Pacman Frog Feeding Guide: Complete Nutrition, Schedules & Supplements

Width of feeder should not exceed the distance between the frog's eyes. Larger feeders risk:

• Choking or impaction
• Regurgitation
• Digestive stress
• Injury to mouth/throat

When in doubt, choose smaller feeders. Pacman frogs can eat surprisingly large prey, but err on side of caution.

These feeders should form the bulk of your frog's diet. Rotate regularly for nutritional variety:

• Excellent staple feeder with good Ca:P ratio
• Easy to gutload, long-lived
• Discoid roaches are only species legal in Canada
• Dubia roaches illegal in Florida (use discoid instead)
• Low chitin (soft-bodied)
• Can be kept as breeding colony

• Readily available, affordable
• MUST be gutloaded 24-48 hours before feeding
• Can bite frogs if left uneaten (remove extras)
• Noisy (males chirp)
• Shorter lifespan than roaches
• Higher maintenance

• Excellent nutrition, very enriching
• Large size good for adult frogs
• Live locusts illegal in USA (canned/frozen available)
• Legal in UK and Europe
• High in protein

• Very high moisture content (hydrating)
• Soft-bodied, easy to digest
• Illegal in UK (risk to tomato crops)
• Wild hornworms eat tomato plants = TOXIC (only use captive-bred)
• Grow quickly (use promptly)
• High calcium when fed properly

• Excellent nutrition, natural diet item
• For froglets: Cut into smaller pieces
• Long-lived in fridge
• Easy to source (bait shops, pet stores)
• DO NOT use red wigglers (Eisenia foetida - toxic coelomic fluid)

• Very high nutritional value
• Soft-bodied, highly digestible
• Can be more expensive
• Require specific food (mulberry or commercial silkworm chow)
• Adult silkmoths can also be fed

• Also called phoenix worms, calciworms, nutrigrubs
• VERY high in calcium (mostly in exoskeleton)
• Some frogs have trouble fully digesting exoskeleton (reduced calcium benefit)
• Still need to be supplemented despite high calcium content
• Small size - better for juveniles, may not interest large adults
• Adult soldier flies can also be fed

These feeders can be offered monthly or as occasional treats:

• Guppies, mollies, platies, silversides
• Silversides (frozen) preferred - avoid parasite risk from live fish
• DO NOT FEED: Goldfish, minnows, white suckers (high thiaminase - breaks down thiamine)
• Feed once monthly maximum
• DO NOT dust with supplements (organs and bones provide complete nutrition)

• Frozen/thawed freshwater shrimp
• High in protein and minerals
• Occasional treat only
• DO NOT dust with supplements

• VERY high in fat - once monthly MAXIMUM
• Appropriate for large adult frogs only
• Use frozen/thawed (safer than live)
• DO NOT dust with supplements (complete nutrition from bones/organs)
• Can contribute to obesity if overfed
• Should NOT be primary diet

• High in fat - once monthly maximum
• Large adult frogs only
• Frozen/thawed recommended
• DO NOT dust with supplements
• Not essential - insects are sufficient

These feeders are high in fat with poor calcium ratios. Use sparingly:

• High fat, poor Ca:P ratio
• Small size may not interest large frogs
• Can cause obesity if overfed
• Pupae and adult beetles can also be fed
• Better options available

• Very high fat
• Poor calcium to phosphorus ratio
• Use only as occasional treat
• Pupae and adult beetles can also be fed
• Can bite - may want to crush head before offering

• Extremely high fat ("reptile candy")
• Only for underweight frogs recovering from illness
• NOT for regular feeding
• Adult waxmoths can also be fed

These cannot be gutloaded and are less enriching, but nutritionally adequate:

• Canned snails, shrimp, mealworms, crickets, grasshoppers, scorpions
• Preserved silkworms and silkworm pupae
• Great for emergency supplies when live feeders unavailable
• Less behavioral enrichment than hunting live prey
• Still dust with supplements (cannot gutload)

• Red wiggler earthworms (Eisenia foetida): Toxic coelomic fluid
• Goldfish, minnows, white suckers: High thiaminase (breaks down thiamine)
• Wild-caught insects: Pesticide risk, parasites, diseases
• Wild hornworms: Fed on tomato plants = toxic
• Pac Attack / ZooMed Pacman Frog Food: Plant fillers high on ingredients (obligate carnivores)
• Beef, pork, chicken: Not balanced nutrition - feed whole prey with bones/organs
• Human food: Processed foods, seasonings, etc. are toxic

Gutloading = feeding insects a nutritious diet 24-48 hours before offering to frog. "You are what you eat" applies - poorly fed insects = poorly fed frog.

• Commercial gutload diet (Repashy, Mazuri, Cricket Crack)
• Fresh vegetables: collard greens, mustard greens, squash, sweet potato
• Fresh fruits: apples, oranges, berries (small amounts)
• Whole grains: oats, bran
• Bee pollen
• Avoid: iceberg lettuce, potatoes, spinach (poor nutrition or calcium blockers)

Most feeders have more phosphorus than calcium (poor Ca:P ratio). Body needs ~2:1 calcium to phosphorus. Without supplementation, body steals calcium from bones = Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD).

