crickets

I just had to share this because I am very excited about it...I ordered 500 1 week old crickets and they are real small so my plan was to try and feed them to my dart auratus. I just picked up 2 sub adults from Joe and I have 3 that are a bit smaller and the whole making my own ff culture was just not happening I couldnt figure it out. Everyone I spoke to told me good luck they wont eat the crickets and as soon as I dropped them into the tanks they chomped down on them Just had to share that!!
Melis

[Scott]

They'll eat crickets - it just should not be the only thing in their diet.

Crickets are full of chitin... a very fibrous material that is often associated with prolapse.

You'll want to learn the "fruit fly thing", it's very important if you want to raise healthy frogs.

Either that or learn how to do another food source that is not so chitinious.

s

[Christian]

What is chitinious, and in what insect that have this chitinious....

I really don't know what is chitinious.....

[Scott]

Exosceleton. The outer "crunchy" part.

s

Originally Posted by Christian

What is chitinious, and in what insect that have this chitinious....

I really don't know what is chitinious.....

Originally Posted by Scott

They'll eat crickets - it just should not be the only thing in their diet.

Crickets are full of chitin... a very fibrous material that is often associated with prolapse.

You'll want to learn the "fruit fly thing", it's very important if you want to raise healthy frogs.

Either that or learn how to do another food source that is not so chitinious.

s

What is prolapse?? What other insects do you suggest besides crickets?

[mindcrash]

Originally Posted by Froggurl

What is prolapse?? What other insects do you suggest besides crickets?

Prolapse is problem where the frogs rectum sticks out. I know there is more to it, but thats the gist.

As for other insects, you'll want to use fruit flys. Here is the exact recipe i use and it works great, plus its easy, i just do it every saturday or sunday:

The "Power Mix"
By Chis Miller

The following was posted by Chris Miller of Littleton Co on FrogNet on May 8, 2000.

I have been using a mixture of potato flakes, sugar, and Fleischman's activated yeast for years now. But, after adding a lot of mouths to feed to my collection, I had decided I was going to have to find something that made a lot more flies per jar. With input from a lot of different sources (Dave and Erin, Tracy Hicks, Jutti,) etc , I have composed a mush that has QUADRUPLED
my fly production. I have had very little problem with mold, and the cultures seem to last for at least a month or longer.

In a pot bring the following to a boil.
2 cups water
2 cups vinegar
1/8th cup Dark molasses
1/2 can of grape juice concentrate
2-3 overripe mushed up bananas

After bringing this mixture to a boil, add the dry material

1/2 cup malt of meal
2/3 cup potato flakes
1/3 cup Brewers Yeast (the key ingredient)

Place about 2 inches of medium in each qt size jar, and sprinkle maybe an 1/8th teaspoon of activated yeast on the top. A day later, 20-30 flies are added. I have tried this medium with my hydei and melanogaster and I can't believe how many larvae are swarming the sided of the jar, I literally can't see through the glass jar, they cover every square inch of glass. For the first 10 days, I keep the cultures in cardboard boxes which are kept closed, after that, I keep them on a large shelf to help the larvae dry out.

Crickets will get expensive.

Hope that helps.

[Scott]

Or you can buy one of a couple mixes available out there.

I've done that in the past... but I'll likely be making my own again soon.

s

[pa.walt]

so scott what you are saying is my frogs are not healthy. i feed my frogs crickets. i have yet to see the retums sticking out.

Ok I think I might try that because right now I am paying $10 for one ff culture and thats just ridiculous...I am 20 supproting myslef and my frogs of course so the cheapest thing for me is the best. I found a place online that I could get 1000 cricket for $17 and that seemed like a better option that the $10 for the culture. Thanks for all your help!

[Scott]

Have I seen your frogs Walt?

Do you feed your frogs *all* crickets?

I said it can be a problem, not that it is, or will be a problem.

I have occasionally fed crix in the past - it adds a bit of variety. I just don't think it's a good idea to *only* feed crix.

s

Originally Posted by pa.walt

so scott what you are saying is my frogs are not healthy. i feed my frogs crickets. i have yet to see the retums sticking out.