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Thread: New PacMan Owner needs tips on maintaining humidity

  1. #1

    Default New PacMan Owner needs tips on maintaining humidity

    Hello! I have a new frog named Henry. Had her for 2 days.
    I'm very excited to have her, but I noticed that I'm having trouble keeping the humidity high enough for her. Right now, it's sitting at about 50%. According to PetSmart, that is the bare minimum, but that doesn't mean it's good.
    The thermometer is just above where she hangs out (as seen in photos below), and she has been burrowing, so I like to think maybe she is self controlling her humidity? But I want to make her comfortable outside of the dirt too.

    After reading other forums, I noticed this information is suppose to help.
    1. Size of enclosure: I think it is 5 gallons, but exact measurements are 16 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 10 inches tall.
    2. # of inhabitants: She is solo and about 2 inches long.
    3. Humidity:Hovering slightly above 50%
    4. Temperature: 82 fahrenheit
    5. Water - type - for both misting and soaking dish: I just bought the water conditioner, so it's a mix of filtered water and conditioned water.
    6. Materials used for substrate: Coconut fiber and there are bits of moss around the edges
    7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials.: There is a half log, and a shallow pool.
    8. Main food source: Crickets
    9. Vitamins and calcium? Currently, it's just crickets that eat this green cube thing. Idk what's in the cube. But soon I will purchase calcium.
    10. Lighting: A heating lamp on one side, that is at 10 watts (small tank, so low wattage)
    11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure: The heating lamp and I have placed aluminum foil on half of the top of the tank.
    12. When is the last time he/she ate: Today, a few hours ago. One cricket
    13. Have you found poop lately: No. But she peed on my hand.
    14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine) Photos will be below.
    15. How old is the frog: I'm not sure, but internet says a few months.
    16. How long have you owned him/her: 2 days
    17. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred: Captive
    18. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats: Crickets, at the moment. We will try small fish in the future.
    19. How often the frog is handled: So far, 2 times for maybe 7 minutes or less.
    20. Is the enclosure kept in a high or low traffic area: Umm.. I consider it low traffic, but I check on it often to make sure the humidity isn't falling too low.
    21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc): Since I've had it for only 2 days, I have not cleaned it. Day 0 (day we got her) I put water in the dirt with filtered water, and sprayed the top as well. Yesterday I put more water (about 1 1/2 bottles of water in the dirt), and today, I put about 1 bottle of water (conditioned) in the dirt, and sprayed the top a lot in attempt to make the humidity higher.

    Thanks in advance for help and tips!

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  3. #2
    DesertHeat
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    Default Re: New PacMan Owner needs tips on maintaining humidity

    Hello! Welcome to Frog Forum!

    There are a couple things you can do to help maintain humidity. I see you said you have half of the top of the enclosure covered by tin foil; covering the entire top will help. Just cut a circle out of the tin foil to allow for the light, leave about a 1/2 to 1 inch gap around the light fixture.

    Another thing you'll want to do is invest in a digital hygrometer/thermometer. The analog ones, like what you have, are very inaccurate and will give you false readings.

    Since you posted the trouble in the enclosure questions (good job!) I'd like to cover a couple other issues I see:

    One major issue you have is the moss in the tank. Moss is a major impaction hazard if it is accidentally ingested by your frog while feeding. You'll want to remove it.

    Crickets are fine as a stable diet provided they're properly gut loaded. I imagine the 'green cube' you described is a brand of commercial cricket feed? I only ask because I've only ever seen the powder feed and the orange cube feed. Some people have had great success keeping crickets on those but I personally haven't. When I still fed my frogs crickets I used vegetables (carrots, lettuce, and potato) and smashed up cheerios to gut load the crickets. Make sure you gut load 24 hours prior to feeding to ensure maximum nutrition for your new friend.

    That said you might consider switching to earthworms as a staple diet. They're easier to keep (just put them in the fridge in the container you buy them in), they don't stink or make noise like crickets do, and they're pretty much nutritionally complete for your frog (you don't need to gut load them).

    For vitamin and calcium dusting another member has a great schedule you can use which can be found here http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html

    That about covers it at least from what I see. Sorry if I've rambled hehe, I just woke up. One last thing is to keep in mind the people at Petsmart, while generally well meaning, are not experts when it comes to caring for these little guys and often make huge mistakes in giving care advice. There's a great thread on basic care which can be found here Frog Forum - Pacman and Horned Frogs - Ceratophrys - Care and Breeding

    Good luck! You have a gorgeous little guy.

