Feeding (and plants)

[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.

[reptileszz]

OK, I was actually thinking about taking this frog back to the store. It's just so disheartening and I am growing weary of this. These frogs are seeming less appealing but the day to tell the truth. The fun has gone out of it completely. Maybe I will take him back and get two super huge ones that look like they eat anything. I just dont know.

Carole

[rodsboys]

Or you can keep him and still get a couple more : ) .

[reptileszz]

Well, I hope I will not be shunned from the group but I took the non-eating frog back to the store. I basically went against all the tough love advice this morning. I offered the reptomin/shrimp with no luck, just the shrimp with no luck but man they are small and go everywhere. Gross. The icing on the cake, he wouldnt take a piece of earthworm. So, I took him back. The store was nice enough to just let me trade him in for another one with no receipt. I got a smaller albino one to try again. I think if I got more to go with the other one that I wouldnt be able to tell if he was eating. I did think of that, that maybe another one or two would teach him to eat but then thought, how will I know if he is eating? So, new frog it is. Again, no name yet. I dont want to get attached. I was successful in not getting attached to this last one anyway.

Carole

[reptileszz]

The new albino frog (NAB?) ate a piece and a half of reptomin right after getting into the tank I cannot tell you how happy this made me!!!

Carole