new male fantasy froglet

[Ra]

the benefit of the can-o-crickets over live crickets is that the can o crickets are in a can, whereas live crickets are alive, which isnt very convenient and crickets are gross, stinky insects. Another plus is that the canned ones (provided you got a high quality one like zoo med or something similar) are gutloaded with highly nutritious stuff right before they are canned, which is also very convenient. Live crickets are just inconvenient, but if you already raise them or keep large quantities and gut load them right, by all means use them, just dont forget to feed some fish fish and mice every now and then.
I swear by fish/pacman food and nightcrawlers when it comes to getting a baby frog up to size. I got three pacs and a fantasy frog from just under quarter sized to over two inches in a month, and a Budgetts Frog from the size of a silver dollar to over three and a half inches in a month on that diet.

[GrifTheGreat]

the benefit of the can-o-crickets over live crickets is that the can o crickets are in a can, whereas live crickets are alive, which isnt very convenient and crickets are gross, stinky insects. Another plus is that the canned ones (provided you got a high quality one like zoo med or something similar) are gutloaded with highly nutritious stuff right before they are canned, which is also very convenient. Live crickets are just inconvenient, but if you already raise them or keep large quantities and gut load them right, by all means use them, just dont forget to feed some fish fish and mice every now and then.
I swear by fish/pacman food and nightcrawlers when it comes to getting a baby frog up to size. I got three pacs and a fantasy frog from just under quarter sized to over two inches in a month, and a Budgetts Frog from the size of a silver dollar to over three and a half inches in a month on that diet.

I am raising a large female that went from quarter sized to 4" in 2.5 months. No mice or fish. Varied diet of invertebrates gut loaded crickets(live), Red Wigglers, Waxworms, Night Crawlers, and occasional Pacman Food. Hornworms as a treat. She is huge and powerful. Green/Brown C. Cranwelli named Pariah.

[aquamentus11]

impressive. since he's my first, i just want him healthy and growing appropriately. i will definitely order the pacman food. he's switched over to the eco earth, btw, and the tank's been cut down to half the size it was.

@grif: can that low temp exo terra mat be mounted under the tank? side mounting has never and is not working for me.

[GrifTheGreat]

impressive. since he's my first, i just want him healthy and growing appropriately. i will definitely order the pacman food. he's switched over to the eco earth, btw, and the tank's been cut down to half the size it was.

@grif: can that low temp exo terra mat be mounted under the tank? side mounting has never and is not working for me.

No not for burrowing frogs. They burrow to hide and cool off during the day and will not understand why they cannot cool off. Plus the substrate will absorb the heat so you will not gain the necessary temp needed. Side mounted is best and will work well if you cover 3/4 of the screen top with Saran Wrap to help hold heat and humidity in.

[Ra]

impressive. since he's my first, i just want him healthy and growing appropriately. i will definitely order the pacman food. he's switched over to the eco earth, btw, and the tank's been cut down to half the size it was.

@grif: can that low temp exo terra mat be mounted under the tank? side mounting has never and is not working for me.

When selecting an UTH by size and tank size for SIDE mounting, I would up the size suggested by the manufacturer, for instance, if it says one if good for up to 10 gallons, get the one for a 20 gallon or so. The reason behind this would be that a UTH is designed for undertank use. By side mounting, the heat distributes differently so it helps to use a larger watt uth that covers more space on the glass.
A good example of this would be for heating a rack. The 3" 10 watt is good for heating snake racks with bottom heat up to required warmth, but is pretty much inneffective at doing the same thing on a back mounted frog rack. For back mounting, you have to go with the 11" to get the desired warmth inside the enclosures.


edit; didnt realize you were using low watt on plastic. I didnt realize any UTH could actually be mounted directly on to plastic. What surface termperature does this thing actually reach?

[GrifTheGreat]

When selecting an UTH by size and tank size for SIDE mounting, I would up the size suggested by the manufacturer, for instance, if it says one if good for up to 10 gallons, get the one for a 20 gallon or so. The reason behind this would be that a UTH is designed for undertank use. By side mounting, the heat distributes differently so it helps to use a larger watt uth that covers more space on the glass.
A good example of this would be for heating a rack. The 3" 10 watt is good for heating snake racks with bottom heat up to required warmth, but is pretty much inneffective at doing the same thing on a back mounted frog rack. For back mounting, you have to go with the 11" to get the desired warmth inside the enclosures.


edit; didnt realize you were using low watt on plastic. I didnt realize any UTH could actually be mounted directly on to plastic. What surface termperature does this thing actually reach?

There are only 2 that can be mounted to plastic and both are made by Zoo Med. One for Hermit Crab plastic enclosures and the second is the same size, Item# RH-7. There was a third, but I haven't seen it in a while. It too was Hermit Crabs, but was circular rather than rectangular. Same wattage.

[TeeRiddle]

There are only 2 that can be mounted to plastic and both are made by Zoo Med. One for Hermit Crab plastic enclosures and the second is the same size, Item# RH-7. There was a third, but I haven't seen it in a while. It too was Hermit Crabs, but was circular rather than rectangular. Same wattage.

I've seen a small circular heating pad for bettas at PetSmart made by Zoo Med. I believe it was a 7 watt whereas the RH-7 is 4 watts, so not sure if it would be safe for plastic. Just thought I'd throw that out there

[GrifTheGreat]

I've seen a small circular heating pad for bettas at PetSmart made by Zoo Med. I believe it was a 7 watt whereas the RH-7 is 4 watts, so not sure if it would be safe for plastic. Just thought I'd throw that out there

Nope no more than 4 watts or else it will get too hot.

