ACFs big enough to handle worms?

[elliotulysses]

Lately my ACFs have been taking to eating an entire stick of reptomin in one gulp, whereas about a month ago I had to break it into small pieces for them to eat it.
Now that I know they can definitely handle gobbling up three (or more if I would let them!) sticks of reptomin, do you think they could handle a worm?

From what I understand it is a very loved treat for ACFs
Also, I would not be squeamish in ripping them in half, etc from years of fishing trips, if that would be a good solution.
And do you feed one worm per frog? Or let them go at it Lady & the Tramp style?

[Tongue Flicker]

I feed my pair of 2.5 inch ACFs full grown superworms like one worm per frog once every 2 weeks. Then again i also feed only once a week since i give them inch-long feeder fish to eat. Keep in mind that mealies/superworms are high in fat that could be dangerous to amphibians if given regularly. I lost a pair of ACFs and a pair of newts for giving them mealies more than twice a week before. Learned from my experience

[mpmistr]

Feed nightcrawlers chopped in half until fully grown.

[elliotulysses]

Feed nightcrawlers chopped in half until fully grown.

Awesome. I was looking forward to both a live feeder and giving them a treat. Usually I just give them shrimp pellets for that.

So do you think the frequency should be a big fat worm (halved) every two weeks or so? I'm not really sure about the fat content of nightcrawlers.

[elliotulysses]

I feed my pair of 2.5 inch ACFs full grown superworms like one worm per frog once every 2 weeks. Then again i also feed only once a week since i give them inch-long feeder fish to eat. Keep in mind that mealies/superworms are high in fat that could be dangerous to amphibians if given regularly. I lost a pair of ACFs and a pair of newts for giving them mealies more than twice a week before. Learned from my experience

Yeah, I had a frog that I am pretty sure I lost to high fat content. I had thought he had bloat, but he just looked full. However he was floating and could only move one side. It was a matter of hours before he passed.
I'm pretty sure I accidentally gave him a stroke by giving him too many bloodworms. Even though it could have been bloat due to the fact bloodworms are notorious for causing it.
I suppose it's just a sad mystery.

When they get older I might vary their diet so they get adequate nutrition. So far I just give reptomin and shrimp pellet treats because apparently reptomin is great for quickly growing little frogs(froglet? juvenile? I'm not sure what to call them until they are adults) because they are a kick *** source of vitamins that promote bone and body growth/strength.

[mpmistr]

Awesome. I was looking forward to both a live feeder and giving them a treat. Usually I just give them shrimp pellets for that.

So do you think the frequency should be a big fat worm (halved) every two weeks or so? I'm not really sure about the fat content of nightcrawlers.

Nightcrawlers are a near perfect food for clawed frogs. Mine get earthworms at least once a week, sometimes more. In the winter not so much because they stop carrying earthworms in stores.

[mpmistr]

Yeah, I had a frog that I am pretty sure I lost to high fat content. I had thought he had bloat, but he just looked full. However he was floating and could only move one side. It was a matter of hours before he passed.
I'm pretty sure I accidentally gave him a stroke by giving him too many bloodworms. Even though it could have been bloat due to the fact bloodworms are notorious for causing it.
I suppose it's just a sad mystery.

When they get older I might vary their diet so they get adequate nutrition. So far I just give reptomin and shrimp pellet treats because apparently reptomin is great for quickly growing little frogs(froglet? juvenile? I'm not sure what to call them until they are adults) because they are a kick *** source of vitamins that promote bone and body growth/strength.

Don't bother with midge larvae (bloodworms), I think clawed frogs outgrow these foods as adults anyways. Live fish should be avoided entirely because of the risk of introducing disease or parasites. In the wild clawed frogs do not eat fish very often, in fact they would seek out waters without fish entirely because if there are small fish.. there are probably large fish -- predators of clawed frogs. They like shallow waters and will avoid moving to larger bodies of water if they can because of this!

Here's what I feed my frogs if it helps. They get nightcrawlers (one each) once or twice a week. When they don't get earthworms they eat Reptomin. Reptomin is not the best pellet on the market by any stretch but clawed frogs universally will eat them and they're not terrible, the protein content is quite high and that is good. The Calcium to Phosphorus ratio on Reptomin is not GREAT but many many many experienced keepers feed their clawed frogs Reptomin alone and they are very healthy and long lived. Keeping that in mind, nightcrawlers have a very good Cal:Phos ratio so that will make up any deficiency in Reptomin, in my mind. Above all, Reptomin is fairly inexpensive and EASY to find unlike many other pellets which must be purchased online for a lot of us.

The one treat I give my frogs are crickets. Now yes crickets are not aquatic but in the wild clawed frogs absolutely will hang out near land and snatch terrestrial insects or eat ones that fall into the water. I treat my frogs crickets once a month and I literally buy 12 large crickets and dump them into the tank and let them have at it.. I like to feed them in this way because it allows them to hunt rather than be fed. it is good stimulation for them. They will continue to 'hunt' the crickets long after they've eaten them all too. It seems to really bring out their instincts to locate food.

