Feeding arboreals in a large vivarium

Hello Support System!
I'm going from a 15 gallon to a 70 with my 3 tincts. I plan on getting some Imitators. Q#1 How do you feed arboreals? Do they 'come down and get it' or do I find a 'dumping spot' for them to eat at on a branch? (With my Tincts I have to dump the flies out quickly to avoid dumping flies on their heads or my Alpha girl climbing into my cup and having to wash the powder from her feet. Before I get emails about starving frogs; my darts are FAT and EXTROVERTED! Colorful, pushy little piggies. Q#2 How much more will I have to feed to account for fly loss into the larger tank?
Gracias Herds!

[kleinhanz]

...So we fully understand your question, are you planning to house the tincs and imiators in the same 70gal vivarium?

If so, how many imitators are you planning to house with the 3 tincs?

Besides the whole mixing of species delama, I would be very conserned that your tincs would out compete the imitators and deprive them of food.

The imitators will catch prey everywhere in the vivarium (floor, middle, top).

Yes, I want to put 3-4 Imitators in the same tank. I plan to feed them in a different area from the Tinc's. One is a 6 year old female (mate died this year) and a pair of 5 month olds. I feed the adult and the juv's seperately -keeps adult from getting all the flies. I also feed twice daily. (Another reason they are so outgoing - Pavlov's Frogs).
I won't keep them mixed if anyone gets stressed; I will still have the old viv to transfer back to. My concern is #of cultures needed for large vivs.

Right now I have about 7 fly containers going at any one time. About 1/5 of the flies manage to hide/escape during feeding. What can I expect for fly loss in a LARGE and heavily planted vivarium? Double, triple the flies? Or are the arboreals better at catching their food when it climbs?

Thanks for any insite.

[Arklier]

Imitators are not strictly arboreal. They can be all over the tank. On the ground, near the top, anywhere.

[asydabass]

I think she meant in general, and compared to Tincs...

[kleinhanz]

If it were me, I would not mix the two species. Tincs can also take bigger prey, you may want to feed them pinhead crickets, termites, and D. hydei to vary their diet. These larger food sources can cause undue stress for the imitators or cause problems if one decided to take such a relatively large prey items. You would not want to deprive your tincs of a varied diet.


With bigger vivs, you will need to offer more food to keep the food density high enough to satisfy the frogs before the flies escape, die, hide.

I'm a little confused how you would feed your frogs in designated areas for each species. They are flies and do not "stay-put".

These are all great questions you are asking. Researching this topic before hand shows us that you have the best intentions for your animals!!

[asydabass]

Perhaps the initial concentration of the flys would provide "different feeding areas" The Tincs basically run for the food, so they will eat many flies in the spot where you dump them. I have no experience with Imitators, so I don't know if they will crowd an area for food, or wait till things calm down and then go looking for it. Perhaps it would be wise to dump some below, and some on top.

As far as the varied diet goes; I would assume the food staple would still be flies, and other litle buggers would be offered as "treats". I don't think a few pinheads spread on the ground (and most likely promptly eaten by the Tincs) would stress out the smaller ones too much; especially in a large well planted Viv. Just my 2 cents.

I'm following this thread because I am doing the same thing. Anything else you might have questions about, keep me posted, so we can figure this out together. This difference is, that I'm doing a 90 vert tank with Galacts and an undecided thumb, which will most likely be Amazonicus. I have until October to decide and then completely change my mind when I see what is offered at frogday :P
Take care,
~Donald

asydabass has it right. 75% of the flies are eaten immediately when I feed. (Two smaller feedings vs. one large one helps minimize fly loss.) Tinc's are like dogs - come running when they see me approach and occasionally end up on my hand or in the cup if I'm too slow; NOT shy. Dotto my pond frogs eating hamberger off my finger. I have never had any other frogs much less a thumbnail. Not sure what to expect with the little guys. Will they "tame up" like Tinc's and eat where (and when) I put the food, wait for me to shut the lid, or hide under their beds for awhile? :wink: