Feeding Dart Frogs

Vivariums are basically terrariums with frogs or other small pets. They can be specially made specifically for this use, or you can use a roomy aquarium and make your own. Check with the suppliers listed in this lens for everything you need.

These are really cool, regardless of the frogs you add. You can make your own miiature landscape! Many suppliers offer different items you can add to the vivarium, including plants, ponds, waterfall features, foggers and even things to simulate rain.

But here, we'll just talk about raising flies.

No residents in here yet, it's just been put together.

This is a photo taken right before we added frogs. Later on, we put a background behind the tank - the kind you can get for aquariums. It's got a photo of rocks and bromeliads.

Dart frogs, some aquarium fish, spiders and some newborn little critters all eat fruit flies, so if you have these pets try raising your own flies.

I know what you're thinking - why not just set out some fruit and take the flies that inevitably show up?

Here's the main reason - they fly!

Ever try to smack them in the air? Agile little buggers. So stick with the flightless kind - trust me on this one! We once bought a batch of flies from a pet store that were mistakenly labeled as "flightless", and as soon as we opened the container they all flew out. We had flies in the house for a month.

Flies need to be raised in a good medium full of nutrients for their health, and for the health of your frogs whose only source of food is the flies.

Nutrition packed flies mean healthy frogs!

We purchase a growing medium from one of the two suppliers listed above. Either is good, but our favorite is from www.rainforeststation.com.

The medium is a powder you mix with boiling water, and there should be directions right on the bag. Generally, you use about 1/3 to 1/2 cup boiling water to 1/2 cup mix.

You can boil the water in a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Boil a little extra water, too, so that when you mix the medium you can add more if needed. You'll want the medium to be about the consistency of applesauce. You may also notice that the mixture smells yummy (no joke!) Good growing medium is made from things like oatmeal, cereal and spices. (I still wouldn't eat, personally!)

Go ahead and mix the medium right in the measuring cup, the glass washes out cleanly later.

Add flies to start the breeding process.

How many? That's difficult to say, we don't count 'em! Add a nice little population, but not what you'd call "lots". Take a look at the photo and you'll get the idea.

As you gain more experience, you'll get a feel for how many you like to start with. But if you put in too few, and they won't be able to produce many offspring for you.

Place the container in a warm area like on top of the water heater. For us, they don't develop if they are too cool. They will lay eggs and maybe even make cocoons, but not hatch.

It won't take you long to get the hang of raising your own flies.

It also won't take long for the frogs to learn your feeding routine, and they'll start coming right to the front of their little homes at feeding time.

In fact, we can't leave the container of flies anywhere near the frogs, or they spend the day climbing up the glass, the plants, and over each other, trying to get at them!

Hope you liked this lens, and I hope this helps you save a little money on food for your dart frogs.