# Methods in Triggering Breeding in frogs



## Chicago Frog Man (Mar 5, 2009)

I have read a lot on breeding, and I was curious if anyone does anything special that works with their frogs to trigger breeding other than the traditional ways. I have read these so far:

1. Simulate dry season, feed less, then feed a lot and mist a lot.

2. Seperate male from female for a few weeks, then put them back together.

3. Introduce a second male to a pair.

It doesn't have to be a proven method, something that you have done that you believe has triggered breeding in your frogs. Played music, changed a pair's environment from a 10g to a 20g tank, increased egg laying sites, changed temps, turned off direct light source and provided ambient light, something like that. Also, if you can post what type of frogs you used these methods on it would be appreciated!


----------



## frogmanroth (May 23, 2006)

I feed tincs like crazy everyday for 3 weeks while misting heavy, this has worked on my pums also. 

Moving the tank to a different elevation in your room could also spark some love. Some of my best breeding has been from tanks just laying on the floor. 

I have come to a conclusion for my frogs is to feed, feed, feed, mist and that works. 

Keep doing what you have and give them some time, is the best advice.

Side note - was it you that had the fire? That could be it too?


----------



## Chicago Frog Man (Mar 5, 2009)

Yeah, I live in a 3 story condo, and we had a fire on the 3rd floor, wiped out 34 units. I'm on the ground floor, but couldn't get in for a few days, had a little smoke in my place, all frogs ok though. Eggs all dried out. My Azureus Fine Spots have laid another clutch since the fire, but no one else. 6 other adult breeding pairs I am waiting on. I know, patience, patience, patience! Thanks for the info!


----------



## Elf_Ascetic (Jan 31, 2009)

Something that in any case is good for the succesrate of clutches is start feeding Pea Aphids.


----------



## SMenigoz (Feb 17, 2004)

4.) Have a meeting at your place. After I had a MADs(Mid Atlantic Dendro) meeting, the egg production spiked the next day. Perhaps the flash of the bulbs, perhaps the flurry of visitors peering into their homes, or maybe something as simple of the temp increase form all the people...have not been able to repeat that one-day output since. Looks like its time to schedulre another meeting...
Scott


----------



## ggazonas (May 11, 2008)

SMenigoz said:


> 4.) Have a meeting at your place. After I had a MADs(Mid Atlantic Dendro) meeting, the egg production spiked the next day. Perhaps the flash of the bulbs, perhaps the flurry of visitors peering into their homes, or maybe something as simple of the temp increase form all the people...have not been able to repeat that one-day output since. Looks like its time to schedulre another meeting...
> Scott


Scott i have to second that approach. After have the NJ meet i had a number of frogs begin to breed. I suppose having meetings are good for egg production


----------



## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

changing temps can sometimes do it. like if you keep it warmer or colder for around a week and then get temps back to normal. also, it never fails to move them to a new tank! i moved some frogs that hadnt bred in a year from a 26 gallon to a 10 gallon and boom! 4 clutches in 2 weeks.

one of my teachers in high school a few years ago told me when she went to panama and visited a breeding facility they told her that they keep tanks dark for a while and then brighten them up and thats how they breed. after all, only around 5% of light gets to the rainforest floor. maybe we are all blinding our frogs


----------



## Chicago Frog Man (Mar 5, 2009)

Good stuff. Thanks for everyone's input. This is what I was looking for, off the beaten path advice. Gonna try some of the tips, I'll keep this post updated if I get any breeding from the advice. Thanks again!


----------



## Chicago Frog Man (Mar 5, 2009)

It's been a few months, and one thing I noticed with my frogs is that before the lights click on from the timer, they have ambient light in the morning. I see a lot of activity going on in the tanks before the direct light hits, then when the lights go on, the shy frogs hide, and there isn't as much activity. I have a bunch of tanks and racks, so I turned off the light on the middle shelf and it got light from all the other tanks, (maybe more like the shade from the forrest floor?) and had my Bakhuis female following the male all over the place and finally got some good clutches using this method. Not sure if the light had anything to do with it or not, maybe it was just their time, but I got 2 clutches and tads in the water the last 18-20 days. Maybe the bright lights stress them out? In nature they don't get direct sunlight everyday, weather changes, etc. Who knows, but I've got tads!


----------



## Omead (Mar 21, 2009)

Chicago Frog Man said:


> It's been a few months, and one thing I noticed with my frogs is that before the lights click on from the timer, they have ambient light in the morning. I see a lot of activity going on in the tanks before the direct light hits, then when the lights go on, the shy frogs hide, and there isn't as much activity. I have a bunch of tanks and racks, so I turned off the light on the middle shelf and it got light from all the other tanks, (maybe more like the shade from the forrest floor?) and had my Bakhuis female following the male all over the place and finally got some good clutches using this method. Not sure if the light had anything to do with it or not, maybe it was just their time, but I got 2 clutches and tads in the water the last 18-20 days. Maybe the bright lights stress them out? In nature they don't get direct sunlight everyday, weather changes, etc. Who knows, but I've got tads!


