amount of food :)

[Lija]

we say that we gotta fed these guys as much as they can eat in 15 min, right? every day at first and then as they grow to do it every 2-3 days or so.
so here is a thing, one of those silly frog things that makes you wonder...
i never go for actual 15 min because mine would eat all she can in less then 5 min and then she just appears not interested. it is normal.
she was kinda sleeping lately, but I'd wake her up, feed and she'd go under again and she'd eat 2-3 nightcrawlers or about 10-15 crickets or 3-4 hornworms. I'm guessing now it's her spring time, she started eating like crazy, say today she gobbled 15 nightcrawlers in less then few minutes and would probably eat some more if given and that is after she ate about same amount 3 days ago. she is sitting at a bit over 5" right now, obviously grew some since i last posted pics.

so the question is how much food would yours eat in one setting?

[Heatheranne]

You know, Lija, this is a good question. I have discussed this on occasion about friends' African bullfrogs and also pacs.

It seems as though season and weather definitely play a role. Springtime mostly. They seem to "wake up" and get hungry. Of course, size of the frog may determine how much they eat.

Personality even seems to have some bearing. Aggressive quick feeders seem to eat quick and get full quick. Slower consumers seem to linger about and watch their food a bit before attacking. Depending on where in the 15 minutes you are, amount of food can certainly vary.

I suppose the general 15 minute rule is just a guideline to keep us from over-feeding them. So truly, how much should we feed?

My pacs sometimes eat like turtles and seem to enjoy watching their food....For what seems like forever. There have been many a night they have taken over 30 minutes to eat. Those are the nights I sometimes decide to skip that feeding, as they don't seem interested, or pull out the baby spoon and feed them. It depends on the situation.

I like the 1/3 rule myself. I let mine eat up to 1/3 or slightly more of their overall body size per feeding. This keeps them healthy but not obese. I feed mine every 2-3 days depending on how they are behaving in response to their food.

My 5" pac eats 2 large freshly molted dubias or 2 night crawlers about every 2-3 days. On the rare occasion, she'll eat 3 of either/or. The smaller two pacs eat slightly less.

[WolfofAndras]

It seems like no one really knows for sure about a lot of things to do with these frogs because they have not been popular pets in captivity very long. Where does the 15 minute rule come from? There is a report of a pyxie living past 40 in a zoo, I would like to know what they did... I think a lot of people kept these frogs for maybe about 5 years and with the combined knowledge they have abot well known species comes the depths of their knowledge and not actually something with a 100 percent solid foundation

[WolfofAndras]

I don't feed food all at one time usually. I put prey in the cage in small amounts to simulate nature and I just keep offering food in small amounts for as long as they seem like they are hunting or vigilantly waiting for food as a way for to guess around how much they would get in the wild assuming bugs and prey are plentiful. All I know is that they eat a lot and aren't starving but I don't truly know how imperfect or perfect my feeding is. They probably geta round the same as the 15 minuet rule but spread out

[Lija]

there is enough research done on a matter as of now and 15min/day is a pretty good and accurate guideline for a babies.
wolfo all I'm asking is what amount of food people are feeding theirs.
it actually might influence a frog choice for some people, i was talking to one of the guys who keeps cane toad, that monster is going through about 500 nightcrawlers a month that goes for over 30$/week in food + he eats as well all the other stuff x some more $. so knowing that would be important for some people when choosing a frog, cos the question is always - will i be able to support it, we are not talking one time investment for a tank, etc, but here are some serious $ might be involved when talking about feeding very big frogs on ongoing basis.

[GrifTheGreat]

Seasonal changes affect their behavior a lot. The change in climate sparks their natural instincts to feed. This varies greatly from frog to frog. I offer food daily even to my adults, but I don't use the 15 minute rule. All of mine regulate their food intake and stop once they have had enough.

Growth spurts even in adults spark large feeding responses and an appetite to match. Needing the extra nutrition during these periods is essential for healthy growth and the frog itself knows this. So they will eat as much as they can handle in a single sitting to gain the nutrition.

I normaly skip a day or two between feedings for certain individuals that only want to eat what will sustain them and those that want to eat me out of house and home whatever they want. It is good to offer variety to keep them from getting bored with one food. Not every frog will do this, but a couple of mine will now and then. This time of the year Grif wants Hornworms and I know because she way less enthusiastic about her Night Crawlers. She seems to remember that I will buy some at this exat time too. As soon as she gets her Hornworms she will go back to normal feeding.

I believe just providing whatever they want keeps them happy and keeps their metabolism up so that is what I do.

[Mentat]

Hi Lija! My 3 in. SVL Fresita will eat 2 large or 3 medium night crawlers or 2 full size fat Dubias daily in couple minutes and that's it. Lately there are days, like last night, when she remains buried and I let her be. Growth rate is around .75 in. per month and looks meaty.

My previous Pacman would eat the same way and my GABF would satiate itself in less than 5 minutes and loose interest in food. I don't follow the 15 min. feed rules because my frogs get full way before that time.

Agree with Colleen/Jerrod in that their eating habits, even in a regulated environment, still cycle up and down a bit. As long as they are healthy; it's OK with me if they decide to take a break from feeding for a few days or weeks. Looking forward to see how Fresita's behavior changes with next Fall/Winter .

[DeltaElite121]

I don't follow the 15 minute rule ever.. several of my animals usually seem to make sure there's a plentiful source of food, eat as much as they can, then defecate and eat more if it's available. That sometimes takes a whole lot longer than 15 minutes, so I feed until full, then check back again later with minor amounts of food to check hunger levels. Often times, you'de be surprised.

[GrifTheGreat]

I don't follow the 15 minute rule ever.. several of my animals usually seem to make sure there's a plentiful source of food, eat as much as they can, then defecate and eat more if it's available. That sometimes takes a whole lot longer than 15 minutes, so I feed until full, then check back again later with minor amounts of food to check hunger levels. Often times, you'de be surprised.

With my GABF Günther I'm never surprised if he is hungry and hour later after being full. I sometimes give him treats like you would a dog say in the morning I'll offer a chunk of Pacman Food to hold him over until I feed him between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm.

[Heatheranne]

Tank does that too...full and then will soak, pass feces, and then comes to the side glass again. If I offer good again, she'll likely take it.