Dart Frog Feeding

[Duncan]

Hi Everybody,

I've noticed over the past month or so (the time I've had them) that my D. tinctorius (cobalts) are not what you'd call the most agile or adept hunters. They don't have any problems tracking food items, but when it comes to actually grabbing hold they're just pitiful. They often seem to just come up short in their lunges for the food item. Fortunately the flightless fruit flies I feed are even more stunned! When it comes to getting the pinhead, and even the 5 day old, crickets I'm also feeding they get "lucky" occasionally, but miss many more times than they hit. By the time they recover from their "recoil" the cricket is long gone. Although they seem to be doing O.K. on mainly the flies, I'd like them to pack on some weight, and the crickets would seem to be logical answers. Any comments or suggestions? My Epipedobates tricolor (Phantasmal) darts don't have the same problems (nor do my mantellas), in fact they readily take down larger and more active crickets than the tincs could ever dream of! What do you think? Anybody else notice this before?

Duncan

[Mark Pepper]

Hi Duncan,

it sounds like your tincs have some sort of nutritional deficiency. I have seen this in a couple of auratus I bought nearly five years ago, which were my first darts, they are still alive, but never grew to reach their full potential. I believe it has to do with improper supplementation/nutritional intake. Are you dusting the fruitflies/crix? A few misses is normal, but what you are describing is not.
A varied diet is best, and crickets are great food, but they are only as good as what they are gut loaded with, try gut loading them with a variety of greens, veggies, fruit, and even some fish foods, especially spirulina based ones, by feeding crix gut loaded with this, it will ensure that they recieve a broad spectrum of protiens and nutrients.

Good luck wth your frogs!