# Terribilis and crickets...



## Nubster (Jun 16, 2008)

I really want a group of terribilis for my 75g but after doing more research and finding that they get large enough that FF are not a practical food source and that crickets were the stable diet for them, I became concerned over the cost of keeping enough crickets for the frogs. Also researching cricket culturing I don't think that is something I want to under take either. So my options are to buy from a local store or order online. Depending on how many I have to buy that could get too expensive. One of the reasons I got in to PDF is the allure of culturing my own food for a nice savings in money.

So I guess all this rambling leads to my question, how many crickets on average should I expect to have to feed a group of five terribilis per week? And when eating a main diet of crickets, will FF still be accepted as a supplemental food source since I am currently culturing them? I know that largely depends on the individual frog, but just trying to see what everyones experiences were. I hate to settle for a frog that I don't want as much just because of a food source issue.


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## jeffreyvmd (Oct 16, 2004)

I have a group of terribilis in which the staple of their diet is hydei but I also feed them gliders at times. I do feed crickets about every 2-3weeks, more as a treat than a staple of diet. Some places where the weather is right, breeding crickets is easy but not here for me. I have raised a number of froglets to adulthood without any concern on size etc and some of these actually are breeding now. If you have any concerns, send me a pm and we can discuss further.


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

Same here... I feed predominately hydei, with treats of small crickets, waxworms, and the occasional field sweepings.

Oh yeah, and bean beetles and woodlice too. Woodlice is mostly just seeded and they pick off the youngins.


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## Nubster (Jun 16, 2008)

That is good, but how many FF are you feeding? I don't mind making lots of cultures up to a point. I would hate to have like 50 cultures or something crazy just to keep 5 frogs in fruit flies...lol


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## housevibe7 (Sep 24, 2006)

I make 4 hydei cultures a week, on top of all the other feeders I have for 10 terribilis, and 9 are froglets so they actually eat more right now than my solo adult does.


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## jeffreyvmd (Oct 16, 2004)

I agree with housevibe7. For a group of terribilis, you are not going to have to make alot of cultures, but remember that hydei seem to take a full week longer than melano or gliders so you need to be prepared. And at least for me, my hydei are definitely not as prolific and productive as my gliders so make sure you have back ups made of the hydei. If you ever run low though, feeding gliders etc as housevibe said could be you staple along with crickets at store in a pinch for a longer period of time. 

Jeff


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

just a sidenote, although not optimal as far as variety, but there are very well known professional breeders who feed their adult terribillis exclusively FF and a seeded viv with isopods etc. However, in saying that, they would eat you out of house and home on ff but the occasional treat of crix, waxworms etc. probably wouldnt hurt :wink: kristy


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## Nubster (Jun 16, 2008)

I think I was more worried that at full size the terribilis would not even eat the FF's but since it looks like that should not be an issue I think it will be ok. I don't mind making as many cultures (within reason) as needed to keep the frogs fed along with supplemental crickets and other creepy crawlies. I at least at this point am getting my FF cultures to work, now I just need to get a schedule. I do want to start an isopod culture too, just need to order some to get started.


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

its a piece of cake chad. no worries. i have atleast 40 cultures going(maybe more  ), both hydei(i hate to culture...they make me yell at them lol :lol: such a pain in the butt) but you get used to it. melos far easier and faster maturity. hydei escape artists. just make sure you get your crix from a clean source and you should be a-ok....sanitize the crix container when working with them. i would do it once a week. but thats may be just me. i am a bit of a germ freak and not afraid to admit it  isopods and springtail cultures a must for quarantine i think as well as seeding your vivs. kristy


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## Arklier (Mar 1, 2004)

I just buy about two dozen crickets a week for my pair from the pet store. They're big enough to eat the small sized crickets sold by places like Petco, and if I get any that are too big even for terribilis, I separate them out and feed the larger ones to my leopard geckos.


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

the only problem i see with petco or chain petstores is their lack of disinfection in the cricket containers. I would much rather find a supplier that will ship them to me in smaller quantities versus going through the petstores. In saying that, i am a big on keeping things parasite clean, so i may be a bit obssessive about it. :wink: kristy


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## sports_doc (Nov 15, 2004)

2 years I fed full grown terribs ONLY ff's.

recently I have added crickets to increase egg yields, and have just recently started feeding bean beetles as a supplement....still 90% ff's though.

fear not.

S


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## Corpus Callosum (Apr 7, 2007)

In addition to the FF's, bean beetles, waxworms, isopods, you can also culture firebrats which are pretty easy to maintain.


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

mine prefer crickets over anything else, they seem to really like the larger prey item, they don't really go after the fruit flies with as much gusto as they do the crickets


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