# Will frogs eat guppies?



## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

Will dart frogs eat baby guppies? I put some in a petri dish in my Azureus tank. So far they are still alive and swimming.


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

Steverd said:


> Will dart frogs eat baby guppies? I put some in a petri dish in my Azureus tank. So far they are still alive and swimming.


I doubt a pdf would but almost all aquatic frogs will even African clawed frog.


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## R1ch13 (Apr 16, 2008)

Did you put them in their with the hope of them doing so? If so, can I ask why you decided to place them inside the viv?

Just curious.

Regards,
Richie


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

R1ch13 said:


> Did you put them in their with the hope of them doing so? If so, can I ask why you decided to place them inside the viv?
> 
> Richie


I just gave all of my fish away on CL, to make room for more terrariums.
Four guppy babies were missed. I could smash them, freeze them or kill them somehow. OR I thought I would experiment and see if a PDF would eat a baby guppy. These are really small, just a few days old I would think.

They are in with my Azureus, Maybe I should see if my Leucs like fish instead?

Suggestions?
Steve


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

I'm pretty sure (although I have no documented evidence) that MOST common darts are not aquatic predators. They may try though mistakenly if they see the movement at the waters edge, but i doubt they would go in after the fish. 

On a side note, I am trying to raise smaller fish species like endlers and what not in a few of my new water features, seems pretty successful. Even have Ameerega pepperi tads living harmoniously with them 

Ed


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## scoy (Jan 22, 2013)

They will prolly eat them if you wait till the frogs are hungry and just dump the water out letting the fish flop around.


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

scoy said:


> They will prolly eat them if you wait till the frogs are hungry and just dump the water out letting the fish flop around.


I thought about that. Dust them with calcium and let them flop around.
I don't think that they would flop around very long dusted.

Steve


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

Mantellaprince20 said:


> I'm pretty sure (although I have no documented evidence) that MOST common darts are not aquatic predators. They may try though mistakenly if they see the movement at the waters edge, but i doubt they would go in after the fish.


Good point. I think the closest to this I've seen is a dusted FF floating or standing on top of the water. I've seen my frog pick them off from the sides/edges.

Steve


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## R1ch13 (Apr 16, 2008)

Or you could spare their life's and keep them, 4 little guppies won't take up much space. Either that or pass them onto someone who would appreciate them.

Just some thoughts as opposed to killing them needlessly...

Regards,
Richie


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

R1ch13 said:


> Or you could spare their life's and keep them, 4 little guppies won't take up much space. Either that or pass them onto someone who would appreciate them.


Nice idea, but four guppies can turn into 400 guppies in no time. I know when I went through my 'guppy phase' I had TWENTY tanks of guppies!

Steve


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## bristles (Jan 19, 2011)

My terribilis have eaten cherry shrimp out of a petri dish with a few mm of water in it


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

bristles said:


> My terribilis have eaten cherry shrimp out of a petri dish with a few mm of water in it


Oooow - that's a nice meal!! I do have a few cherry shrimps in my java moss tank.

I wish I had a few Terribilis right now. My new terrarium was going to be a terribilis tank, but now I'm thinking 'Fine Spot' Leucs.

Steve


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

bristles said:


> My terribilis have eaten cherry shrimp out of a petri dish with a few mm of water in it


Hmm....this kinda inspires me to try little petri dishes with just enough water to hold the smallest shrimp I can get...maybe babies for the shrimp breeder/dart keepers out there and see if I can get my frog to eat them...be a nice supplemental food probably, maybe it would color them up!


On a side note, Frogs will have tea and cake with guppies..The frogs usually bring new tea varieties to try, while the guppies are responsible for hosting the tea party and providing the cakes...don't ask me how guppies bake underwater...I don't know, perhaps their idea of "cake" is different or it is something like no bake brownies made from whatever is edible in the water/fish food. Anyways, it is only fair that the guppies host, since the frogs can go to them, but they can't go to the frogs...it was tried, the party ended badly. As for why the frogs refuse to bake, I don't know some kinda personal reasons I guess...or something.


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## TDK (Oct 6, 2007)

With most frog owners being so careful to clean and sanatize everything that goes in their tanks, why would you want to introduce something (guppies, shrimp)that could carry some pathogen and possibly kill them all?


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## scoy (Jan 22, 2013)

As food. You introduce ff, isos, and springs. Why not guppies and shrimp.


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## TDK (Oct 6, 2007)

Some people take wild collected Springtails and will breed for a couple of generations, only taking the young to start the next generation, in hopes of removing possible diseases and any trace of possible contaminant from the collected. Friut flies and.Springtails have been bred and used for sometime and have been found to be safe. Can you say that of the guppy or shrimp? If you get something like that at your local pet store it could have been exposed to more than one disease. Better to be safe and use good practice here rather than experiment with your frog's health. Others please respond.


