My yung pacman frog haven't eaten for over a week

[RallG]

I just got my pacman frog (fantasy) 1 month ago, when i first got him home, he ate a small grasshopper right away and the first 2-3 weeks he ate a grasshopper or mealworm every day or so, but a little over a week ago he just stopped eating?

The temperatures are 26-29 celsius (78-84 Fahrenheit) during the day, and goes down to 23 celsius (73.4 Fahrenheit) at night, i keep the humidity up at around 70-90% with daily mistings. He is roughly 2 inches in length.

If anyone knows how long he can go without food at that size before it starts to get unhealthy i would like to know. Thanks in advance.

[Lija]

hi and welcome to the frog forum RallG!

please reply to the questions of trouble in the enclosure ( sticky thread) and post them here so we can help you and also post pic of the enclosure and a frog (preferably view from the top). from what you said already night temps are too low, you want to keep them at about 26C for a baby at night.

[Mentat]

Hello and welcome to FF Rall! Not sure about grasshopper size, but a mealworm a day sounds too little for a 2 in. snout to vent Pacman. Hard to tell how long frog can go without eating because that would depend on frogs health when it stops feeding.

Do please answer here the questions in sticky thread Lija mentioned: Trouble in Enclosure. Also, could you please let us know how much has your frog grown during the month you had it? If you have not read it, this is good information about your frog: Frog Forum - Pacman and Horned Frogs - Ceratophrys - Care and Breeding . Good luck !

[RallG]

Trouble in the Enclosure

1. Size of enclosure
2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences
3. Humidity
4. Temperature
5. Water - type - for both misting and soaking dish
6. Materials used for substrate
7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials.
- How were things prepared prior to being put into the viv.
8. Main food source
9. Vitamins and calcium? (how often)
10. Lighting
11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure
12. When is the last time he/she ate
13. Have you found poop lately
14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)
15. How old is the frog
16. How long have you owned him/her
17. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred
18. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats
19. How often the frog is handled
20. Is the enclosure kept in a high or low traffic area
21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc)

Answers to the questions:

1. 80X40x40cm (128L)
2. Only one frog in the enclosure.
3. 60-90% (depending on when the last misting was)
4. Daytime temps 26-29 Celsius. nighttime temps goes down to 23.5-24 celsius
5. Just plain tap water (we have VERY clean tapwater where i live, with no chlorine or chemicals in it)
6. Not quite sure, but i think it is some sort of eco plantation soil, it came in a hard block and needs water to get soft.
7. 4 live plants, 2 pieces of cork and a vine. i washed the roots of alle the plants for any kind of old soil. The vine and cork where just put in. and the entire viv was running with light and mistings for ~3 weeks before i got the frog home.
8. Small-medium sized grasshoppers and large mealworms, will be getting alot of dubia roaches from a friend in a week or 2, then that will become hes staple food, and the mealworms will become treats.
9 Every other feeding the food was dusted with calcium.
10. A 25 watt exo terra day time heat lamp and a fluorescent light (don't know what brand of light that is, but it is ment for frogs and has a blue-ish glow)
11. Heat lamp (listed above)
12. April 24.
13. April 30.
14. pics of enclosure above. (cant get a pic of the frog atm since he's hiding under the fern)
15. Not sure, got him home april 6. and i think he was ~3.5 cm when i got him, now he is ~4.5-5 cm
16. Answered above.
17. It's a Fantasy frog, so guess that would be captive bred.
18. Answered in question 8.
19. Probably handled him 4-5 times in the time i have had him
20. That would be high traffic area, since i spent most of my day in my room, and have friends over quite often.
21. The water is changed every time i can see he has been in it (not that often) or once a week.

I hope this will help you, help me.

I think i will leave him completely alone for 2 days before trying to feed him again, just to let him relax a little.