I've been toying around with the lights on my tanks as well.

I covered the top between the light and tank with some black screen material to diffuse the light and darken one of my vivs. Ive noticed a lot more activity since from my azureus pair but havent seen any breeding yet. Hopefully soon I will find some eggs.

A couple weeks ago I recieved a few CR g&b auratus froglets and since I dimmed the light on their enclosure I'm seeing them more often too. At first I would usually only see 1 or 2 of them out at a time, after less light I see all 3 out more often.

Congrats on the breeding and good luck!


----------



## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Here's one that's more on the "spotty" or highly unproven side...

Transfer the frogs to a new viv. The upheaveal sometimes causes panic breeding.

NOW we know why Scott hosts so many MADS meetings !


----------



## Chicago Frog Man (Mar 5, 2009)

When I needed more space, I moved some tanks and had a few facing eachother where the frogs could see eachother. I thought I had 2 pairs of Sub Adult Matechos, but one "pair" both started calling, and one wrestled the other into a submissive position. The other tank with a real pair produced eggs the next morning. It's their second clutch, but look good. That was about 4 days ago, so I don't know if they are going to continue this breeding activitiy or not. I did seperate the males into different tanks, now I need to find two more females! Thanks for everyone's input so far, Phil, Omead, Gabe, Elf, Scott, George, Adam. This hobby is a continuous education!


----------



## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Play Barry White on repeat.
Alternate feedings of regular ff's with "spanish fly"
fill brom vases with expensive champagne.
  

I like the idea of having a lighting system that comes on gradually through the day and dims in the evening like the Euro vivs have. I also notice early am activity b4 the lights come on, and would like to simulate morning and evening light cycles.


----------



## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Philsuma said:


> Here's one that's more on the "spotty" or highly unproven side...
> 
> Transfer the frogs to a new viv. The upheaveal sometimes causes panic breeding.


JUST transfered 2.1 S.I Tricolors to a new viv after 8 months in their old one. 

Booya- a small clutch within a couple days.

Humidity was higher and a little higher heat but I really think it was 90% attributable to the new diggs.


----------



## Chicago Frog Man (Mar 5, 2009)

A couple of more triggers, not from personal experience though. A guy on Dendroboard told me his Bakhuis seem to like higher temps and he had a water feature which I am sure kept humidity high. Another is thunderstorms. I just read a post by Imperial Aquatics that he got clutches after rainstorms. Another friend of mine who keeps his frogs in a room without any windows says he gets good production during storms also, he believes they can tell or feel low pressure systems.


----------



## stemcellular (Jun 26, 2008)

also, lots of growth. my best breeding tanks are those that are overgrown.


----------



## RarePlantBroker (Aug 3, 2008)

I'll second the thunderstorm activity. My house, and frog room are about the same temp for most of the year. Without any other changes, I noticed big spikes in egg laying with my Auratus and my Cobalt Tinc.'s following several successive days of thunderstorms. (Fortunately, in FL that happens most weeks in the summer!)


----------



## edwardsatc (Feb 17, 2004)

stemcellular said:


> also, lots of growth. my best breeding tanks are those that are overgrown.


Perhaps more evidence to the "reduced lighting" hypothesis? I've been toying around with reduced light for the past year with some good results. No empirical evidence though.


----------



## blacksmith (Feb 24, 2009)

stemcellular said:


> also, lots of growth. my best breeding tanks are those that are overgrown.


I'll second that one. My azureus produced way more in their old tank. They had been set up in it for over two years and you could barley see into the tank it was so overgrown. It was hard to get the eggs out sometimes, but they had their usual laying spots, so I at least knew where to look.


----------



## chadbandman (Dec 3, 2007)

I move them to a new cage or turn the lights off for a few days. Some times I put an extra peace of corkbark(8-12inch) leaned on top of the hut.


----------



## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

chadbandman said:


> I move them to a new cage.


You keep frogs in a cage


----------



## bobberly1 (Jul 16, 2008)

That whole low light thing died out for one reason or another, if you look at old books about PDF's they saw very diffused light is absolutely necessary, definitely no supplementary light. It's funny to hear that switching vivs induces breeding, a friend of mine says his imis take three months off after a move. Maybe it depends on how used to each other they are.


----------



## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

bobberly1 said:


> It's funny to hear that switching vivs induces breeding, a friend of mine says his imis take three months off after a move.


I think that switching vivs is a last resort when there is NO breeding occuring.

I would never mess with a good thing if they were on a decent cycle, for instance....


----------