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

scoy said:


> As food. You introduce ff, isos, and springs. Why not guppies and shrimp.


Agree, Frogs are tougher than people think. 
A variety of food is nice. How many people feed outside ants (other bugs) to their frogs? I know of a couple. Wouldn't you get bored of eating FF all of your life? 

I can guarantee my guppies are as disease free as any FF, Springtails or isopods I have in my house.


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## Chazuta (Feb 27, 2013)

I have fire belly toads housed with guppies, the fish swim right in front of their nose but they never try to catch them. when the toads are outside of the water I throw in some live shrimp and they eat them right away.


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## BDport (Feb 17, 2009)

Steverd said:


> Agree, Frogs are tougher than people think.
> A variety of food is nice. How many people feed outside ants (other bugs) to their frogs? I know of a couple. Wouldn't you get bored of eating FF all of your life?
> 
> I can guarantee my guppies are as disease free as any FF, Springtails or isopods I have in my house.


Variety of food is for the animals general health because its a closed system controlled by us.
Frogs dont get bored.


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

BDport said:


> Variety of food is for the animals general health because its a closed system controlled by us.
> Frogs dont get bored.


I know I've read on here the "Frogs don't get bored".
How do you actually go about proving that? I would think most studies would
be up to interpretation. 

Comments?


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## BDport (Feb 17, 2009)

Steverd said:


> I know I've read on here the "Frogs don't get bored".
> How do you actually go about proving that? I would think most studies would
> be up to interpretation.
> 
> Comments?


Frogs have a pretty basic reptilian brain/nervous system.
They dont get happy or sad or lonely.
They dont explore because its fun.
Those are higher animal traits.
Frogs do, what they do, from evolutionary programming.
Its what they need to do to live and breed.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

BDport said:


> Frogs have a pretty basic reptilian brain/nervous system.
> They dont get happy or sad or lonely.
> They dont explore because its fun.
> Those are higher animal traits.
> ...


Oh really? I see that toe tapping every time I come near their tanks. That's gotta say, I'm happy to see you.


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## scoy (Jan 22, 2013)

Yeah, like when your dog wags its tail.


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## pdfCrazy (Feb 28, 2012)

Or it's Pavlov's Dogs syndrome, anticipating food being dropped in for them. I know my Tincs and Terreblis do this, they know when they are beign fed. Thats inteligence, not just instinct. Its a learned response.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Most diseases don't transfer between species...easily at least. So is there risk yes...is it huge? debateable... and if you can breed the shrimp for a few generations, starting from eggs put into a fresh environment especially...using plants that are clean, there is less and less chance of issues. It is up to each individual keeper if the new feeder/experiment and all associated risks are worth it.


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## Reef_Haven (Jan 19, 2011)

Dendro Dave said:


> Most diseases don't transfer between species...easily at least.


There may be some risk.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/science-conservation/54399-chytrid-can-use-freshwater-shrimp-host.html

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/science-conservation/90411-crayfish-harbor-chytrid.html


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## BDport (Feb 17, 2009)

Intelligence to a degree,ie learned responses, sure ill agree w that.
Ive seen it myself.

Emotions like boredom or sadness...nope


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## bristles (Jan 19, 2011)

I have been raising cherry shrimp in my planted aquariums for years, and believe them to be in excellent health as they grow very robustly & have excellent color. When I said I had fed my terribilis cherry shrimp that was true, but only about 5 or 6 times over a period of months. It's not like I do it twice a week, I conducted my shrimp experiment a few years back with no ill affect. That said, I don't think frog hobbyists are going to rush to the pet store to buy cherry shrimp for their frogs. I mean come on the buggers go for around $6 to $7 a piece in this neck of the woods. And it is somewhat of a hassle to catch them & get them in a petri dish to serve for dinner, just as the OP stated about the guppies I don't think it was meant as a regular part of his frogs diet but would they be eaten.
I'm not suggesting that people start trying to feed frogs anything they find just any where, but I believe that trying to give the largest variety of food is beneficial as long as some care is given to ensure that it doesn't have the chance of chemical contamination or come from a source that the husbandry is not known.


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## Chazuta (Feb 27, 2013)

Dendro Dave said:


> ... and if you can breed the shrimp for a few generations, starting from eggs put into a fresh environment especially...using plants that are clean, there is less and less chance of issues.


I am not sure if you can separate the eggs and raise them, most shrimp carry their eggs with them all the time until they hatch.
Basic care and husbandry will prevent diseases when keeping shrimp or any other pet, and I think our shrimp, frog, fish...or whatever tank is much cleaner compared to their natural habitat.


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