Feeding Adfs

[Iron Man]

I had 2 ADFs in a 10 gallon tank live planted tank and I dread feeding time (right now twice a week). I'm feeding them freeze dried blood worms at the moment which have a tendency to float even after being soaked in hot water. I feed them with a turkey baster and while it does work it takes a lot of work for them to get one worm each. Sometimes they miss it coming out or it gets stuck to the inside walls of the turkey baster as the water is squeezed out. Its very frustrating sometimes as it takes several uneaten worms to go circulating around in the tank before the frogs have had a decent feeding. I've tried doing this with flakes and they just don't go for it, or at least can't smell it well enough to "catch" it first try with their mouths.

Is there no better way of doing this? Buying frozen worms is out of the question as the people I share a frig with wouldn't appreciate mosquito larvae in their freezer and I cannot say that I blame them.

These frogs may go into the 55 gallon soon if things look up for them. If not I'll get rid of them. If there's no way around this then will the future fish of the 55 gallon eat the stray bloodworms that make their way into the tank? I'm sure the angelfish would relish them but not so sure about the harlequin rasoboras or cory cats?

 

[eschaton]

IMHO, ADFs don't belong in community tanks. Just about any food that the froggies will eat, something else will eat faster. When I had them in my community tank, they usually got perhaps 1/3rd of the frozen bloodworm cube. The rest was gobbled by tetras, guppies, corys, even shrimp...just about everyone could find the food faster, considering they all have much better eyesight.

Honestly frozen is the best bet. If you're stuck on freeze-dried, something you may want to try is netting the frogs and just pouring the worms into the net.

As a final suggestion, the important thing for the frogs when eating is not seeing the food, but smelling the food. Because of this, they'll eat just about anything once they can tell bloodworms are in the water. I've seen them swallow sinking catfish pellets whole for example (looked incredibly painful). Anyway, my point is if you can get the smell of the bloodworms into the water somehow (or some similar smell they recognize as food), they'll likely scarf anything edible they can find on the bottom.

 

[: )]

I'm still researching and I dont even have any fish yet but couldn't you just add the blood worms when you turn the aquarium light out? with the fish using mainly eyesight and frogs using mainly smell to locate food

 

[Iron Man]

Well I know its hard for them to find it that's why I aim the food directly at them with a turkey baster. My only problem is that the worms I use now float up before they can bite it, if they don't bite it fast enough. You did give me an idea though. While frozen worms are out and I can't seem to find any freeze dried bloodworm "cubes" like you mentioned, I did see some tubifex worms. I'm wondering if I crushed those up to get in the turkey baster and wher the froggies could swallow it, how they would take to that.

 

[AquaDreams]

I agree, in a community tank the fish seem to get the food before the ADF but it's something we are just going to have to put up with. Eventually my fish get sick and tired of eating the blood worms and in no time my froggies have thier meal. However another thing you may want to consider is giving them brine shrimp...it may be easier to use for feeding...although some froggies are picky and won't eat it so it's 50/50. If you get desperate enough, try buying a divider to seperate them from the fish...just use it during feeding time then remove it. Whatever you do don't get rid of the ADF they take time and patience. In the long run you will be glad you did'nt!