[Ric Sanchez]

I have a friend with some new reticulatus metamorphs, and since neither of us have experience with this species, I was wondering what he could feed them. I know springtails, but can they also eat small fruit flies? He has some of the wingless ones, so they are a little smaller. Also, I have read that they are very fragile in the metamorph and juvenile stage. Maybe someone could elaborate as to how and why. Thanks

Evan

 

[geckguy]

The only thing they can eat at this stage are springtails and parastic wasps. They are just so small they cannot fit the flies into their mouths. I would suggest ordering some springtails from somebody as soon as possible.

 

[Arklier]

If he doesn't have springtails already, I would suggest getting a springtail culture that's already up and running, because you will need food quick. Flyculture.com sells already established 76oz cultures for $26 + shipping.

http://www.flyculture.com/springtails.htm

 

[Guest]

I hate to offer a dissenting opinion, but all the D. reticulatus I'd morphed out in years past had taken D. melanogaster right away. I would most certainly provide a good amount of Collembola (without stressing out the frog), but try a few flies if it appears large enough to take them. Otherwise, there are great places like Eds Fly Meat to get springtails from or any of the other food vendors. Not to sound arrogant, but it suprizes me why you guys hadn't planned for this in advance, but best of luck none-the-less.
j

 

[Michael Shrom]

Use springtails and try small D. melanogaster. Apterous D. melanogaster are a little smaller than some melanogaster and move slower.

 

[EDs Fly Meat]

Try the wingless

My retics take wingless fruit flies. So don't hesitate to try them. But, of course I use springtails as well. Make sure they have a constant supply of food. On another note, good job! You guys bred some retics!
Dave

 

[Guest]

Feeding Retic babies

Well we feed our newly morphed retics wingless fruitflies as well as "white" worms and springtails, our vivariums are seeded with both springtails and white worm so when a newbie is introduced there is an ample supply of these within the substrate for the frog to easily pick off. after about 2 weeks we then introduce "wingless" fruitflies and contrary to common belief these frogs do indeed actively hunt and eat fruitflies as early as two weeks (for us) the only problem we experience over the years is that as long as the fly is dusted w/vitamin/mineral supplement (which is of upmost necessity for young froglets, I never heard anyone dusting springtails) it kind of blinds the fly and this enable the frog to catch and eat it otherwise as soon as the fly cleans itself of the dust from it's eyes enabling it to see an oncoming clumsy young froglet it makes it more difficult for the froglet to catch, which as the froglet gets older will become much better at hunting these. Also please do not overfeed a froglet because too many springtails or fruitflies will actually stress a frog into not eating, I've even seen this in adult frogs with a bunch of flies crawling all over them all they do is freeze only to "snap" out of it to gobble up the flies later but a younger frog may actually die. Anyway good luck with your froglets... Peter Keane