# LONG Vacation Feeding



## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

I'm leaving to go on a 3 week trip starting in Mid-July. I have someone to feed/mist my frogs and I will be selling all tadpoles/froglets prior to leaving to make it easier on the care taker. Two questions:
1. How should I go about providing the caretaker with producing cultures while I'm gone? I could make a bunch of cultures before I leave and he could use those. Or, I could contact a local-ish store and have them send cultures each week. Got any ideas on this?
2. Can my Iso's/Springs go 3 weeks with no feeding? I won't be home to feed the cultures and I don't want the caretaker to do it. I'm also worried about CO2 buildup in them. 

Thanks for any help and suggestions!


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

you are gonna have to make cultures at some point of yoru vacation, if you make a ton of cultures before you leave they will all just boom at the same time and if not fed out they will just die in the cultures and rot out, so you will have to show the person caring for your frogs how to make cultures or have a local friend who keeps frogs make them for you so he has enough food to feed while you are gone.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Julio said:


> you are gonna have to make cultures at some point of yoru vacation, if you make a ton of cultures before you leave they will all just boom at the same time and if not fed out they will just die in the cultures and rot out, so you will have to show the person caring for your frogs how to make cultures or have a local friend who keeps frogs make them for you so he has enough food to feed while you are gone.


Yea, I don't trust the care taker with making cultures, so I guess I'll have to order a few cultures each week for him.


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

To add to julio's comment, you could set up some cultures ahead of time and have your friend add some flies to them at whatever later time.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

epiphytes etc. said:


> To add to julio's comment, you could set up some cultures ahead of time and have your friend add some flies to them at whatever later time.


Wouldn't they get moldy? Could I keep them in the freezer to prevent that?


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Yes, pre-make them and put them in the freezer. Make sure they can contact you for emergencies, and line up a secondary source of cultures in case they mess them up.
For your isopod cultures, bury a few pieces of high quality dog food in the cultures. Burying them will help with the molding. Should be fine several weeks then. Also, load them up with a leaf litter and maybe put a few squares of cardboard on top. They will also snack on the cardboard and leaf litter. Use a leaf that does NOT last a super long time so they can eat it as it breaks down. 
For your springtails, you could use a small handful of rice. If you are worried about mites, you could microwave the dry grains of rice first. Sure, you will lose some of the nutrition when you microwave, but it will be enough to keep them chugging along till you can get them back on your regular feed.


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## ryank458 (Aug 5, 2010)

I would just have a few cultures delivered. No worries.


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## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

I guess i disagree. I make about 30 cultures a month, all at once. It usually works that by the time my cultures begin getting low the others are booming. My rec would be to make sure you have cultures booming when you leave, or shortly thereafter, and make a bunch before you leave ( that will be ready by the time you get back). You can also try diversifying your ffs (wingless, gliders, buzzatti) as they each have diff dev times. One trick I use is to toss a half banana in the tank as well. 

Springs and isos should be fine.


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## jeffr (May 15, 2009)

I would make 10 this weekend, 10 next week and 10 more just before you leave. This way by the time you leave the cultures you made today will be ready for feeding. You should have flies left from the last batch you made when you get back


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## froggymike (Jan 11, 2010)

If your house has a good temp differential, you could possibly make the cultures and then place them around the house in different temp zones. They should pop at different times.


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I recommend having your sitter open your spring and iso cultures every few days to make sure they've got air.


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

frogface said:


> I recommend having your sitter open your spring and iso cultures every few days to make sure they've got air.


Will do. Thanks!


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## dfrmav (Feb 22, 2011)

I only have one tank with two varaderos, so the numbers of cultures that people are proposing are just blowing me away. I always have one main culture and a back-up culture which I start with main-culture flies two weeks after the main culture begins producing. How many frogs do you people have that you need 10 or 30 cultures? Isn't that insanely expensive? Or do you buy supplies en masse at a lower price?


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## jbherpin (Oct 16, 2009)

dfrmav said:


> I only have one tank with two varaderos, so the numbers of cultures that people are proposing are just blowing me away. I always have one main culture and a back-up culture which I start with main-culture flies two weeks after the main culture begins producing. How many frogs do you people have that you need 10 or 30 cultures? Isn't that insanely expensive? Or do you buy supplies en masse at a lower price?


I keep a culture per viv, some people keep a culture per frog. I think a lot of people overproduce flies, BC they are self sustaining and free after an initial purchase, and this ensures no crashes occur which then, unless you have friends close, you are looking at a minimum of 12 days before FFs start producing(or spending good $ on emergency producing cultures from an online vendor(Been there...)). I think 2 cultures per viv is best. BTW, if flies are producing faster than eaten, flush(or give away) a few to not overcrowd the culture(s).

JBear


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

once you start making a bunch of cultures, making your own media helps w/ price. i just made a 5 gallon bucket full for about $25. i make 8 CXs a week

in response to the OP: post it notes are your friend here. ive used them in the past to remind the caretaker what to do. its easy to, for instance, place one on spring cultures that says "open me for air exchange on 8/1, 8/5, etc."

james


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

james67 said:


> once you start making a bunch of cultures, making your own media helps w/ price. i just made a 5 gallon bucket full for about $25. i make 8 CXs a week
> 
> in response to the OP: post it notes are your friend here. ive used them in the past to remind the caretaker what to do. its easy to, for instance, place one on spring cultures that says "open me for air exchange on 8/1, 8/5, etc."
> 
> james


Yea, I was planning on doing this!


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