How many species of feeders do you keep for your collection?

They say that variety is the spice of life. I would like to know what and how many species of feeder insects people keep cultures of (or harvest from the wild) to feed their collection of dart frogs? What are the pros and cons of feeding a varied diet vs. one of say only fruit flies?

I'm not sure if Drosophila varieties would (or should) count as "different" type of feeder. I.e. I culture both hydei and melanogaster and count that as 1 type of food source, not two since both are fruit flies.

[geckguy]

I have termites, golden hydei, black hydei, turkish gliders, buzzati, flightless melangoster, isopod, temperate springtails, tropical springtails, rice flour beetle larvae, and crickets

[RSines]

I use a few different Mels and Hydei plus springtails and crix.

[Dunner97074]

I feed FFs, springtails, rice flour beetle larvae, field sweepings and 'til it gets cold termites. Field sweepings count as 1 item or 100? My frogs love the termites.
Mike

Species of fruit fly.....
It's like having flavors of canned dog food :roll:
It looks like variety to us but do the frogs really care?

But if they do, I have both Melangoster and Hydei flies, springtails (the white trash species 8)), crickets, superworms (frogs like them really small), and woodlice. Field sweeping has been a recent but well received addition to the diet. Flour beetles are on the way.

Me however...I'm still living on fast food salads and energy drinks :shock:

What is intresting (and sad) though is how I've become more concerned with my frogs (and the other animals I keep) diets, more then I am my own lately. :roll:

[Dancing frogs]

Three species of F.F., two species of flour beetle, springtails, waxworms, and crickets(though I don't usually raise them).
I plan on trying silkworms, superworms, and isopods soon, and can't wait to get some of the large variety of springtail.
I've heard of some interesting roaches also.
I can't think of any cons to having as many species of feeder available, except you're social life may suffer ops: :cry:
As for the pros...What do the "experts" say humans should do...why should animals be any different?

[Mantellaprince20]

My mantellas really seem to notice a difference between mels and hydei. THey will almost always take the hydei over the mels, even my froglets will. So, I think they should count as a different source. They are larger, faster, and perhaps tastier. Anyway, that is just what I think, and what i have noticed from my frogs.

Ed Parker

[Dancing frogs]

A pro to more variety, my golden mantellas start to look drab after a while when feeding only FF...any one else notice that?

[AJ_Cann]

Interesting discussion.

I'm inclined to the view that regarding nutrition, all Drosophila are equal, as are all springtails, etc. Of course, it's useful to have large (hydei) and small (melanogaster) flies for thumbnails/big frogs and froglets/adults.

So, that leaves me with:

Drosophila (2 species)
Springtails (2 species)
Woodlice (2 species)
Waxmoths (I would regard Indian meal moths as the same as these nutritionally)
and I've just started culturing buffaloworms (mini-mealworms) for Phyllobates.

What I'd really like to find is something easy to culture to complement springtails for thumbnails/froglets.

Any ideas?

[steelcube]

How about mites? I know some can be a pest to ff cultures but other types (ground dwellers) should be a good alternative.

Also aphids, I am growing rose bushes now so that I can collect/culture rose aphids in the spring... (there are some rose aphids in the neighborhood)

Drugstore bettles?? I think this is what I have been cultured for some time... haven't really try to feed them to tumbnails but tricolor eat them.

Originally Posted by AJ Cann

What I'd really like to find is something easy to culture to complement springtails for thumbnails/froglets.

Any ideas?