• Calcium powder: With D3 if no UVB, without D3 if UVB provided
• Multivitamin: With or without D3 depending on UVB setup

No UVB = must provide D3 through supplements:

Pattern: Most feedings get Calcium with D3. Every 3-4 feedings use Multivitamin with D3 instead.

Pattern: Mostly Calcium with D3, every 3rd-4th feeding is Multivitamin with D3.

UVB provided = use calcium WITHOUT D3 primarily, occasional multivitamin WITH D3:

Pattern: Most feedings get Calcium (no D3). Every 3-4 feedings use Multivitamin (no D3). Every 7-8 feedings use Multivitamin WITH D3.

• Week 1: Ca, Ca, Ca, MV (no D3)
• Week 2: Ca, Ca, Ca, MV WITH D3
• Week 3: Ca, Ca, Ca, MV (no D3)
• Week 4: Ca, Ca, Ca, MV (no D3)

• Place feeder insects in container or plastic bag
• Add small pinch of supplement powder
• Shake/rotate gently until insects lightly coated
• Feed immediately (powder falls off over time)
• Don't over-dust (light coating is enough)
• Different container than one insects are stored in

• Rep-Cal Calcium with D3
• Zoo Med ReptiCalcium with D3
• Fluker's Calcium with D3

• Rep-Cal Calcium without D3
• Zoo Med ReptiCalcium without D3
• Repashy SuperCal NoD

• Rep-Cal Herptivite with Beta Carotene
• Zoo Med Reptivite with D3

• Repashy Calcium Plus LoD (all-in-one option)
• Zoo Med Reptivite without D3
• Arcadia EarthPro-A

• Use feeding tongs (not hands - bite risk)
• Hold feeder in front of frog
• Wiggle slightly to trigger feeding response
• Keep fingers away from mouth (strong bite)
• Some frogs prefer tong feeding

• Drop feeder insects into enclosure
• Allows natural hunting behavior
• More enriching than tong feeding
• Remove uneaten crickets (can bite frog)
• Some shy frogs prefer not being watched

• Place feeders in shallow dish
• Movement attracts frog
• Prevents substrate ingestion
• Good for worms and roaches

• Temperature too low: Warm side must be 80-85°F for proper digestion
• New frog stress: Allow 3-7 days to settle in before offering food
• Picky eater: Try different feeder types (some frogs have preferences)
• Too shy: Some frogs won't eat if watched - leave and check later
• Feeding tong fear: Try free-range feeding instead
• Wrong feeder size: Too large or too small
• Brumation: Some frogs stop eating seasonally (normal if temps stable)
• Illness: If refusing food for 2+ weeks with good temps, see vet

Pacman frogs are opportunistic feeders that act hungry constantly. This does NOT mean they need more food:

• Stick to schedule (adults every 7-10 days)
• Overfeeding causes obesity and fatty liver disease
• Frog will survive and be healthier on proper schedule
• Begging is instinctual, not indication of starvation
• Resist temptation to feed early

FALSE. Chitin (exoskeleton material) is a digestible carbohydrate that makes up insect fiber. Hardness does NOT indicate higher fiber. With proper overhead heating providing short wavelength infrared, Pacman frogs easily digest insects with hard exoskeletons. This myth persists despite no scientific evidence.

FALSE. While BSFL are very high in calcium, it's mostly in the exoskeleton which some animals can't fully digest. They still need regular calcium and multivitamin supplementation like any other feeder.

FALSE. Live prey provides essential behavioral enrichment. Hunting and capturing prey is natural, instinctual behavior. Frozen/thawed options are fine for vertebrate prey (rodents, fish) to avoid aggression injuries, but live insects are appropriate and enriching.

• Buy feeders in bulk online (much cheaper than pet stores)
• Start dubia roach breeding colony (indefinite supply after setup)
• Shop around - prices vary dramatically by supplier
• Join local reptile groups for group feeder orders
• Keep feeders alive longer with proper care (reduces waste)
• Avoid overfeeding (saves money and improves frog health)

• Keep in ventilated container with egg crate
• Room temperature (70-80°F)
• Feed gutload diet continuously
• Remove dead roaches promptly
• Can live weeks to months with proper care

• Keep in ventilated cricket keeper
• Room temperature, avoid temperature extremes
• Provide egg crate or cardboard tubes
• Feed gutload continuously
• Remove dead crickets daily (cannibalism)
• Last 1-3 weeks

• Store in fridge (40-50°F)
• Keep in bedding/soil
• Moist but not waterlogged
• Can last weeks to months
• Check regularly, remove dead worms

• Room temperature (70-80°F)
• Feed specialized diet (comes with or buy separately)
• Grow VERY quickly (use promptly)
• Clean frass (waste) regularly
• Last 1-2 weeks before pupating

• Feeders appropriately sized (width = distance between eyes)
• Feeders gutloaded 24-48 hours
• Feeder dusted with appropriate supplement (unless rodent/fish)
• Warm side temperature 80-85°F (required for digestion)
• Water dish has fresh treated water
• Feeding method chosen (tong, free-range, or dish)
• Remove uneaten crickets after feeding
• Track feeding date for next scheduled feeding