# Baby Benedicta just stares at springtails but never eats!



## redrock2 (Sep 9, 2018)

I just got 3 new Benedicta froglets and two of them are doing great. They are plump and happy and I actively see them hunt and eat springtails. The third is always out hunting and staring at the springtails but never eats and he is withering away. He is so so scrawny I fear he will die any day! 

I separated him from the other two a few days ago and his behavior has not changed. He still shows interest in the food but never eats. There is plenty of food and leaf cover but I don't know what to do please help!


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## redrock2 (Sep 9, 2018)

I tried to attach a picture but couldn't figure out how to.


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## redrock2 (Sep 9, 2018)

attached image. hopefully this works


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I don't have any advice for you, I'm sorry, but I hope someone with ideas comes along soon -- that little guy looks pretty slim. 

Have you contacted the breeder you got them from? Perhaps something in their recent history might give some clues.


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## macg (Apr 19, 2018)

It doesn't even lunge at them, right?


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

Get some calcium gluconate. I would contact a veterinarian, perhaps Dr. David Frye.


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## redrock2 (Sep 9, 2018)

Doesn't lunge at all but unfortunately he died and so did two of my southerns. So I am sure it is something I am doing. I give them plenty of springtails and a few flies but they seam to be too small to eat flies. They grow for awhile and then stop... and just wither away. This doesn't happen to my tincs or pumilio's. Just my ranitomeya frogs.


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

Were these all from the same breeder? The frog in the picture you sent looks smaller than I would have sold him. I don't like to let my little species go until they are well started on flies. The little guys are different than the bigger species. Most larger frogs come out of the water large enough to eat melos, at least. Seems like there is an additional risky phase in Ranitomeya (and pums? others?) where you might still lose the frogs before they are able to eat larger food. By way of example, Understory Enterprises will sell the larger speces at a few months, but they like to let Ranitomeya get much closer to the size of the adults before they let them go. The 8-week out-of-the-water guidance (hardly a rule) on some dart frogs is not enough for Ranitomeya, etc. sometimes. That's just a long way of saying that this may not be all (or any) your fault. Sorry you are having trouble.

Mark
Edit: Looking again at the picture, it might be that the age isn't the only factor in play. It could be that there was something wrong with the little guy from the get-go and that he was never able to eat or process its meals effectively. Regardless, he didn't look right.


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