# Food other than FFFS



## InvertaHerp (Mar 4, 2013)

So, I have been culturing FFFs for the first time. However, I would like to provide more diversity. I know that flour and bean beetles are good, but can milkweed bugs be effective? If so, where can I cheaply acquire any of these species? Also firebrats (These for adult auratus) Thanks.


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

From what I understand milkweed bugs can be poisonous. There have been many threads on other feeders which you can find using the search button.That being said,bean beetles,lesser waxworms,isos,springs.........and so on.

I know you said bean beetles,but they are one of my favorite "other" feeders.


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## InvertaHerp (Mar 4, 2013)

oddlot said:


> From what I understand milkweed bugs can be poisonous. There have been many threads on other feeders which you can find using the search button.That being said,bean beetles,lesser waxworms,isos,springs.........and so on.
> 
> I know you said bean beetles,but they are one of my favorite "other" feeders.


From what i understand they are safe if fed on sunflower seeds, just depends on what the frogs think . Anyways, I think I'm going to get some firebrats (seem prolific) and the beetles


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

I've thought about firebrats,but they seem like they could be a pia with the heat thing.Make sure you don't get their cousins,silverfish which look similar.They don't need heat and can infest your house.I've seen them in customers houses and thought they would be a good feeder until I've seen what they do to the paper of the insulation and books as they eat paper.I don't think the firebrats would live outside the viv though.


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## InvertaHerp (Mar 4, 2013)

Firebrats breed at around 100 degrees, so no infesting. Just death. I'd imagine the frogs would enjoy, considering they are pretty active and "bouncy"


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## Dart guy 16 (Jan 16, 2012)

what kind of frogs are you feeding? 
If they are a larger species you can try Roaches, Kenyan roaches are the smallest and they cant climb glass


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## InvertaHerp (Mar 4, 2013)

Dart guy 16 said:


> what kind of frogs are you feeding?
> If they are a larger species you can try Roaches, Kenyan roaches are the smallest and they cant climb glass



Look in the first post . D. auratus


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

InvertaHerp said:


> Firebrats breed at around 100 degrees, so no infesting. Just death. I'd imagine the frogs would enjoy, considering they are pretty active and "bouncy"



Yeah that's what I said too,but I was referencing silverfish which look like like firebrats but I believe different in color.





Dart guy 16 said:


> what kind of frogs are you feeding?
> If they are a larger species you can try Roaches, Kenyan roaches are the smallest and they cant climb glass



Roaches are not a great food source and the op stated he's feeding Auratus


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

InvertaHerp said:


> Look in the first post . D. auratus


 Haha you beat me to it


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## Dart guy 16 (Jan 16, 2012)

oddlot said:


> Haha you beat me to it


oops I missed that


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## InvertaHerp (Mar 4, 2013)

oddlot said:


> Roaches are not a great food source and the op stated he's feeding Auratus


I struggle to understand why. Various species of roach are considered to be just about the best feeder available for most herps and inverts (such as dubias). Why can't a small roach work for roaches (as an every few day variety??)


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

I suppose once in a while,but they contain a certain kind of acid which if it stores up in the frog can be bad.I'm too lazy to do a search,but there are a bunch of threads on it and Ed explains it best in one of them.I tried using dubia nimphs for my terribilis a while back and a few months later found some huge adults in the viv carrying around some of my babies teribs.,on their back.OK slight exaggeration, maybe not on their backs,but they were armwrestling for ff rights I quickly pulled the roaches and fed them to my leopard geckos.That and roaches are nocturnal and darts are not,so not the best food source in my experience.


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## InvertaHerp (Mar 4, 2013)

Fair enough. So scratch roaches? Still don't understand why they are great for everything but darts. oh well. Firebrats and beetles it is!


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

Well we're a dart frog forum...... Gotta go with what's best for darts. 
If you can get some secondary reproductives, termites are a fantastic feeder!


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## InvertaHerp (Mar 4, 2013)

frogparty said:


> Well we're a dart frog forum...... Gotta go with what's best for darts.
> If you can get some secondary reproductives, termites are a fantastic feeder!


Termites? From where/how cultured/house eating?


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

depends on which animals your talking about,but if roaches are nocturnal and darts are not,that means the prey will not be seen often enough to become food.If you do a search you'll find the other answers,but if you put a feeder in that runs and hides until lights out when the darts go to sleep,that is a very good reason in my opinion.Give them to a nocturnal animal and you may have different results,although my red eyes never went out of their way for them,but seriously do a search and you'll find that they aren't the superfood they are cracked up to be.They store Uric acid which can cause gout in reptiles. just food for thought


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

There is a member here named,charlesbrooks who sells them every once in a while.I think it's about $20 for 2000,but no queen,so you can't breed them,but you can feed them.I've often thought about them,but I'm always concerned that if they get out they could infest my house,but that's just me.From what I understand you put them in a dish so they can't climb out of it and they can't climb glass,but I'm not crazy about the idea anyway,but they are great for fattening up frogs from what I've heard.Almost too fattening so they should be fed sparingly.


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## carola1155 (Sep 10, 2007)

From another thread:


Ed said:


> You may want to be not offer those roaches as a main staple in the diet of the frogs or other animals since at least dubia roaches store excess protien in the form of uric acid which can increase the risk of gout in the consuming herps.
> 
> Ed


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

Thanks Tom,that's one of the posts I was thinking of in particular!


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

I had a...now amusing story about my first encounter with bean beetles but won't bore you with it... They are much loved by my frogs--HOWEVER---YOU HAVE TO SCOTCH TAPE EVERY DAMN CRACK ON THE VIV---They immediately climb faster than you can bang on the 32 oz. cup-- They are the fastest critter - just be forwarned, but the frogs do like them. And they can be cultured pretty easily, but I never mastered the timing very well...


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## Judy S (Aug 29, 2010)

oh..forgot to add...I have dubias that NEHERP sent as a "sample" a year or so ago...they are now...well, to say the least thriving...My treefrogs love the nymphs but up 'til now cannot find anyone to take the boys... God bless my husband...they are in a black Rubbermaid container in the bathroom...scratching away, but he never asks...I never explain.....perfect


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## oddlot (Jun 28, 2010)

I use adults for my leopards and some other critters.It definitely helps when the other half understands


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

Judy S said:


> I had a...now amusing story about my first encounter with bean beetles but won't bore you with it... They are much loved by my frogs--HOWEVER---YOU HAVE TO SCOTCH TAPE EVERY DAMN CRACK ON THE VIV---They immediately climb faster than you can bang on the 32 oz. cup-- They are the fastest critter - just be forwarned, but the frogs do like them. And they can be cultured pretty easily, but I never mastered the timing very well...


Hiya Judy,

I don't find them as fast as Hydei and find Hydei escapes worse. I feed the beetles lightly and will do a second round. I should probably do the same with Hydei, now that I'm thinking about it. Duh! They get hammered pretty quick if just a dozen or two are tossed in.


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## nate_88 (Dec 3, 2013)

Pea aphids I've been told are good but little to much work to culture 

King N8 88


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## charlesbrooks (Oct 18, 2009)

Okay, time to add my two cents... I like culturing Lesser waxworms as an alternative food source. They're kinda straight forward as far as culturing goes. The things you will need; a container with top, wheat bran ( Ebay), honey, Lesser waxworms, and a little time.


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## Tazman (May 26, 2013)

springtails are easy to culture and even good size frogs love them.


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