Feeder culture amounts needed from the start.

[AbranV]

Got a question for y'all. When starting from scratch, how many cultures of fruit files, springtails, and bean beetles should a person have going BEFORE getting your frogs?

How many of each type need to be consistently producing while having a pair of thumbnail dart frogs?

Here's my thoughts, please let me know if its the best way to go about it.

SPRINGTAILS have two colonies going. One producing, and one seeded/started

FRUIT FLIES Four total, one feeding from, one producing, and two started/seeded

For two thumbnails, does this sound excessive? If I have too many flies, I have other frogs that will be happy to help eat the extras.

If the combination of four fly cultures is not enough. How many would be it be good to have at any given time. Keep in mind, its for two thumbnails.

Any helps appreciated.

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[flybyferns]

I do not feed bean beetles to thumbnails, too big a feeder.
The most commonly used ff species for thumbs is Drosophila melanogaster.
You could also culture turkish gliders ( a little larger)

Better to have too many than not enough

Good !! The springs area a MUST!
Seeding/ adding them to their enclosure regularly will not only provide springs as an additional feeder but keep the soil healthy as well.

You could get small isopods? The frogs will find the newly hatched ones , once the isopods are established in the enclosure.

I feed and dust daily ( alternate 3 different brands)

??? 4 cultures with overlapping production stages sounds good.
Best time to make a new culture - is about 2 weeks after a hatch.
The melo and TG culture out at about the same rate. ( maybe the mels are a wee bit faster)

ie: I have 15 species of PDF ( I think ) I make 9 cultures a week, 3 different species ( 3 of each )
My larger PDF get a combo of TG and Hydei. Bean beetles as a treat. All enclosures are seeded with isopods and and springtails.