I have a ten gallon aquarium with a Betta, two African Dwarf Frogs, and a Nerite Snail. I have tried feeding the frogs freeze dried foods, peas, and pellets, but all they will eat is frozen bloodworms. When I put the other foods in, they look like they can smell it and want it, but they won't eat it. The food can be right in front of their faces and they still won't touch it. Is this o.k. or should they have more variety? Do you think if I tried different kinds of frozen foods they would eat more?
ADF feeding questions
- Thread starter WhiteWolf
- Start date
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adadkins1
Aquarium Advice Addict
I alternate feeding my ADF's frozen bloodworms and HBH Frog and Tadpole Bites. Freeze-dried foods are not good for their digestvie system, and only specially designed pellets (like those mentioned above) should be offered. Other than pellets and bloodworms, some other people feed their ADF's livebearer fry or mosquito larvae as treats. You should put the food in at night, preferably after your aquarium lights are out. As you have seen, ADF's don't have good eye sight, so they have to use their other senses to find food. Make sure your frogs are getting food, as they can easily suffer from starvation when they are kept with other fish. Even if the lights are out, your betta may decide he likes ADF food, so that is just something to keep an eye out for.
Good avice there. Freeze dried foods are definitely to be avoided for both your frogs and the betta. Both species are prone to bloat and other digestive problems. Freeze dried really isn't great for fish in general, but especially not for those two.
Since the frogs are nearly blind, it's a good idea to feed in the same place every day. You can deposit the food into a cave or hidey hole, or use a small feeding dish. The frogs will quickly learn where to find their food when they smell it and will leave less waste behind for you to clean up. This method should work great for their pellets, but a betta will over stuff itself on frozen foods before the frogs can get to it, so I would recommend hand or target feeding for things like bloodworms and brineshrimp. Just draw them up into a turkey baster and feed the frogs directly from the baster.
Oh and as for the peas, you should definitely feed your betta a couple of pellet sized peices of blanched shelled pea once a week, but don't be surprised if you never see the frogs going for any of that. They are carnivores and don't need the veggies in their diet. If they will eat some, that's great, but if not, that's okay too.
Since the frogs are nearly blind, it's a good idea to feed in the same place every day. You can deposit the food into a cave or hidey hole, or use a small feeding dish. The frogs will quickly learn where to find their food when they smell it and will leave less waste behind for you to clean up. This method should work great for their pellets, but a betta will over stuff itself on frozen foods before the frogs can get to it, so I would recommend hand or target feeding for things like bloodworms and brineshrimp. Just draw them up into a turkey baster and feed the frogs directly from the baster.
Oh and as for the peas, you should definitely feed your betta a couple of pellet sized peices of blanched shelled pea once a week, but don't be surprised if you never see the frogs going for any of that. They are carnivores and don't need the veggies in their diet. If they will eat some, that's great, but if not, that's okay too.
The pellets are HBH Frog and Tadpole Bites. They might be too big though, the frogs are very small. I knew that the freeze dried stuff was bad for my goldfish, but I didn't realize it was just as bad for these guys. I guess I will just get rid of it, it is a pain anyway since I like to soak food first and the freeze dried stuff never sinks.
I fast everyone on Saturday and feed peas on Sunday. I guess I will have to get a turkey baster, that seems like the easiest way to feed them for me.
So, if they won't eat the pellets until they are bigger should I just feed a wider variety of frozen foods? Are there any frozen foods that they or the Betta shouldn't have?
I fast everyone on Saturday and feed peas on Sunday. I guess I will have to get a turkey baster, that seems like the easiest way to feed them for me.
So, if they won't eat the pellets until they are bigger should I just feed a wider variety of frozen foods? Are there any frozen foods that they or the Betta shouldn't have?
Matthewjasonzahn
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jul 1, 2011
- Messages
- 16
I feed my guys live blood worms. They thrive off of them. If I can't make it to the local shop for more, I use the Hikari frozen blood worms. It's all pretty universal for my tanks inhabitants.
Yes, I do feed young frogs only or mostly frozen foods until they are large enough to better eat the pellets, especially when they are competing with larger frogs for the food. I use a turkey baster as well. I will typically just plop all the food in their dish but I keep them in a species tank so, since yours are with the betta, target feeding will probably work best for you. I feed them whatever I am feeding my other tanks at the time, which is typically bloodworms, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, or emerald entree. Same for the bettas.
dovii01
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2010
- Messages
- 32
is looking for any acf frogs do you have any for sale, let me know
Hey whitewolf,
I find the best thing with my adf's is to feed them with an infants oral syringe (about 50p) over the counter at the chemists. I put a bit of defrosted worm or shrimp in the syringe and suck some tank water into the syringe too. I shake it up and then drop a couple of drops of the liquid into the tank. The betta will eat the little bits but your adf's will smell it and come out so you can see them.
For the first few feeds just gently follow them and hover the syringe above the head. When they smell it they will lift the head. If you press the syringe they will snap up the food at this point. It also means there's nothing rotting on the tank bottom if uneaten.
I find after a few feeds like this my adf's just come to the front of the tank and the older or more impatient ones stand on their back legs ready to eat lol.
It's a great way to see that they have eaten. If they are bored they won't look so keen so I swap the food next feed. I do deposit a littlefood on the bottom after they have all eaten just to keep their hunting skill up. They do get a bit lazy and prefer to eat out of the syringe but they will fend for themselves if I'm not here and someone just puts food into the tank for them.
I find this is a great way to make them less skittish and more confident when I'm around the tank. It also means I get a good look at each one daily and can see they are healthy. ( often they hide through the day say I find this is a great system to get them to pop out and let me see them all). I initially follow them with the syringe until they recognise that it's got food in. I find a few days later they all know when they smell food in the tank to come and look for it. I feed them at the front of the tank every time and they make it habit to come to the front. Those that are a little impatient will stand on their back legs until they fall over backwards which always makes me laugh. It's a brill way to see more of your adf's and observe their interaction.
Hope this helps. I'm new on here but I've had my adf's for a while.
I find the best thing with my adf's is to feed them with an infants oral syringe (about 50p) over the counter at the chemists. I put a bit of defrosted worm or shrimp in the syringe and suck some tank water into the syringe too. I shake it up and then drop a couple of drops of the liquid into the tank. The betta will eat the little bits but your adf's will smell it and come out so you can see them.
For the first few feeds just gently follow them and hover the syringe above the head. When they smell it they will lift the head. If you press the syringe they will snap up the food at this point. It also means there's nothing rotting on the tank bottom if uneaten.
I find after a few feeds like this my adf's just come to the front of the tank and the older or more impatient ones stand on their back legs ready to eat lol.
It's a great way to see that they have eaten. If they are bored they won't look so keen so I swap the food next feed. I do deposit a littlefood on the bottom after they have all eaten just to keep their hunting skill up. They do get a bit lazy and prefer to eat out of the syringe but they will fend for themselves if I'm not here and someone just puts food into the tank for them.
I find this is a great way to make them less skittish and more confident when I'm around the tank. It also means I get a good look at each one daily and can see they are healthy. ( often they hide through the day say I find this is a great system to get them to pop out and let me see them all). I initially follow them with the syringe until they recognise that it's got food in. I find a few days later they all know when they smell food in the tank to come and look for it. I feed them at the front of the tank every time and they make it habit to come to the front. Those that are a little impatient will stand on their back legs until they fall over backwards which always makes me laugh. It's a brill way to see more of your adf's and observe their interaction.
Hope this helps. I'm new on here but I've had my adf's for a while.
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