  4. #3

    Default Re: New PacMan Owner needs tips on maintaining humidity

    Thanks DesertHeart! And no, you did not ramble. Your information is very helpful and much needed!
    I will definitely go into PetSmart tomorrow to see if I can exchange the thermometer for a digital one instead, as well as find out what the crickets are fed.
    I will probably also feed my crickets the mashed veggies until these one either die out, or are eaten. (Goodness that sounds so devious)

    Also, I removed most of the moss now. Not all of it because when I checked again, she was sitting in it, so I decided not to disturb her, and just remove what she is not using. Since well, she already ate, and don't need to worry about accidental eating of the moss.
    I will probably put a small potted pothos plant in there instead to help with the humidity, but I did cover the top with aluminum foil with a circle cut.
    I read through the Care article as well.

    Thank you so much for your information!

  5. #4
    Moderator Lija's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PacMan Owner needs tips on maintaining humidity

    Welcome to the forum! What a cute froggy you have! Very pretty!

    Food part is covered i see.

    Housing - the tank is too open and a bit too big. You need to cover 3 sides of it with something, fish tank background works excellent, but anything would do. You need to take all moss out. I very strongly suggest to get a plant of sorts, plastic/silk one that is can be stick on the glass or standing one. Anything that would create a shade/shelter. All this will make her feel more safe.
    Temps - you need to have temp drop for night of a few degrees, say night 76-78, day 80-82
    humidity, 50 is dangerously too low. They need 70-80.

    I suggest to get fogger and zoomed hydrotherm controller to plug in fogger and heat lamp, this thing will control climate exactly how you want it to be, it is truly headache saver
    Save one animal and it doesn't change the world, but it surely changes the world for that one animal!

  6. #5
    Moderator Mentat's Avatar
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    Default Re: New PacMan Owner needs tips on maintaining humidity

    OK, almost all is covered by DH & Lija; just want to go back over couple things. Filtered water still has chloramines; which are toxic to frog. You need to transfer the frog to a small container (just coax it into the one used to bring frog from store) and remove all the substrate in tank. Now using new substrate; mix it with dechlorinated tap water until it's slightly damp and clumps in fist without dripping water out. That is the consistency you want to maintain with daily misting. Now you can bring container into tank, open top, tilt sideways on substrate and let frog hop out. I'm sorry since this will stress frog more; but it needs to be done. Please do avoid handling frog unless absolutely necessary and if so; wash hands well and rinse with dechlorinated tap before doing so. BTW, peeing on your hands was a defense mechanism, because it was afraid.

    If desired do not need to throw out removed coco substrate, since it's only couple days old. Just place in a plastic bag and leave it open so it dries out next few days. When it does you can remove all pieces of moss and store it until next month when you will change the substrate. Then you mix it with dechlorinated tap as per above instructions and it will be OK to use. Spot clean after frog and pay attention when it moves from a spot to another one. It might have left you a present buried under the substrate.

    IRT foods, crickets or dubia roaches need to be sized same or smaller as distance between frogs eyes to prevent impaction. Feed as many as frog will eat in 15 minutes and then remove uneaten ones so they do not pester frog. Night crawlers (not dyed) should be available at local Walmart's sport section or a bait shop. For a two in. frog would cut them same length from the pointy end. Your frog should be able to eat a whole 4-6 in. NC or 3-6 crickets daily. Once it reaches 3.5 to 4 in. and it shows a reduced response to feeding; you can go one day on and one off. Good luck !
    Remember to take care of the enclosure and it will take care of your frog !​

  7. #6

    Default Re: New PacMan Owner needs tips on maintaining humidity

    So, I cleaned out the tank mostly because there was way too much water in the dirt. So I did clean it now.
    I bought a new digital thermometer and hygrometer. The temperature is 73, and the humidity is 80%.
    I'm going to put a heater near his tank, so that it gets a bit warmer.

    And thanks for letting me know about the crickets. PetSmart said 2-3 every other day. =.=
    I just fed him more now.

    About the tank being too big, I thought the best was a 10 gallon tank. That is what I have been reading. For now, we have a 5 gallon. So now I'm a bit confused, I thought my tank was too small in the long term.
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