Now the last thing I do for my frogs diet which is a bit unorthodox is I make fortified 'reptomin-balls'. What that means in essence is I will take frozen foods, like Hikari Vitamin-Fortified Daphnia or PE Mysis Shrimp and allow the cubes to thaw in a small bowl. I will then add Reptomin to the thawed cube and then allow it to soak in the Daphnia/Shrimp and then roll it up into a ball or something close to that and just hand feed it to my frogs. I mostly do this because I have a lot of frozen aquatic food because I feed a lot of frozen food to my fish and since clawed frogs in the wild do eat a LOT of aquatic arthropods, it's again a natural food for them (though in nature they'd be eating small crustaceans larger than Daphnia).

I think what I do gives my frogs a very well rounded diet. Obviously it is impossible to recreate their wild diet in an aquarium but variety is best. Also in the wild clawed frogs eat a lot of tadpoles and other (smaller) clawed frogs, but I do not suggest you recreate that at home. : )

[elliotulysses]

Don't bother with midge larvae (bloodworms), I think clawed frogs outgrow these foods as adults anyways. Live fish should be avoided entirely because of the risk of introducing disease or parasites. In the wild clawed frogs do not eat fish very often, in fact they would seek out waters without fish entirely because if there are small fish.. there are probably large fish -- predators of clawed frogs. They like shallow waters and will avoid moving to larger bodies of water if they can because of this!

Here's what I feed my frogs if it helps. They get nightcrawlers (one each) once or twice a week. When they don't get earthworms they eat Reptomin. Reptomin is not the best pellet on the market by any stretch but clawed frogs universally will eat them and they're not terrible, the protein content is quite high and that is good. The Calcium to Phosphorus ratio on Reptomin is not GREAT but many many many experienced keepers feed their clawed frogs Reptomin alone and they are very healthy and long lived. Keeping that in mind, nightcrawlers have a very good Cal:Phos ratio so that will make up any deficiency in Reptomin, in my mind. Above all, Reptomin is fairly inexpensive and EASY to find unlike many other pellets which must be purchased online for a lot of us.

The one treat I give my frogs are crickets. Now yes crickets are not aquatic but in the wild clawed frogs absolutely will hang out near land and snatch terrestrial insects or eat ones that fall into the water. I treat my frogs crickets once a month and I literally buy 12 large crickets and dump them into the tank and let them have at it.. I like to feed them in this way because it allows them to hunt rather than be fed. it is good stimulation for them. They will continue to 'hunt' the crickets long after they've eaten them all too. It seems to really bring out their instincts to locate food.

Now the last thing I do for my frogs diet which is a bit unorthodox is I make fortified 'reptomin-balls'. What that means in essence is I will take frozen foods, like Hikari Vitamin-Fortified Daphnia or PE Mysis Shrimp and allow the cubes to thaw in a small bowl. I will then add Reptomin to the thawed cube and then allow it to soak in the Daphnia/Shrimp and then roll it up into a ball or something close to that and just hand feed it to my frogs. I mostly do this because I have a lot of frozen aquatic food because I feed a lot of frozen food to my fish and since clawed frogs in the wild do eat a LOT of aquatic arthropods, it's again a natural food for them (though in nature they'd be eating small crustaceans larger than Daphnia).

I think what I do gives my frogs a very well rounded diet. Obviously it is impossible to recreate their wild diet in an aquarium but variety is best. Also in the wild clawed frogs eat a lot of tadpoles and other (smaller) clawed frogs, but I do not suggest you recreate that at home. : )

I have actually found some freeze dried crickets. Would those be a good idea for varying the diet? Or should I stick to live ones and let them sink? I also saw the freeze dried crickets next to freeze dried mealworms, but I am not so sure those are intended for ACFs. Also do you suggest gutloading? Or any other things about crickets I may be unaware of?
Right now I want to experiment a bit because they are growing and I think they have passed the stage that it is suggested "pellets only!"

Also I'm sure they would be happy to get worms. I've seen plenty of videos of overjoyed frogs gobbling them up.

And wax worms; are they a waste of time?

[elliotulysses]

Also maybe Xenopus Express' formulated ACF food would be a better choice then reptomin. I know they have both sinking and floating pellets.

[mpmistr]

I have actually found some freeze dried crickets. Would those be a good idea for varying the diet? Or should I stick to live ones and let them sink? I also saw the freeze dried crickets next to freeze dried mealworms, but I am not so sure those are intended for ACFs. Also do you suggest gutloading? Or any other things about crickets I may be unaware of?
Right now I want to experiment a bit because they are growing and I think they have passed the stage that it is suggested "pellets only!"

Also I'm sure they would be happy to get worms. I've seen plenty of videos of overjoyed frogs gobbling them up.

And wax worms; are they a waste of time?

Freeze dried = bad/useless/somewhat dangerous due to intestinal issues if fed too often, completely devoid of nutrition .. a complete waste of money. The bulk of your frogs diet should be pellets and nightcrawlers.

I was speaking of live feeder crickets, almost all pet stores carry them. The crickets provide stimulation, not so much nutrition. Could you gut load them? Sure. Do I? No, because my frogs diet is varied enough to where I do not need to. Crickets are just a fun treat for them.

