Dart Den
Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...
Dart Den

Serving the Dart Frog Community Since 2004...

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Dominance When Feeding
#1
So it's become apparent over the last month that among my three P. terribilis dart frogs, my one Apollo is excessively greedy. He is much rounder and more well-fed than my other frogs Ash and Christopher. I tried to solve the issue by spacing out where I placed the fruit flies so that there were three distinct areas where each frog dwells on their own and could eat there. However, after a few months of doing this, I caught Christopher attempting to eat near Apollo and Apollo "attacked" him and chased him away. That, and Apollo goes everywhere to eat; he won't stay in one spot, he has to munch on every group of flies.
I recently decided to drastically increase the number of flies I was feeding, thinking Apollo would eventually fill up and leave plenty for the other two. Instead, I found Apollo excessively fat and the other two still rather streamline and hungry.
Today, I fed all my frogs a huge sum of flies, and then later in the day I did so again but removed Apollo and placed him in a quarantine bin. However, Christopher and Ash are still very timid about eating. Christopher has begun eating but without any vigor, and Ash has yet to appear and eat.

Any suggestions or comments about what I've been doing? I don't wish to have to keep removing Apollo for fear of stressing him too much, but I also don't have the space or means to separate the group. Has anyone else dealt with intraspecies aggression when feeding and found some way to diffuse the situation? Also, are my frogs in danger of not growing properly if they're not plump, but rather streamline (i.e. their stomach is flat with their sides and doesn't pudge out)?

All non-hateful, helpful comments are appreciated.
Reply
#2
Can you post some pics of the thinner frogs?
Glenn
Reply
#3
Social dynamics are 'what they are'. Frogs are like people and sometimes, will never get along. Like Glenn said, pics of the frogs and the tank would be very helpful. Observing feeding is of paramount importance, as you have learned and is the first step to recognizing stress. Stress and poor feeding will almost 100% lead to death. Sickness, disease and then ultimately death.

All I can advise is the overriding advice of - if they all aren't feeding and growing properly (good robust body size), then moving 1 or more to a different tank must be QUICKLY considered.
https://www.facebook.com/dartden/

https://twitter.com/DartDen


"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana".
Reply



User Panel Messages

Announcements
Announcement #1 8/1/2020
Announcement #2 8/2/2020
Announcement #3 8/6/2020