed him for a few days. The way you are doing it now, he knows it is available pretty much all day every day so there is no rush to try this "new" weird food.

Do not put food in for a few days.

Also, how large is the reptomin compared to the frog? If too big you should be breaking the sticks or using the smaller ones.

Don't let the food sit there all day. Feed when you are around to monitor then take it out after 15 min or so of him not eating.

I have had to deal with many stubborn frogs and this has always worked for me - - fast a few days, try feeding a small amount, if he doesn't eat then fast a few more days and repeat. These frogs can go a few weeks with out food so 4 days is not really worrying yet.

If you give in now and offer him a ton of stuff again, you are going to have a harder time getting him to eat the sticks later.

[mpmistr]

Try this. It's my bamboo skewer and reptomin method.

It's quite simple, it works with adult and baby reptomin, though I think in your case the baby reptomin would work better (it clumps a bit better).

Here I am taking 4 adult sticks and wetting them in tank water so they clump, I then stick the clump on the end of the bamboo skewer ***NOT THE SHARP END***. Reptomin will usually 'stick' to the flat end of the skewer quite easily. (The baby ones stick better)



Okay now you have a nice clump o' reptomin on a stick. Now my frogs know what's up when I do this, they come to the surface. As you can see below my albino frog is pretty smart and the second I open the tank he's ready to pounce!!



It was too fast to take a picture of but let's just say a half of a second after this picture the reptomin was in said frogs belly and he was a happy camper.

Since your frog is still learning about the magical bamboo feeding stick, you can dip it in the water, move it around near him. Make it seem like prey, movement attracts them, let him see it, move it around in front of him.. he will take a bite. After a few times of this he'll learn that bamboo stick + reptomin = food!

Worked for me, hopefully it it works for you. Let me know if this helps.

[reptileszz]

I think Jen is right, now I have to buckle down and not cave in. It's hard tho. I want him to eat and get big. He is certainly not as fat as he was when I got him (pet store owner said he was feeding fish flakes but I have no idea how long this frog had even been there). He hasnt grown at all. If anything he looks smaller. Of all the frogs to not hop out of the tank, its the one that wont eat. Alvin and Norm were eating like champs. This one is afraid of everything. He freaks out when the tweezers get near him half the time. If I can get the reptomin near him he just doesnt eat it. All of the reptomin from today is still in there completely untouched. Very very very frustrating. I feel like I cant win with these guys. Frogs I love and eat well die on me. Now I am plagued by this one. Ugh. No fun now.

Thanks, will go the tough love route for now but by the end of the weekend if he isnt eating maybe the store will take him back. This is very stressful.

Carole

[mpmistr]

I think Jen is right, now I have to buckle down and not cave in. It's hard tho. I want him to eat and get big. He is certainly not as fat as he was when I got him (pet store owner said he was feeding fish flakes but I have no idea how long this frog had even been there). He hasnt grown at all. If anything he looks smaller. Of all the frogs to not hop out of the tank, its the one that wont eat. Alvin and Norm were eating like champs. This one is afraid of everything. He freaks out when the tweezers get near him half the time. If I can get the reptomin near him he just doesnt eat it. All of the reptomin from today is still in there completely untouched. Very very very frustrating. I feel like I cant win with these guys. Frogs I love and eat well die on me. Now I am plagued by this one. Ugh. No fun now.

Thanks, will go the tough love route for now but by the end of the weekend if he isnt eating maybe the store will take him back. This is very stressful.

Carole

Picture of the frog? Did you try my trick with the bamboo stick?

I mean tough love is great and all but how long as this frog not eaten? I know adults can go a long time without food but if it comes down between tough love to get the frog to eat pellets or letting the frog die of malnutrition I would rather feed the frog earthworms and worry about putting him on a pellet diet later..

[rodsboys]

You just have to stick with it. I have a frog(Carl) that I have had over a year. He was a little punk for some time, the female I bought at the same time is not 4 or 5 times his size. He eats well now and no body in general pop tries to eat him, but by far my tiniest frog. Glad I kept him though, he has a great personality and a beautiful reticulated pattern.

[reptileszz]

Picture of the frog? Did you try my trick with the bamboo stick?

I mean tough love is great and all but how long as this frog not eaten? I know adults can go a long time without food but if it comes down between tough love to get the frog to eat pellets or letting the frog die of malnutrition I would rather feed the frog earthworms and worry about putting him on a pellet diet later..

I'm not getting the difference between bamboo stick and tweezers. They both put the food right in front of him... I have to say it is no fun not feeding him/her (I need to look into how to sex these guys) but I dont want to have to cut up earthworms forever and reptomin is a good diet.

Thanks and sorry for being such a pain.
Carole

[mpmistr]

I'm not getting the difference between bamboo stick and tweezers. They both put the food right in front of him... I have to say it is no fun not feeding him/her (I need to look into how to sex these guys) but I dont want to have to cut up earthworms forever and reptomin is a good diet.

Thanks and sorry for being such a pain.
Carole

Bamboo stick may be less threatening and the reptomin is a bit more noticeable and prominent. Also the stick may be longer (unless you have really long tweezers) so you don't have to get your hands in the water, which may be spooking your frog. I've always fed my frogs reptomin in this way because they will not eat it otherwise (I also have a lot of floating plants which makes it rather hard to find).

Now I've had frogs that refuse reptomin and it can take a while for them to get around to eating it. I really think you should soak some reptomin with some mysis shrimp and feed them with tweezers or a bamboo skewer and see if he takes it. I cannot see him refusing a mysis shrimp infused reptomin sticks.

Some may not agree but I think earthworms, mysis, and even the occasional cricket is good for these frogs. I know they can survive on reptomin alone but I personally feel live/wet-frozen foods really enrich their diets and make for happier frogs.