Food Other Than Mice?

[frogmike]

What can I do to get my adult frogs to eat calcium covered insects? They will not eat anything that is smaller than a mouse. Quite frankly, they are no longer satisfied with a single mouse(though that's all they get). Its like a baby eating only one cricket. Are there any large insects that I can buy that will be more healthy than the mouse diet? I've been informed that mice are not an ideal main food source. So far they haven't developed the eye problem related with mice.

[ViperJr]

I've have no knowledge what so ever regarding these frogs. However, wouldn't adult B.dubia be a good choice? They are excellent feeders for alot of frogs and lizard, so it's perhaps a good option here as well.

Just be sure to confirm it first, since I don't know if there's any problem with these roaches and frogs.

[MeTree]

That's the spirit! Getting off all these mice will save your Pacmans trouble down the road. It may take some time, but for one thing, stop feeding mice. Just wait. Go afew days without feeding them. After afew days has gone by, try a dusted (with Calcium AND D3, and/or a multivitamin such as HERPATIVE) adult cricket. If your Pacman Frog doesn't pay attention, wait a couple more days. Pacman Frogs are built to go awhile. While this may be hard to do, it is essential that your frogs get off an all mouse diet.

If it doesn't work the second time, give it another pinky and try what is listed above again. If your frogs completely refuse the crickets (generally, ime Pacman Frogs will eat anything when they are hungry), then you may want to look into the larger, slower dubia roach. If you need info on those guys, just ask Bruce or Jeff Kennedy (you can probably end up buying a colony from Jeff). It may cost abit more than you want to pay, but if it saves your frogs from blindness and death, sound like a good deal.

Hope this helps! Good luck getting your frogs on bugs!

[MeTree]

I've have no knowledge what so ever regarding these frogs. However, wouldn't adult B.dubia be a good choice? They are excellent feeders for alot of frogs and lizard, so it's perhaps a good option here as well.

Just be sure to confirm it first, since I don't know if there's any problem with these roaches and frogs.

Ah, I didn't get first post LOL. Oh well. Yes, you can certainly feed Pacman Frogs dubia. They are actually probably better for them than crickets, but they aren't nearly as common. The adults may be abit large for some Pacman Frogs, but they can be used in a colony.

[frogmike]

OK, so how much is a colony of dubia roaches? And how are they kept? do they multiply on their own? What do they eat? If it is something that I can do then I'm down for it!

[ViperJr]

There are tons of breeding care sheets if you google it. Youtube have alot of videos as well. They are easy to keep as far as I've understood.

[MeTree]

OK, so how much is a colony of dubia roaches? And how are they kept? do they multiply on their own? What do they eat? If it is something that I can do then I'm down for it!

From what I have heard, you feed them the stuff you would feed crickets. Veggies, etc. frogmike, you need to go talk to Jeff Kennedy on this site. He in on my friends list, so if you go to my profile and view my friends, you can see Jeff Kennedy. Click on his underlined name and it will bring you to his page. Send him a PM on dubias.

He co-owns a company that sells lots and lots of dubia roaches. He also has great instructional vids on dubia roach colonies on Youtube (he is known as JelasPyxieProject on Youtube). He can help you with all the info you need, and then you can buy roaches straight from him. From all I have heard, he has a good reputation on this forum and in other deals.

He can help you through everything.

[MeTree]

Oh, I just remembered something! Look into the dubias for sure, but I know something else your Pacman Frogs can try. Earthworms!

Now, don't go to the bait shop and get some random earthworms. The bait shop is an unrealiable. There is no way of knowing what they put their worms in, and what parasite their worms have.

Go to Walmart. Yes, Walmart. and buy baby or adult Night Crawlers. Walmart has some kind of policy that they have to follow concerning a lack of parasites in their worms. Walmart worms are safe and realiable and offer a good combination of calcium and fat. Great and cheap! Many people on this site have fed their frogs on these worms for years, and I do not believe I have heard of one instance where a frog ended up with parasites from it. I think all that have tried it would recomend it.

Sad thing with Earthworms, though, is that you can't really breed them at home. They need temps that are warmer than the fridge, and colder than room temp. They will last pretty much forever in the fridge, though (it basically stops their metabolism).

Try one of those. If you dust them, it will increase the visibility of them considerably. Just let it warm in your hand afew minutes before feeding it to your Pacman Frog so that it can start "waking up". You want it to squirm a little.

Still check out the dubias, though!

[berksmike]

Other alternative is pachnoda grubs.
They can get a taste for a particular feeder species so good to vary what you feed so they dont decide theyll only eat one particular thing.
As another member has said leave him until he is hungry enough and he'll likely eat anything!

[DVirginiana]

They aren't as large as dubia roaches, but if you can get your frogs to eat nightcrawlers, they get pretty big, are cheap to buy, and are probably the easiest feeder to breed and raise on your own. Some frogs absolutely love them, though mine prefers crickets.

Have you tried using fish products to scent your insects? I've heard of people having great success with this.

