Feeding Dart Frogs

Prey Items

In captivity, the majority of a dart frog's diet consists of flightless fruit flies. These are easy to culture, highly nutritious when properly supplemented, and suitable for nearly every commonly kept species. Additional feeder insects may include: Springtails Isopods (occasionally) 1/8-1/4inch crickets (only for larger species) Offering a variety of feeders helps provide enrichment and a broader nutritional profile, but fruit flies remain the staple diet for most collections.

Supplementation Schedule

Feeder insects should be dusted with a high-quality calcium supplement at every feeding. We recommend Repashy Calcium Plus, dust flies or crickets with it every feeding. In addition to calcium, frogs require vitamin supplementation to prevent nutritional deficiencies that feeder insects alone cannot provide. Follow the manufacturer's recommended schedule when using vitamin supplements, as over-supplementation can also be harmful. We recommend Repashy Vitamin A every other week for adult breeidng frogs. Proper supplementation is one of the most important aspects of captive dart frog care and should never be overlooked. Northern Darts Tip: Use fresh supplements and replace containers every 6–12 months. Vitamins gradually lose potency once opened, especially if exposed to heat or humidity.

Feeding Frequency

Healthy feeding schedules vary depending on the age of the frogs.

Froglets Feed daily with access to springtails and appropriately sized Drosophila melanogaster.

Juveniles Feed daily or every other day depending on growth rate.

Adults Feed every other day or approximately three to four times per week.

Offer enough prey that most insects are consumed within several hours. Small numbers of fruit flies remaining the following day are normal, but excessive uneaten feeders may indicate overfeeding. If the frogs look skinny try feeding a little more. Small consistent feeding is important to ensure they are consuming the calcium and vitamins before they fall off the flies.

Fruit fly species

Two species of flightless fruit flies are commonly used.

Drosophila melanogaster These smaller fruit flies are ideal for froglets, thumbnails, and smaller dart frog species. They reproduce quickly and are the primary feeder used by most hobbyists.

Drosophila hydei Hydei are significantly larger and produce more biomass per feeding. They are best suited for adult frogs that can comfortably consume larger prey.

Many keepers maintain cultures of both species to accommodate frogs of different ages and sizes.

Hydei cultures tend to take longer to produce flies than melanogasters so keep that in mind when making cultures.

Culturing Fruit flies