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Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...

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Drosophila Hydei for young frogs diet ?
#1
At what age and/or size is it appropriate to start feeding Dart Frogs the larger fruit flies ? I have a D. azureus that is maybe a little over 3 months old.
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#2
They should definetly be able to handle some hydei at 3 months. I always feed my frogs all three available flies. starting them off on melonagaster, then buzzati, then hydei. This is the progression, but really during all three stages they get all three flies just in less numbers.
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#3
I've not heard of the Buzzati before. Thanks for the info.
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#4
D. Buzzati was introduced (as far as i know) by Derek Rader. Its a fat little fly in between melonogasters and hydei. Very slow almost never moves until the frog runs up on it, then unlike some hydei it moves, and becomes frog food. Even my retics get in on the action, which is my only frog that really cant quite get down on hydei, i have seen them eat hydei, but it was not very easy.
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#5
ALL the large Dart Frogs can subsist quite well on small flies / melanogaster throughout their entire lives.

I know a couple hobbyists that have great breeding results and longevity feeding small wingless melanagaster to large Tincs and even Terribilis.

I'm personally not a fan of Hydei, Buzzati ect. I can't get predictable culture results like I can with melanogaster.
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
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#6
Is there a way to tell what I got? I bought a culture kit (Ed's Fly Meat) from my frog fella when bought my froglets, and he sent me home with one of his cultures also. I have been doing a culture from each per week. The one's that came with the kit are not producing as fast and look a bit bigger, but the ones from his culture have a ton of larvae and pupa (almost triple per culture) so I am guessing now that I have 2 different kinds of flies here.
2.1.0 Cobalt
1.1.0 Aurotaenia
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#7
If they are small and wingless, or have tiny wings and hop around you have melanogaster, hydei are larger, have large wings and red eyes. If you got them from Darren they are probably melanogaster, he usually has wingless and gliders (the hopping ones) available at the shows.
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#8
Hydei and Buzzati are markedly larger and "blacker" than melanogaster.
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
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#9
The best thing about Buzzati is they don't climb. Although I didn't have much success culturing them. I did get some Golden Hydei's at Frog day and I like them
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#10
All good info, the flies are about the same size, but they have a different breeding cycle (noticable). They look basically the same however, like I said, one seems to explode with flies the other is a little slower but seems to be producing the same just taking longer. I just did my 4th culture so I have been watching this for about a month. I was just curious since this is one of the things I have observed so far. At any rate doing 2 cultures a week for 3 froglets = no shortage of food at this point.
2.1.0 Cobalt
1.1.0 Aurotaenia
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#11
I've seen more than a couple brand new hobbyists walking around with Hydei and Buzzati at Reptile Shows and thats....um....not good.
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
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#12
What is the downside to two different kinds of flies? This is the first I have heard of it. Just looking at them tho they look the same just one is producing faster than the other. They look exactly the same with little wings that just dont work and bright red eyes. The tips of thier body are slightly black and the rest of thier body is a light tan. I am wondering if I just got the 2 cultures that were in different stages of reproduction, which may be causing my cultures to be different by a few days.
2.1.0 Cobalt
1.1.0 Aurotaenia
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#13
Not trying to be dismissive, but here's a thread and there are a couple more here that go more in depth on the differences between flies.

feeder-insects-nutrition-how-to-feed-your-frogs-f22/some-standard-fruit-fly-culturing-questions-t4210.html

feeder-insects-nutrition-how-to-feed-your-frogs-f22/hydei-buzzatii-do-people-really-culture-them-t4553.html

To the new hobbyist, I suppose "all flies look the same" but Hydei and Buzatti are much larger than melaogaster and tend to be black coloured.

They are not recommended for new hobbyists due to their longer period to cultivate (life cycle) and that the yields (amount of flies hatched) is unpredictable and usually much less than melanogaster - making for a rough time for new hobbyists that shouldn't have to deal with difficult culturing issues when they are first starting out.
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
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#14
Melanogaster are fine to feed to all the largest of Dart Frogs - Large Tincs, Terribs.....all can eat the smaller cultured flies - Melanogaster all their life, thrive and breed. Larger flies are just not necessary.
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"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
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#15
I think its more of a psychological thing, I culture both, mainly because I like giving my bigger boys bigger food, even though I know its not necessary and the size difference is pretty minute. I do culture more melo's than hydei so I have them backing me up if the melo's flop. Another thing, I dont think I've ever caught a melo on my toothbrush. Hydei seem more escape prone.
Derek
1.5 kids and a bunch of frogs
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