[aquamentus11]

yep, it's 4W. i take it most of you are keeping yours in glass terrariums? i may just suck it up and switch to glass...

[GrifTheGreat]

yep, it's 4W. i take it most of you are keeping yours in glass terrariums? i may just suck it up and switch to glass...

I have 8 frogs, but only 6 glass tanks. One has no animals its just a Vivarium I built for my oldest female, but I don't feel comfortable with putting her in because I just don't know for sure that it is safe for a frog. Plants are fine, but I found some white mold on the substrate a few times which is probably normal, but I'm not going to put her in. Too risky for Pacman frogs.

The other 3 are in Medium critter keepers because they're too young for a large enclosure.

[aquamentus11]

do you use the hermit crab mats for the keepers? i think i made a poor choice with the keeper i bought: it looked nice and low, but it's turning out to be incompatible with all my heating options. i'll have to switch over to the medium i have once the mat i ordered comes in. sucks.

[Ra]

My Budgetts frog lives in an aquarium, but the rest of my frogs are kept in 16 qt. sterilite tubs heated 11" flex watt that runs along the back of the case that I kep the tubs stacked in.
If your room that the frog is in is maintained at about 72 F, then in a small enclosure the area that is warmed by the UTH only needs to be 80 to 82, but i doubt a 4 watt is gonna do that.
But I have nine frogs, so that kind of set up isnt really ideal for one frog.

A small 5.5 inch reflector lamp can be clamped onto something several inches above the terrarium with a 40 watt bulb, pointed down at the terrarium. You can adjust the distance from the terrarium to the lamp until a safe temp is found. This is pretty much how I kept my first pacman frogs years ago. I had them in large "Faunarium" or "breeder box" size plastic terrariums on a large shelf that had two clamp lamps positioned above them and it worked very well. I think Zoomed even makes a lamp stand thing you can do that with.

I really have to say though, when it comes to the amount and frequency of maintenance these guys enclosures need, I really prefer plastic. They are light weight, easy to move and clean and you dont really have to worry so much about it shattering and/or cutting you (which has happened to me, picking an aquarium up over and over again, it had to happen sooner or later.)

[aquamentus11]

yeah, the lamps are about all i have to operate with at this time. i keep this frog on the lower rack of an open, metal shelving unit and have a dual lamp fixture suspended from the upper shelf about an inch from the lid of the enclosure. the fixture holds a 60W CHE (which i run on medium) and a 5.0 UVB bulb that i run during the day a few days a week (i know nocturnal animals don't need it, but i like to provide all of my animals with UVB exposure at least a few times a week). i am also a fan of the sterilites, i've used them for my gargoyle gecko in the past (tilted up of course) and will probably switch over to one for this frog eventually now that you mention it. how often do you change substrate and rinse everything out for these guys? i clean at least twice a week for my tree frogs, but i use paper towel for them. i had planned on once a week with this guy.

[GrifTheGreat]

do you use the hermit crab mats for the keepers? i think i made a poor choice with the keeper i bought: it looked nice and low, but it's turning out to be incompatible with all my heating options. i'll have to switch over to the medium i have once the mat i ordered comes in. sucks.

Yep I have hermit crab UTHs and the #RH-7 is called a mini its the same as the hermit crab UTH in size and wattage. Not quite sure why the label them differently when they're the same. I guess to make more money.

[GrifTheGreat]

yeah, the lamps are about all i have to operate with at this time. i keep this frog on the lower rack of an open, metal shelving unit and have a dual lamp fixture suspended from the upper shelf about an inch from the lid of the enclosure. the fixture holds a 60W CHE (which i run on medium) and a 5.0 UVB bulb that i run during the day a few days a week (i know nocturnal animals don't need it, but i like to provide all of my animals with UVB exposure at least a few times a week). i am also a fan of the sterilites, i've used them for my gargoyle gecko in the past (tilted up of course) and will probably switch over to one for this frog eventually now that you mention it. how often do you change substrate and rinse everything out for these guys? i clean at least twice a week for my tree frogs, but i use paper towel for them. i had planned on once a week with this guy.

Don't use UVB lamps with these frogs. Its not necessary and can cause issues with over exposure. Only Incandescent heat bulbs no higher than 50 watts should be used. The CHE is fine though. Always use lamps that have a dimmer switch too so you can dial in the right amount of heat and light you need from the particular bulb you are using.

[aquamentus11]

Don't use UVB lamps with these frogs. Its not necessary and can cause issues with over exposure. Only Incandescent heat bulbs no higher than 50 watts should be used. The CHE is fine though. Always use lamps that have a dimmer switch too so you can dial in the right amount of heat and light you need from the particular bulb you are using.

i've got a rheostat hooked up to it. i just don't trust mats or CHE's without some form of control

[GrifTheGreat]

i've got a rheostat hooked up to it. i just don't trust mats or CHE's without some form of control

Thermostats work well too. I use Zoo Med Hygrotherm Temp/Humidity control unit.

[aquamentus11]

how long does it take the exo terra mats to heat up? the zoo med ones have always been pretty quick, but it's been a few hours and this one isn't doing anything. i'm testing it soi don't have it running through a thermostat

[GrifTheGreat]

how long does it take the exo terra mats to heat up? the zoo med ones have always been pretty quick, but it's been a few hours and this one isn't doing anything. i'm testing it soi don't have it running through a thermostat

It should never take that long. Take it back its faulty.

[aquamentus11]

unfortunately, i ordered it on amazon