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Thread: Don't waste your time with aquariums

  1. #1
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    Default Don't waste your time with aquariums

    I'm a relatively new pacman frog owner, and I've found one thing out fast- aquariums are a waste of money. I had just bought a juvenile pacman frog one week ago, and put him in a 10 gallon with coir, sphagnum moss, a hiding place, etc. He didn't eat once. I tried earthworms, crickets, superworms. He either ignored them, or retreated into his burrow nervously. Today, I bought a $3 sterlite tupperware container (16 quarts), and transferred him and everything else over to that. He IMMEDIATELY looked less stressed out, and ate three crickets within an hour of the transfer. He's a juvenile now, so when he gets bigger I'll obviously have to get a slightly bigger container.

    tl;dr: A pacman frog out in the open is a stressed pacman frog, and a stressed pacman frog is not a hungry pacman frog. Don't spend $20+ on an aquarium, go for the $3 tupperware container. they like it better.
    Anaxyrus Americanus- 2
    Ceratophrys Cranwelli- 1

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    Default Re: Don't waste your time with aquariums

    Hi! I wholeheartedly agree! I didn't quite have the same experience as to why I switched to bins but I did end up switching. I switched due to the INSANE prices for new and even used aquariums in my area (south-western Ontario, Canada); the cheapest used tank here cost between $20 and $30 for just the tank! I moved mine into 30litre clear bins with a bunch of golden pothos plants and they're much MUCH happier froggies now. I just picked up two new frogs today and their old owner was surprised at my creativity... little did they know that I got the bin idea from this very forum lol!!
    Hurry up and close the cricket bin before it's... Aw dang.



    Owned by
    2 Pacman Frogs named Danny and Rosie (aka Dan and Rose)
    1 Shih Tzu dog named Chino (aka Roo)
    1 orange tabby cat named Fredrick (aka Freddy-Cat the fraidy-cat)

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    Default Re: Don't waste your time with aquariums

    I agree, when I first got my pacman I had him in a 10 gallon. I ended up moving him to a tub and he did way better in there.
    I have recently moved him back into a glass enclosure now that he's older, and he seems to be doing just fine. I suppose he just needed a good start in a tub.

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    Default Re: Don't waste your time with aquariums

    I have my oldest in a ten because I already had one available, but she seems to enjoy going for a hop around the tank now and then in the evenings so it works out for her. Especially after I painted the back black with acrylic paint.

    My younger frog is in a medium critter keeper on foam, but TBH I'm thinking of switching to one of the All-Access tubs that are so popular with the crestie community for him. I think having almost all the sides opaque may make him more comfortable.

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    Default Re: Don't waste your time with aquariums

    How do you heat the bins?? I'm worried about my little frog in the 10 gallon aquarium.

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    100+ Post Member monster's Avatar
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    Default Re: Don't waste your time with aquariums

    I have never used bins but I think the safest would be a heat bulb or ceramic in a dome suspended over the bin, and cut a whole in the lid and cover it with window screen so there's ventilation. I have never done the bin thing but I would imagine it would be setup some what like that. I have always started in a 10 so I don't have to buy a bunch of different tanks and I just take something like a dark piece of plastic cut to size and divide it in half. As the frog gets bigger I move the divider so he has more room and eventually you just take it out.

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    Default Re: Don't waste your time with aquariums

    I was just logging in to reply! When the page reloaded you post was already there lol. I was going to mention that I tried a heat pad side-mounted on a sterilite bin with my African Bullfrog, and while I haven't had a fire(yet), it simply doesn't heat the bin very well. That being said, I've used Sterilite bins a lot, and for large frogs and/or non-climbing frogs I've found bins are amazing. I use 90qt(20 gallons, roughly) bins for my Woodhouse's Toads, my African Bullfrog, and a smaller bin as a temporary tank for my Treefrogs.
    Monster has the heating pretty much covered, a ceramic heater or a red heat bulb should work great, especially if you use metal screen for the top(some people say plastic window screen will melt from heat emitters and heat bulbs. I personally use plastic screen and haven't had any melting problems, but you can never be too careful.)
    There's actually a sticky on modifying sterilite(or other brand) bins for use as terrariums somewhere. Came in real handy when I was trying to figure out what to use to attach the screen to the lid to cover the hole.
    http://www.frogforum.net/showthread....arium-Vivarium
    Also, the divider is a really good idea for Pacman frogs!
    1 Male Giant African Bullfrog
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    1 Dubia Roach Colony
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    Default Re: Don't waste your time with aquariums

    i just lost my pacman frog. i wonder if the ten gallon terrarium i had him in played a part. he always stayed in the left half. he was always reluctant to feed, and i would feed him in a smaller feeding container. even though he seemed just fine 24 hours prior to his death...i found him the next day in the corner, on top of the media, dried and stiff. he stopped growing two months ago as well, perhaps a clue.

    maybe i stressed the heck out of my frog without knowing it? ugh. i'm not certain i want another. why? because i'm not certain what i did wrong with my first one.

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    Default Re: Don't waste your time with aquariums

    Quote Originally Posted by hisk View Post
    I have my oldest in a ten because I already had one available, but she seems to enjoy going for a hop around the tank now and then in the evenings so it works out for her. Especially after I painted the back black with acrylic paint.

    My younger frog is in a medium critter keeper on foam, but TBH I'm thinking of switching to one of the All-Access tubs that are so popular with the crestie community for him. I think having almost all the sides opaque may make him more comfortable.
    I wouldn't go with the All-Access! I tried the smallest size for some babies I had, and while the front-opening is nice, the front lip is pretty low and with the way the door is attached it's super easy to spill water everywhere when you move it for cleaning. The larger size looks like the bottom is a bit deeper though, so it may not be as much of a problem with those.

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