Adf Feeding

[mab]

I recently bought 2 African Dwarf Frogs and have them in a quarantine tank before they are added to my 20 gallon. I have the frog bite pellets, but they either ignore them, or spit them back out. I bought freeze dried brine shrimp, and they like it, but are not very eager with it. i have to squeeze it right in their face before they take a bite. I am aware that their sight is not great, I am trying to teach them that food comes after I tap on the glass, but they seem uninterested in food. I have had them a week now and am worried about them not eating enough. I will also be adding them to a fish tank, and that worries me more because they are not going to be able to get to the food before the fish, no matter what I do. I had an ADF before and she always came up for her pellets and happily inhaled them. What can I do to get these guys to eat and fill up appropriately?

 

[Eclecticoldsod]

ADFs are stimulated to feed by the movement of their prey – so as far as they are concerned, if it don't move, it ain't food. Your LFS should have some of those water-filled tubes of live food, so buy one of daphnia, brine shrimps, or bloodworms – they will all go down a treat. And to save you a trip out to the shops, dig up some earthworms from the garden, or lift up a flower pot, rock, or log in a damp place and you should find worms underneath. Pick the smallest you can find, and pop them in. Earthworms live for hours under water, but will not have the chance with a couple of ADFs in the tank.

 

[Jonty]

ADFs are stimulated to feed by the movement of their prey – so as far as they are concerned, if it don't move, it ain't food. Your LFS should have some of those water-filled tubes of live food, so buy one of daphnia, brine shrimps, or bloodworms – they will all go down a treat. And to save you a trip out to the shops, dig up some earthworms from the garden, or lift up a flower pot, rock, or log in a damp place and you should find worms underneath. Pick the smallest you can find, and pop them in. Earthworms live for hours under water, but will not have the chance with a couple of ADFs in the tank.

My ADF's eat frozen bloodworm - obviously that doesn't move, but they eat it up. TBH I haven't tried live so can't compare, but they do eat frozen.

 

[Eclecticoldsod]

I don't say an ADF won't ever eat frozen food, but I would guess that their approach will cause enough water current to 'waft' a dead bloodworm enough to excite their interest. They are greedy little beggars, and will try to stuff anything that might be food into their mouths, but there is always a danger that some dead food will go un-noticed and begin to rot in the tank. Live food is always best.