[Mentat]

...1. 80X40x40cm (128L)
A palace (in Pacman terms) your enclosure is really nice; but such a big enclosure can actually stress a smaller frog. Don't think a tank divider will work due to background. Only option you got left is to get a critter keeper (recommend the medium ExoTerra Breeding Box) and set it inside the tank. Only things frog needs inside is the substrate and water dish. Once your frog outgrows the box in few months, can set free on tank.

3. 60-90% (depending on when the last misting was)
You humidity is going from one extreme to other. Maybe can try to cover around 1/2 of screen top with saran wrap taped to edges and then adjust spraying to maintain it between 75-80% if possible. Might need to adjust saran wrap coverage or spraying to get there. Also, do keep saran wrap 1 cm. away from hot lamps.

4. Daytime temps 26-29 Celsius. nighttime temps goes down to 23.5-24 celsium.
Try and get temps a bit higher to 27-30C day and 24-27C night.

5. Just plain tap water (we have VERY clean tapwater where i live, with no chlorine or chemicals in it)
Unless you have actually tested the water at your home for chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals; do recommend you use a de-chlorinator. If your water treatment company decides one day to add chemicals to water... your frog is going to get a toxic water bath.

6. Not quite sure, but i think it is some sort of eco plantation soil, it came in a hard block and needs water to get soft.
Plantation soil is good. When you mix it or are ready to use add dechlorinated water until it clumps in your fist but does not drip water out. Then maintain similar consistency by spraying and humidity.

8. Small-medium sized grasshoppers and large mealworms, will be getting alot of dubia roaches from a friend in a week or 2, then that will become hes staple food, and the mealworms will become treats.
Appears to me it's eating too little. My 1.5 in. Pacman grew 1.5 in. (SVL) first month home. Mealworms are not great food, are hard to digest, and unless decapitated, can hurt frog's digestive system with pincers. Dubias are good, feed them fruits and veggies. Try and get Earthworms (night crawlers at pet shop). Can also use from bait and tackle stores, just make sure they are free of additives.

9 Every other feeding the food was dusted with calcium.
Dust with CA 2X and multivitamins 1X a week on alternate days with a day in between. Recommend Repashy or ReptoCal products if available.

10. A 25 watt exo terra day time heat lamp and a fluorescent light (don't know what brand of light that is, but it is ment for frogs and has a blue-ish glow)
Enclosure looks very bright. Try turning off fluorescent light and adjust wattage of heat lamp to maintain proper temps if required.

13. April 30.
Recommend having feces tested by veterinary for possible parasites.

19. Probably handled him 4-5 times in the time i have had him
20. That would be high traffic area, since i spent most of my day in my room, and have friends over quite often.
Avoid handling as much as possible. Cover side of tank with aquarium background or any material you like. Until frog is at ease with you; also recommend you cover the enclosure front with a piece of cardboard when friends are over. BTW, loud voices or music will scare frog too.

21. The water is changed every time i can see he has been in it (not that often) or once a week.
Change water daily.
...

From reading your answers, appears your frog is stressed due to a number of reasons discussed above. It is important to correct as many as possible because a stressed frog will stop eating and it's immunity system is also compromised. If those conditions persist for long it will get sick. Please keep us informed how things go the next few days. Good luck !

[RallG]

Carlos, i've already fixed a few of the things you suggested.

I just recieved the humidifier i orderet a few days ago, but even on the lowest setting the humidity goes up to 95% and 5 minutes after i turn it off it goes down to 60%... so that was a waste of monney... so im still trying to stableize the humidity...

It turns out my digital thermometer was WAY off, so the daytime temps were around 28-30 degrees celsius all along.

I covered up the sides with black plasticbags, and turned off the fluorescent light and i must admit, it looks alot more tropical with only the heating lamp on.

and i am 100% sure my water is without chlorine or any other chemicals.

and i will try to make a makeshift devider for the tank if you think it would help.

Anything that has to do with a vet is not an option for me unfortunately, there are no vets that knows anything about exotic animals anywhere near where i live.

and i wont handle or try to feed him tonight or tomorow, just to let him relax as much as possible.