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Thread: Heating Tank Problem

  1. #1

    Question Heating Tank Problem

    Hi, I bought a juvenile Pacman frog about 6 weeks ago from Petco. I set him up in a 10 gallon tank with coconut husk substrate, a large soaking dish, and a piece of wood for hiding under. I’ve had my firebellies for several years now and keep them in a separate 30 gallon tank with a similar set up. The firebelly tank is reading at just about 70 with one large heating mat underneath, and the firebellies have been fine. I live in Chicago and the current temperate drops down to -2 at night so it’s very cold. The problem is that my Pacman tank is only reading at 68...so I bought a second heat mat with one on the side and one underneath. The temp is still reading at 68. My Pacman has not been eating and has totally burried himself under the substrate. Does anyone have any advice for heating the tank during the winter?? I’ve recently bought a space heater to try and heat the room to bring up the temperature, but that’s not a very permanent solution because I can’t run the space heater 24/7. Any heating advice would be greatly appreciated

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    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    instinctively, i think they dig to cool themselves rather than to heat. furthermore, heat in nature comes from above...the sun. i'm no expert, as my pacman frog died, but i'd recommend that you add a ceramic heater 'bulb' as a top-heater.

    i found that when you get up to a higher temperature, evaporation happens faster, so it's a battle to keep the tank both moist and warm in an otherwise dry and cold room.

    my fire belly tank is more of an aquarium with a top and with heating and cooling on the water system. so that makes it easy to keep a temperature and humidity.

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    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Hi, Alane is correct that they burrow to cool off and get out of the hot sun. Some people keep them with a UTH on the bottom but you are making them do something that is not natural, again as mentioned above heat comes from above not below. Your frog is staying buried because that's were all the warmth is, and when placing a matt on the bottom you should always have it hooked up to a thermostat so the frog isn't sitting on hot glass. Buy yourself a bulb and use that, your daytime temps should be around the low 80's and let it drop some at night. When the lights go off and the temps drop this triggers his feeding instincts and he will come up to eat and soak in water dish if needed. Also if he's to cold he wont want to eat and will have a hard time digesting his food, the heat helps with his metabolism and if kept in those temps for to long he will become ill. Hope this helped abit, and when buying a heat bulb just buy a normal one, you don't want a basking light that you would use a reptile enclosure.

  5. #4

    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Thanks guys! I read that the heating lamps dry them out too much? Is this not a concern?

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    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Do you have any recommendations on good ones to buy?

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    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Yes it will dry it out a bit faster but it’s nothing a couple mists a day can’t fix. Also if you cover 1/2 to 3/4 of the top with some tinfoil this will help trap in the heat and humidity. I cut some from each end this way there is 2 openings so the air has better circulation.

  8. #7

    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Ok I purchased a 40 watt ceramic heater because I already have a UVB light. Will this work? I know it’s questionable whether or not they really need the UVB light. Also should I get rid of the UTH? I’ve read that they may burn the frog if it’s under the tank? But I’ve had one under my fire belly tank for like 5 years and haven’t had that problem.

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    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Ya you could unplug the uth on the bottom, I wouldn’t just rip it off though just in case you get a pet in the future that needs belly heat you already have a tank that’s got a uth. You could keep the one the side for some extra heat just in case it gets really cold or if the 40 isn’t enough for some reason. Place your ceramic off to one side so he has a warm end a cool end so he thermoregulate his body temps if he wants to. You only want it to be few degree difference though. And unless it’s an albino the uvb will not hurt him.

  10. #9

    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Update: in case anybody in the future reads this. I bought a ceramic heat bulb for night and a heating bulb for the daytime, temps are now at 75 at night, 85 during the day. Dracula came out of his burrow once his tank heated up. I gave him a pedialyte bath that was 1:10 parts pedialyte to warm water. He soaked in the bath for about an hour and shed his skin and is now revuvinated and will hopefully start eating soon.

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    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Hey, glad to hear he came out. Now that his tank has warmed up he should start to eat for you, for his daytime temps don't let them go any higher then what they are. 85F is the highest the tank should tank should be, And again I'm glad he came out for you. I don't know what time you try to feed him but if you can try to feed him at night in the dark or in as minimal light as you can, they are nocturnal hunters so you may get a better feeding response feeding at this time. I feed all mine about a hour after lights out.

  12. #11

    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    I adjusted the temperature so now it’s only about 82 during the day. However he has not really moved since his pedialyte bath...and I tried to feed him 5 small crickets one night, they stayed in his tank for several days and ended up dead in his water bowl. Maybe I should try some worms and hand feed him?

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    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Have you covered 3 sides of the enclosure so he cant see out from every direction, If not this helps them settle in faster. How big is the frog? If the frog is a juvenile and you got him from Petco this means he has been there for a little while and Petco doesn't keep the best care of there frogs, he could possibly be sick with something. I don't think they dust there feeders they just rely on the gutloading to be enough for the vitamins they need in which it isn't, the feeders still need to be dusted and if he doesn't get the proper vitamins this could lead to problems like MBD. Can you post a picture of the frog, or a couple pictures. For the moving, these frogs aren't very active at all. They pretty much sit in one place for weeks on end sometimes or they get a favourite spot and just keep going back there, they aren't very active and sometimes with them being so lazy its hard to tell if there is something wrong with them. Try the worm and let me know how it goes, sometimes when they reach a certain size crickets aren't enough to stimulate there feeding response and you need a bigger feeder. All my guys and gals are adults now and only one of them will eat crickets, the rest of them couldn't be bothered.

  14. #13

    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Name:  IMG_8829.jpg
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Size:  2.39 MBThe first picture is from the other day when I took him out of the substrate and put him in the pedialyte bath, it's a before and after pic. The second one is him today buried in the substrate again, and the third is the tank. I have him in a pretty low traffic area so I figured I didn't need to cover the sides of the tank, but I'll pick that up today too and give it a try!

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    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Hey, they had the frog labeled wrong if they had it labeled as a juvenile. I can tell you right now that guy/girl is just a baby. I would suggest dividing the tank into 2 so its a smaller area for him, all the space may be freaking him out especially if he was in something smaller at the store. I would push the water bowl over more towards the wood and stick the divider about were the bowl is now.From the pictures he seems to look ok so I don't think there is anything health wise wrong. I would really try dividing so he doesn't have to venture as far to catch his food and get to his dish, and put up a background. the background doesn't have to be anything special, you could even just use some dark construction paper or something. For your gauges those analog ones aren't the best, I would get something that is digital because they are way more accurate. And I would move them down so they are about an inch off the ground, this way you know what temps he is feeling. Also being a baby you may want to try to get him used to tongs, this way you know what he is eating and the feeders cant rub off the vitamins. And they aren't the most graceful eaters and tend to miss a lot, if he gets a lot of cocofibre he is going to get full from it and then not want eat his real food. And even though coco fibre is made so the frog can pass it if eaten, if he gets a lot it can make him impacted then he really wont want to eat. And sometimes when they keep missing it just discourages them and they will just give up. Try the things suggested, sometimes it takes awhile for them to settle. Hope he starts to eat for you soon.

  16. #15

    Default Re: Heating Tank Problem

    Well I am very sad to say that this little guy died last night I went to check on him this morning and he was gone. He was doing okay on Friday. I put him in a smaller tank and tried to feed him a Worm with some tongs and he refused, then I tried 2 small crickets and he refused those too. Poor little guy I’m very sad to see him go.

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