Feeding Adf + Other Questions

[ornithurae]

So I haven't bought my adfs because I'm still setting up the tank, but I have some questions I'm still wondering

How often should I feed them?

What do I feed them?

How do I feed them?

How many do I put in a 5 gallon (planted with no other inhabitants except for some ramshorn snails)?

I've heard they can get stressed out by loud bubbles from their filter, is this true and how can I fix that?

 

[Gypsy13]

Hello. Jumping into the frog world huh? Let’s get you someone very familiar with these guys. My only experience with them was keeping them for a weekend. @maggie thecat can you help here? Thank you.
Good luck with the frogs and post pics. We all love pics?

 

[midna]

hey there!

the adf care sheet that's a pinned thread on this board has some good info that will answer most of your questions. be sure to read the comments on it too.

the only thing i'd personally disagree with on there is feeding them one or two times a day. a lot of people will feed them once every other day, two days, or every three days. don't feed them a lot, but don't starve them either -- pay attention to how small they are, and how much smaller their stomachs are compared to their size. for example, one average-sized adult adf should probably eat 2-4 bloodworms in a single feeding session. don't let them goad you into feeding them more with their voracious appetite and cuteness. that's what happened with one of my females -- i would feed her 10+ worms a day and she never stopped eating once she was full like my other frog did -- and she ended up getting bloat/dropsy and dying. (you probably also shouldn't feed them bloodworms, btw. they could also have a bacteria or parasite that specifically causes that stuff.) frozen and (some) live foods are best. a lot of people swear by HBH frog and tadpole bites but i'm afraid of things such as lack of interest (adfs can't see worth a ****), fillers and additives, and bloat, so i've never tried pellets except when i initially got my first frog, who refused to eat them. stay away from freeze-dried anything, even if you soak them in tank water first, because they can cause bloat. i was feeding mine frozen mysis shrimp (cut up into pieces because they were too large to be swallowed whole), frozen brine shrimp gut-loaded with spirulina, and frozen beefheart, and was looking out for more things to feed them. the care sheet gives you a big list of options -- adfs need a lot of variety.

to get frozen food to move so the adf is more likely to eat it, i use a pair of long aquascaping tweezers/reptile feeding tongs and use it to grab a thawed piece of whatever i'm feeding them, then slowly lower it down into the tank until it's in front of their faces. wiggle it around a little bit, let it hover there until they notice it, and patiently wait/repeat til they take a bite. other people have had success with sucking the food up with a turkey baster and slowly releasing it in front of their faces. it might take multiple tries, though. you can also train them to go to a certain spot in their tank, like a small terra cotta dish, when it's feeding time. all these methods will take a bit of time for your frogs to get used to.

for a 5 gallon tank i'd get 2 frogs, maaaybe 3, but that'd be pushing it. people have raised them in much smaller (including myself) but it's not recommended.

iirc, you were getting a sponge filter? i think they might only be bothered by the vibrations of a bubble aerator, not the bubbles themselves. a low-flow sponge filter or hob filter should do okay.

 

[ornithurae]

hey there!

the adf care sheet that's a pinned thread on this board has some good info that will answer most of your questions. be sure to read the comments on it too.

the only thing i'd personally disagree with on there is feeding them one or two times a day. a lot of people will feed them once every other day, two days, or every three days. don't feed them a lot, but don't starve them either -- pay attention to how small they are, and how much smaller their stomachs are compared to their size. for example, one average-sized adult adf should probably eat 2-4 bloodworms in a single feeding session. don't let them goad you into feeding them more with their voracious appetite and cuteness. that's what happened with one of my females -- i would feed her 10+ worms a day and she never stopped eating once she was full like my other frog did -- and she ended up getting bloat/dropsy and dying. (you probably also shouldn't feed them bloodworms, btw. they could also have a bacteria or parasite that specifically causes that stuff.) frozen and (some) live foods are best. a lot of people swear by HBH frog and tadpole bites but i'm afraid of things such as lack of interest (adfs can't see worth a ****), fillers and additives, and bloat, so i've never tried pellets except when i initially got my first frog, who refused to eat them. stay away from freeze-dried anything, even if you soak them in tank water first, because they can cause bloat. i was feeding mine frozen mysis shrimp (cut up into pieces because they were too large to be swallowed whole), frozen brine shrimp gut-loaded with spirulina, and frozen beefheart, and was looking out for more things to feed them. the care sheet gives you a big list of options -- adfs need a lot of variety.