Wax worms? I don't know. I've never fed them to clawed frogs. They are moth larvae and like most larvae I am sure they're mostly fat and chitin. I don't think a clawed frog would digest them well but as a treat I doubt it would hurt. I am sure they are very high in fat though, so go easy if you ever treat them.

[mpmistr]

Also maybe Xenopus Express' formulated ACF food would be a better choice then reptomin. I know they have both sinking and floating pellets.

Never tried it, I try not to toss pellets in that sink and rot (Xenopus never find ALL their food..). They probably work well in a lab environment with a bare bottom tank and frequent water changes though. Mess aside, I am sure nutritionally they are a good pellet.

A floating pellet is better, because it's easier to remove excess food and hand feeding is best, because almost nothing goes to waste and mucks you tank up.

[elliotulysses]

Freeze dried = bad/useless/somewhat dangerous due to intestinal issues if fed too often, completely devoid of nutrition .. a complete waste of money. The bulk of your frogs diet should be pellets and nightcrawlers.

I was speaking of live feeder crickets, almost all pet stores carry them. The crickets provide stimulation, not so much nutrition. Could you gut load them? Sure. Do I? No, because my frogs diet is varied enough to where I do not need to. Crickets are just a fun treat for them.

Wax worms? I don't know. I've never fed them to clawed frogs. They are moth larvae and like most larvae I am sure they're mostly fat and chitin. I don't think a clawed frog would digest them well but as a treat I doubt it would hurt. I am sure they are very high in fat though, so go easy if you ever treat them.

Sounds like a good nutritional plan to me.
When feeding the crickets should I tear off their back legs? I've heard this can cause impaction

[elliotulysses]

Never tried it, I try not to toss pellets in that sink and rot (Xenopus never find ALL their food..). They probably work well in a lab environment with a bare bottom tank and frequent water changes though. Mess aside, I am sure nutritionally they are a good pellet.

A floating pellet is better, because it's easier to remove excess food and hand feeding is best, because almost nothing goes to waste and mucks you tank up.

That is exactly why I started to hand feed mine. I would find food the next day all gunky and dusty and it was just not a pretty site. It's also a fun way to "bond". I got one of mine to pounce on my fingers/food and gobble up that reptomin. It's also funny when they have a bit sticking out of their mouth, looking a bit like a cigar or something. But for being a clawed frog, they certainly are soft when they approach you!

[mpmistr]

Sounds like a good nutritional plan to me.
When feeding the crickets should I tear off their back legs? I've heard this can cause impaction

My frogs have eaten many many crickets and they are perfectly fine.

[Tongue Flicker]

They normally eat insects with more hairy legs, longer antennae and flappy wings in the wild so i guess long legs is not an issue. I usually allow my frogs to slim down a little before giving them a fatty treat. I'd love to give them earthworms but it seems the worms here grow too large for a 2.5" frog lol.

[elliotulysses]

They normally eat insects with more hairy legs, longer antennae and flappy wings in the wild so i guess long legs is not an issue. I usually allow my frogs to slim down a little before giving them a fatty treat. I'd love to give them earthworms but it seems the worms here grow too large for a 2.5" frog lol.

Same here! Which is why you have to put the squeamish aside and just rip them apart. They usually will live in two separate halves. I'm not sure if you've ever fished before, but I'm thinking it's kind of the same solution

[elliotulysses]

My frogs have eaten many many crickets and they are perfectly fine.

Good! Because I had read some care with *other* frogs than ACFs and they all said to remove the back legs. I think this was mainly regarding pacmans. However, it could be because different animal, different enzymes/G.I track.

[mpmistr]

Good! Because I had read some care with *other* frogs than ACFs and they all said to remove the back legs. I think this was mainly regarding pacmans. However, it could be because different animal, different enzymes/G.I track.

Well I can see that being true with pacman frogs for one reason. Crickets are a *staple* for a lot of frog owners. As in, they are fed over and over and over to these animals. Feeding any frog the same thing continually is not 'good'. That is why people gut load and calcium dust their crickets, to make up for the lack of variety in their diet and artificially make the crickets more nutritious.

Having cake once won't give you diabetes but eating cake 7 days a week will. So once a month having crickets won't cause any harm.

[MatthewM1]

The main reason for removing back legs off a cricket are to slow it down and make it easier for ambush type frogs(like pacmans) to catch them. They can't really jump out of the water when you feed them to your ACF. There's is alot more "meat" inside a crickets jumping legs than you would think so when taking them off your pulling off some digestible food as well.

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[elliotulysses]

The main reason for removing back legs off a cricket are to slow it down and make it easier for ambush type frogs(like pacmans) to catch them. They can't really jump out of the water when you feed them to your ACF. There's is alot more "meat" inside a crickets jumping legs than you would think so when taking them off your pulling off some digestible food as well.

Sent from my LG-P930 using Tapatalk 2

Ah-hah. And here I was thinking that it was an impaction risks because of the hind legs. I will definitely have to slowly vary their diet and see what they take to.

I know other amphibians and reptiles eat roaches, are they really worth anything nutritional wise?