[frogmike]

I have never had any success with night crawlers. In fact, my frogs act as if they're afraid of them. They'll quickly hop to the other side of the tank and burrow down. Though its really funny to watch a huge frog run from a worm, it doesn't exactly help to feed them. I will definitely look into the Dubai roaches when I get some money(after replacing a couple small heating pads). Thanks for all the help, and I will be searching a few sights for the cheapest price and shipping fees.

[pyxieBob]

Metree- do you happen to know the brand name of worms these were? Went to Walmart and they have lots of live worms by DMF brand. I didnt buy any because I wanted to make sure before i did this. Also I emailed DMF asking if they are clean worms. Thank for the tip!

Oh, I just remembered something! Look into the dubias for sure, but I know something else your Pacman Frogs can try. Earthworms!

Now, don't go to the bait shop and get some random earthworms. The bait shop is an unrealiable. There is no way of knowing what they put their worms in, and what parasite their worms have.

Go to Walmart. Yes, Walmart. and buy baby or adult Night Crawlers. Walmart has some kind of policy that they have to follow concerning a lack of parasites in their worms. Walmart worms are safe and realiable and offer a good combination of calcium and fat. Great and cheap! Many people on this site have fed their frogs on these worms for years, and I do not believe I have heard of one instance where a frog ended up with parasites from it. I think all that have tried it would recomend it.

Sad thing with Earthworms, though, is that you can't really breed them at home. They need temps that are warmer than the fridge, and colder than room temp. They will last pretty much forever in the fridge, though (it basically stops their metabolism).

Try one of those. If you dust them, it will increase the visibility of them considerably. Just let it warm in your hand afew minutes before feeding it to your Pacman Frog so that it can start "waking up". You want it to squirm a little.

Still check out the dubias, though!

[DVirginiana]

Haha, mine acts frightened of them too! I've seen so many youtube videos of people feeding them to their pacman frogs I figured mine was just strange.


I think someone asked what brand of walmart worms were okay to use... the DMF brand of walmart worms are good.

[pac]

My pacs love earthworms and superworms I have 2 subadult toads. 1 toadlet that eat everthing besides mice but most breeders feed there adults mice

[MeTree]

Yeah, it is the DMF brand that Walmart sells. Those are fine.

Malcolm used to completely fear those things until I started pulling them to 2" pieces and coating them with calcium. Malcolm still doesn't love them, but he will eat them if I go a couple days without feeding him.

btw, DVirginiana, you said that you can breed them? I thought they'd melt if the temps got high. I always figured I'd have to live in Canada or someplace like that before the temps would be fine. I left a Night Crawler in a plastic feeding tank once (afew months ago), and I haven't used it every since. It stinks LOL!

If the Night Crawlers don't work there is another type of worm that can actually be used as a staple. They are called "Phoenix Worms". You can order them from a site called "Josh's Frogs". Get the "large" Phoenix worms or your Pacman Frog will not see it well (I got the mediums and they are abit small). These guys ship as dry goods so you only have to pay the $7 priority mail. It also will ship with anything else you order (same location), so you can add whatever you want to your cart along with the worms and not pay extra.

I have personally ordered from Josh's Frogs twice with great results. Orders came in on time and undamaged. My Phoenix worms came in looking great and alive. Great way to vary your Pacman Frog's diet!

[BG]

I have three pacman and raise them good and big on earthworms and dubia roaches now they still love them they never saw a mouse and they are doing great sprinkled with cal and d3 and vita. Mice are bad idea.

[jelkins]

Something to consider are these frogs natural diets in the wild, which consists of 70% vertebrates (other frogs). Most of the information you find regarding the feeding of these frogs consists of information on insects as a primary food source. This is fine, but you may have better luck regarding their overall health with a diet that consists of insects/woms and, if possible, a reliable source of feeder frogs.

My ornate also seemed to be very partial to crayfish, which are an excellent source of calcium.

[Malachi]

I have used frozen frogs from an Asian market, they go nuts for the them. Maybe because it is their natural prey item. I have documented emails from various experts in chitrid for a method to make sure they are safe.
If you have a local Asian market that is.

[MeTree]

Frozen frogs? Blech. They may be fine, or maybe even the best, but I figure Pacman Frogs live up to 30 years (sometimes more) in captivity on an insect diet, and only live 1-4 years in the wild on a 75% frog diet. I understand that parasites has a big role in that, but still...

Doesn't mean they are bad, though. Just my thought.

[Malachi]

Well as gross as it is you kind of cook them, to kill the diseases and what not. Also a lot of parasites cant survive being frozen even. I dont feed them frogs often, as I dont really like having to cook dead frogs. I do it to vary their diet.
I consulted a bunch of herpetologists and they all agreed that the biggest threat is chitrid and the cooking routine they gave me would destroy it.

My main food source is nightcrawlers. Just trying to throw an option of a larger prey item out there.

There are other frozen food sources too like quail and chicks which are suppose to be better then mice.

I have started a dubia colony recently with 10, 2 months later i have 40-50 with some adult males being feed already. Pretty easy to breed.