to get frozen food to move so the adf is more likely to eat it, i use a pair of long aquascaping tweezers/reptile feeding tongs and use it to grab a thawed piece of whatever i'm feeding them, then slowly lower it down into the tank until it's in front of their faces. wiggle it around a little bit, let it hover there until they notice it, and patiently wait/repeat til they take a bite. other people have had success with sucking the food up with a turkey baster and slowly releasing it in front of their faces. it might take multiple tries, though. you can also train them to go to a certain spot in their tank, like a small terra cotta dish, when it's feeding time. all these methods will take a bit of time for your frogs to get used to.

for a 5 gallon tank i'd get 2 frogs, maaaybe 3, but that'd be pushing it. people have raised them in much smaller (including myself) but it's not recommended.

iirc, you were getting a sponge filter? i think they might only be bothered by the vibrations of a bubble aerator, not the bubbles themselves. a low-flow sponge filter or hob filter should do okay.

Wow thank you, this is really helpful : )
And yes, I'm getting a sponge filter so that's good news
If I have any more questions, I'll let you know but for now I'm feeling a lot better prepared for frogs

 

[midna]

cool! i'm excited for you!! i started out with just one, knew nothing about them except that they were cute, and stuck him in not even a 1 gallon tank. he was in that for a long time until i got a 2.5 gallon tank (still no heater, filter or air bubbles), and then finally a decent setup after 5 years. i'm definitely still learning lots about these little guys.

 

[Gypsy13]

I love frogs. Mine live in my ponds though.

 

[maggie thecat]

You've received some good advice. A couple things on feeding, mostly.

I feed my frogs twice a week. They're kept in a tank with cherry shrimp and ramshorn snails, so they have the opportunity to supplement their diet should they care to.

When I was first reading up on them, guppy fry were suggested. The result for me was guppies living in the tank. YMMV.

Beef heart, which was suggested above, should only be used as a treat. It is very rich and over time can be detrimental to organ health.

When I first got my frogs, several years ago, I was all into live foods. I hatched brine shrimp and fed microworms too. These days it's frozen food. Brine shrimp, blood worms, glassworms, when I can find them. Combined with Emerald entree, I thaw several cubes and portion it out to my tanks.

I have a tiny china plate that the frogs have learned is where food is, more or less. Target feeding works well for me, and I appreciate not having to faff around with turkey basters. The frogs weren't whelmed by that style of feeding either, so everyone is happy.

I strongly recommend you purchase all your frogs at one time, treat them with Lamisil for potential chytrid infection, then close the tank for new additions. If you think your going to be tempted to have more than two frogs, spring for a 10 gallon setup from the off and go nuts. You can have up to six in there.

Yeah, they can be grubby little things, regular vacuuming should be part of your cleaning schedule.

Regarding filtration. Sponge filters work great. I had messed around with a plastic breeder box set up as a HOB/ biological filter (stuffed with media plus plants) because it was less noisy than a standard issue type. It worked as well.

Currently , I run 2 sponges in my 10 gallon. Overkill, but I always have a seeded filter, if I need one, and it's good for water quality.

Oh, meds. We always get panicked posts, because things go sideways on weekends. Keep tetracycline in your first aid kit. It's frog friendly and works on red leg, which is deadly if not treated immediately.

Good luck. That was kind of stream of consciousness on my part, so if you need clarification , just let me know.

 

[midna]

thank you so much, maggie!!! your input helps me a ton too for when i get my new frogs.