# Extremely Skinny Imi



## pocketgnome (Feb 8, 2007)

This little guy has a crippled leg but gets around fine. I've seen him eat a few flies and he chases them around the tank all the time. I have opened up a a booming spring culture and placed it directly in the tank hoping he would sit there and eat them until he was huge, but he hasn't. I don't know what to do for this little guy. I feed my darts some springs and melano flies. I dust the flies about once every week. The other imitator in the tank is very fat, and I have been way over feeding in the hopes this guy would fatten up. He was doing well for a while, but now he looks like this. What should I do??? Should I soak him in pedialyte?


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

i would take him out and put him in a QT tank, this will allow you to feed him/her and the other frogs wont able to bully him/her which is what might be happening. 

i think if you get some Calcium Gluconate could help also contact a vet, dr frye would be a good choice as he has helped me before in emergencies http://www.fryebrothersfrogs.com/

and read this post 

http://www.dendroboard.com/care-sheets/topic22383.html


hope the little fella get better!!


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## RedEyeTroyFrog (Jan 25, 2008)

once a week dusting doesnt seem like nearly enough IMO, i could see maybe every other feeding maybe? I dust my feeders daily switching from calcium, herpavite daily


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

RedEyeTroyFrog said:


> once a week dusting doesnt seem like nearly enough IMO, i could see maybe every other feeding maybe? I dust my feeders daily switching from calcium, herpavite daily


i agree...also it needs to be removed. have any of the darts been through fecals? i would contact dr.frye immediately as he is out weds. feeding in a separate q-tine might help. but it doesnt always mean it is bullying. that dart is soooo skinny. i would start out with what it can eat in 3-5 minutes and not overwhelm it, then increasing the food. Hope all turns out well. kristy


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## pocketgnome (Feb 8, 2007)

Okay, I'll start dusting daily and I've put him in his own little container. I'm pretty sure he is not being bullied though. The other imi in the tank is very shy and I hardly ever see it, but I saw it yesterday and it's quite chubby. This guy hangs out right in front so I see him all the time. He was thin and injured when I got him and seemed to be getting better for a while. I'll see about getting fecals. I'll try feeding him in small amounts, but I'm not so sure he's eating anything at all right now because he seems to have gotten a lot skinnier in these last couple of days.

Where can I get some liquid Calcium Gluconate in Los Angeles? I feel shipping would take too long. I've called around to some exotic/reptile vets in my area and haven't had much luck, so I'll try contacting Dr. Frye right after I post this.

Is it possible to dust springtails? I've tried, but they don't seem to handle it well.


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

the problem could be both not getting fecals and quarantining in the first place....and the injury....but get a hold of dr.frye. calcium gluconate i'm not sure of the dosage but believe it is 50/50 diluted with frog safe water, but dont count on that from me cuz i cant recall..not the expert...dr.frye is your best option. i do hope you solve the problem and get to the bottom of it and it survives. i doubt it has 2 to do with the not supplimenting properly....but that being said, now you've got advice on how to suppliment. its sad. i hope the feller recovers. kristy


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## pocketgnome (Feb 8, 2007)

I emailed Dr. Frye. They pretty much have been in quarantine this past month that I've had them, or so I thought anyway. Maybe my tank is the wrong size or set up for a quarantine? What size should the quarantine tank be? Both Frogs came from the same place, so would I need to quarantine them from each other? The 20g they are in right now is just a temp tank while I build and cure their larger vivarium. Thanks for all the help and advice. I hope he makes it too.


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

well the 20 gallon for quarantine is ok....its just a lot of space and heavy. usually quarantines to be less expensive i use 190 oz tubs with spahgnum moss seeded with springtails and sanitized potjhos cuttings and a makeshift sanitizable plastic cocohut(margerine tub/plastic plant pots with holes cut in side) to retreat to. change the sphagnum moss every 2-3 weeks. this is quarantine only 1 dart per tub. two thumbs are ok in these. you can also use sterilite bins, but need to be weighted down to prevent ff escapees. for treatment it is different . papertowels damp as substrate, makeshift cocohut again and pothos cuttings and treat per dr.frye. hope this helps. let us know what dr.frye suggested as he is the best in dart diseases....and get those fecals out to him. send some on wed. for thursday delivery. quarantines should be minimum 45 days....optimal 90 days with 3 consecutive fecals clean before entering the permanent viv. these bins and tubs are lighter than a 20 gallon. and more easily sanitizable. kristy


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## Rich Frye (Nov 25, 2007)

Daily feeding of animals in quarantine or out is not needed . And can/will stress frogs in many cases. I feed an average of absolutely no more than two times a week for any of my frogs in any container, including the 190oz Q-tubs. 

Rich


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## RedEyeTroyFrog (Jan 25, 2008)

interesting, my tincs look kinda skinny if i give them 3 days or so off...dont feed all my frogs daily just froglets, but my adults usually everyother day, so about 3-4 times a week


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## Rich Frye (Nov 25, 2007)

Being that amphibians generally do not put on or lose weight in fast increments, I have to say that your eyes may be playing tricks on you. Females that have just laid will obviously be/look smaller, but they do not lose weight that fast and in most cases (if the viv is set-up correctly) will still have plenty of food in-viv after a few days.

Rich


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## RedEyeTroyFrog (Jan 25, 2008)

maybe thats it...about the females after laying, sometimes i see my females looking a bit thin, and then i feed them, usually find eggs somewhere in the tank as well, so that could very well be it., and by setup correctly were you just referring to the viv being ff proof??


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## Rich Frye (Nov 25, 2007)

I mean that if there are micro-climates, leaf litter ,nooks, crannies, plants and such, there is no way the frogs should be able to eat all ther food stuffs in "one sitting". Even my Qtubs/froglet tubs, which are the 190oz tubs, have lots of leaf litter and plants. I know none of my adults or froglets down all the flies in a day.

Rich


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## RedEyeTroyFrog (Jan 25, 2008)

ok we're on the same page,. . . do you feel that 3-4 times a week is too much tho?


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## Rich Frye (Nov 25, 2007)

That would depend on a few factors. But I think most in the hobby feed too much a opposed to too little. And bugs crawling all over young, diseased, old, any frog will not help them.

Rich


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## RedEyeTroyFrog (Jan 25, 2008)

i tend to feed in smaller doses, and i spread the food thruout the viv so they are not all in one concentrated area so that if the frog goes to that concentrated area to feed gets covered in them, :roll: i feel my frogs maintain a healthy weight for the most part, and their arms and legs always look muscular, never obese or overwight besides my animals that got the bloat a few years back, so i feel that the 3-4 times a week is working out for me. . . everyone is different though, some ppl don't know what too much food is and others don't know what enough is i guess


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## pocketgnome (Feb 8, 2007)

The little imitator died about an hour ago.


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## dom (Sep 23, 2007)

sorry to hear that, im sure you did the best you could for him.


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

sorry to hear that, it sounded like you did all you could. sometimes stuff like that happens and there isn't much you can do about it.


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## kristy55303 (Apr 27, 2008)

sad to hear. i think we all have had some sort of related experience losing darts. It just happens sometimes and there may not be abything we can do about it. don't get hard on yourself. Once again, i am sorry for the loss. my condolences. kristy


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