[Guest]

I have read that your should dust your fruit flys with a viatamin just wonderign what is the best kind to use because I want the best for my little frogs

Thanks
Brian B.

 

[booboo]

I would also like to know the most prefered high quality maximum nutrition best bang for your buck etc.

 

[aneides]

Most people nowadays seems to be using a repcal (which is pure calcium + vitamain D3) and herpvite, a broad vitamain supplement which does not contain vitamain A (which can be toxic to amphibians) but rather contains a precursor to facilitate its natural production by the frog's body. These supplements are used in equal proportions and frogs recieve them on most if not all food items.

The food debate is not as straight forward. I think that most people would say that some form of fruit flies that cannot fly are the most inexpensive option. I have raised frogs on a well supplemented diet of flies and have not had any problems, except for a while when I was a bit lax about supplementation.

I think that varying the diet is beneficial to the animals in general, but supplementation is more important.

Some foods that people use are the 2 commonly available wingless flies, D. melangaster and D. hyedii, termites (if you can get cultures or collect them from a guaranteed pesticide free local source), pinhead or week old crickets (generally an expensive option unless you culture them or have a large collection), Field sweepings (little bugs you catch in a net by running it through vegetation in an area you know is free of pesticides,herbicides etc), Confused flower beetles and a few others.

In my opinion the best way to go is make sure you have a consistent food source that is easy for you to use, supplement it with vits and cal, and use additional food sources when you can.

Hope that helps,

Aneides

 

[unbrokenchain42]

also, get yourslef an insect aspirator somewhere off the net or from a specialty store. they make life so much easier. just tap the flies into a sweater box or some other plastic container, then tap them into the corner of the container as you suck them up into the aspirator. finally, trickle just a little dust into the aspirator's holding jar and dump them into the tank. you will be less likely to get lazy about dusting, you will waste less vitamins, loose more flies, and have more time to simply enjoy your frogs.
here's a link to a site that sells them;
http://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product. ... rc=21SM001

 

[Blort]

Interesting device. Just don't leave it in your car. Based on that picture, I think your local law enforcement may not believe that what they found is an "insect aspirator" lol

I just use a gallon zip loc bag, put the culture about 1/4 of the way in, uncap the culture, dump in the flies, recap the culture, and then dust the flies. Then I take the bag to tank and scoop out the flies with a plastic lid and tap the flies into the vivarium. I am going to get a nylon tea strainer to replace the plastic lid so that the dust falls out and reduces the amount of dust in the vivarium... I think it is pretty easy, but it certainly doesn't sound as fun as the insect aspirator.

 

[unbrokenchain42]

yeah the aspirator is so great. if flies fall, i can suck them back up without crushing them. good point about the police though... 8)

 

[unbrokenchain42]

oh and I can just bang the jar to knock the flies down, then open the jar and suck them out if I need to, which also comes in handy at times... in fact, they are so handy, I am getting a second one

 

[unbrokenchain42]

i forgot to mention earlier that you should get the "optional" air filter. even with it on, i can feel a tiny thang or two fly through, and without one, I'm sure it would be a mouthfull of repcal and fly legs. enjoy :? :wink:

 

[fleenor1]

Man.... You guys are getting technical on feeding your frogs
I just use an empty FF media cup to tap flies from the culture into.
I dust them in that too. I am carefull about not putting too much calcium into the cup thus I don't get any into the tank.

On another note.... Why do they call them confused beatles?

 

[fleenor1]

I forgot to say.....
Why pay $12.00 + shipping for that thing?
You could make that really, really eazy out of a mason jar or something around the house. Most of us here probably have all of the plastic hose already. All it is is a simple vaccume.

Just my two cents......

 

[unbrokenchain42]

i made one in the past and it was just not good, and it allowed lots of stuff to come through into your mouth. it was also larger and heavy, unlike the slick ones you can buy. but sure, with a little trial and error, you could probably make a decent one.