[hypostatic]

So I got a copy of Lötters via my library, and in the diet chapter it mentions that some people consider supplementing their frogs with amino acids just as important as vitamin supplementation, as the diet of captive frogs isn't very varied, so they might not be getting the full range of amino acids that they would be getting in the wild.

Does anyone on have more info on this? Or does anyone supplement their frogs with some amino acid mix?

 

[Ed]

Many supplementss have amino acids built right into them.. If we step back and look at diet, consumption of whole animals provides a complete dietary source of amino acids. There is no evidence to support the idea that the feeders are not complete. In fact if the feeders were incomplete, then we would see a lot more deaths from the diet than we do... (as not all of the supplements we use contain amino acids) as a example, felids are unable to manufacture taurine (an amino acid) which is not found in plants. So if you attempt to feed a cat a vegetarian diet that is not modified to include a taurine, it will die from taurine insufficiency (provided you can get the cat to eat it in the first place) (the same holds for Virginia Opossum).

Ed

 

[mattolsen]

I agree, if this were a big problem with the supplements that most of us use you would see a lot more on this topic. In my opinion I like to feed more than just flies such as springtails and iso's sometimes. Though if you have a long standing tank I would hypothesize that there's a lot more microfauna running around that are getting eaten than we know.

 

[Eric Walker]

not sure how well it transfers from the media to the flys to the frog but I use bee pollen in my ff media that has I think 12 different amino acids in it.

 

[hypostatic]

Many supplementss have amino acids built right into them.. If we step back and look at diet, consumption of whole animals provides a complete dietary source of amino acids. There is no evidence to support the idea that the feeders are not complete. In fact if the feeders were incomplete, then we would see a lot more deaths from the diet than we do... (as not all of the supplements we use contain amino acids) as a example, felids are unable to manufacture taurine (an amino acid) which is not found in plants. So if you attempt to feed a cat a vegetarian diet that is not modified to include a taurine, it will die from taurine insufficiency (provided you can get the cat to eat it in the first place) (the same holds for Virginia Opossum).

Ed

Hmmm ok. I thought that it was a weird mention in the book (maybe I misinterpreted it), especially since you don't commonly find amino acid supplements for purchase in the hobby -- which you would be expected to find it it really was a problem.

On a similar note, is it just me or does the book seem a little... dated? For example, it looks like they still count R. summersi as being R. fantastica; although I am aware that they are part of the fantastica complex, the book makes no mention of summersi at all...

 

[Ed]

not sure how well it transfers from the media to the flys to the frog but I use bee pollen in my ff media that has I think 12 different amino acids in it.

No, offense but I wouldn't include it with the flies simply as a cost control. The maggots will secrete enzymes that digest it but the addition of nutritional yeast is really sufficient for the flies. Extra amino acids aren't stored instead they are broken down and digested and converted to fats. Since you can accomplish the same thing with yeast, there is little need to add a secondary protien source at an increased cost.

Ed

 

[Ed]

Hmmm ok. I thought that it was a weird mention in the book (maybe I misinterpreted it), especially since you don't commonly find amino acid supplements for purchase in the hobby -- which you would be expected to find it it really was a problem.

On a similar note, is it just me or does the book seem a little... dated? For example, it looks like they still count R. summersi as being R. fantastica; although I am aware that they are part of the fantastica complex, the book makes no mention of summersi at all...

If you look at most of the dusting supplements (like Herptivite) they do already contain extra amino acids.

It depends on when that part of the book was considered to be complete and sent for editing versus publications. Currently taxonomic splitting is exploding much faster than other literature can keep up with it, so I don't consider the book to be dated because of it since the taxonomy is still in flux and some is still not accepted universally.

Ed

 

[hypostatic]

True; I guess for the book to reflect all the recent changes that have been going on they'd have to release a new book every few months. And then it'd basically be like the campbell biology book that everyone needs to buy for college where they change one picture and call it a new edition... And I don't believe the dart frog market is that big that they can recharge people for a new 100+ dollar book every few months

 

[Eric Walker]

thanks ed.

No, offense but I wouldn't include it with the flies simply as a cost control. The maggots will secrete enzymes that digest it but the addition of nutritional yeast is really sufficient for the flies. Extra amino acids aren't stored instead they are broken down and digested and converted to fats. Since you can accomplish the same thing with yeast, there is little need to add a secondary protien source at an increased cost.

Ed