Some other benefits to Darren's method is that this gives you a chance to gut load. You do not have this option with flies. Dusting out flies provides minerals and vitamins to frogs that get to them quickly. Many thumbs are shy and don't have as good a chance as aggressive feeders. The flies groom themselves of the supplement powders. I'm sure tha maggots have higher protein and fat contents when compared to the flies as well. Currently I play around with supplementing my mixed hoping the frogs will eat some larve. You are what you eat.... You get out of it what you put into it.. whatever....
If one uses this method, think about what goes into you FF media? Do you use a nutrient friendly mix or one that uses many "fillers" and sugars? I have found that making a new mix with added proteins and supplements seems to increase mold growth. Without wanting to increase mold inhibitors, I have switched to less ff media in my cultures. I now use 14oz cups. As a result, I now have larger clutch sizes with a high % of good eggs. Also, frogs that have been reluctant to breed in the past, now breed.. periodically.
Something else I've noticed is that the frogs will poop out the skin of the maggots, suggesting there might be difficulty in digesting the skin. Sometimes I wonder if intestinal blockage might be something to worry about. The skins have obviously been "deflated", so I know the contents have been utilized, but I do worry about my thumbs during long term larve self-feedings? Have others notice this? Currently, I larval feed once or twice a week as precaution.
Jon Werner
If one uses this method, think about what goes into you FF media? Do you use a nutrient friendly mix or one that uses many "fillers" and sugars? I have found that making a new mix with added proteins and supplements seems to increase mold growth. Without wanting to increase mold inhibitors, I have switched to less ff media in my cultures. I now use 14oz cups. As a result, I now have larger clutch sizes with a high % of good eggs. Also, frogs that have been reluctant to breed in the past, now breed.. periodically.
Something else I've noticed is that the frogs will poop out the skin of the maggots, suggesting there might be difficulty in digesting the skin. Sometimes I wonder if intestinal blockage might be something to worry about. The skins have obviously been "deflated", so I know the contents have been utilized, but I do worry about my thumbs during long term larve self-feedings? Have others notice this? Currently, I larval feed once or twice a week as precaution.
Jon Werner
