Am I a bad frog mommy?

[Robin]

I just got a Whites Tree Frog (he is blue) for my son (he is 6). Frog is named Fritz.

Issue is, I am reading so much and there is so much conflicting information on caring for this frog. Here is what is keeping me nocturnal, along with Fritz.

1. Pet Store sold me a horizontal 10 gallon tank. Now, I am reading this is an issue. It doesn't seem to be right now (Fritz is small and a hider). How do I know when this is a problem?

2. I do not want to be a cricket keeper. Fritz has been gobbling up small mealworms with seemingly no issue. Is it OK to add crickets 1X/week and do worms the rest? Or any other bugs/worms I should add without cultivating or breeding?

3. The tank is a toasty 85 degrees thanks to warm climate and a heating pad. Do frogs need a special light or will the room light do during the day if we keep him warm? Do they actually require a night light?

4. Should we be handling Fritz or letting him be? He does not like to be taken out and tries to hop away.

5. Cleaning the tank -- just water or bleach and thorough rinse?

I am sure this is all covered but would like to hear from all of you. Thank you!

[ViperJr]

2. I do not want to be a cricket keeper. Fritz has been gobbling up small mealworms with seemingly no issue. Is it OK to add crickets 1X/week and do worms the rest? Or any other bugs/worms I should add without cultivating or breeding?

Blaptica dubias are great feeders are very easy to breed. You should consider them, as they are much less of a hassle than crickets to breed and maintain.

3. The tank is a toasty 85 degrees thanks to warm climate and a heating pad. Do frogs need a special light or will the room light do during the day if we keep him warm? Do they actually require a night light?

Few frogs need "special lightning", and you White's will not need it. They are nocturnal, and therefor not exposed to very much lightning in the wild. You should have some kind of lightning, weather it's a lamp or not, to provide the day/night-cycle. Regarding the night light, that's just for your own pleasure really. They do best without any light at night, since they are nocturnal. If you want to be able to see them when they are active, you should get a "moon light" lamp or a red bulb. These colours seems to disturb them less than ordinary lightning.

4. Should we be handling Fritz or letting him be? He does not like to be taken out and tries to hop away.

If you ask me, you should never handle him. It's a frog, not a mammal. At best, he will not take any damage from it, but he will never gain anything from it. A frog is not a animal you're supposed to pet. Leave him in the tank, expect when you HAVE to handle him (vet, thoroughly cleaning the tank etc.).

[meganmcnerney]

Where did you get small mealworms?

[superphil92]

Wow jeez... You need to do about 2 months of research before buying ANY pet! Bleach will deffinatly kill the frog. Mealworms will make your frog obese because mealworms are treats due to the fact that they are high in fat. Also mealworms cant stick calcium powder or multi-vitamins. No crickets and only melworms= Dead frog. Also you need an 18x18x24 tank. Do not handle them either! They absorb our oils through their skin! Sorry for being harsh but I just hate it when people buy frogs and have no idea what they are doing!

[BG]

OK ,don't get nervous. The tank is fine . i assume it has a screen on top , OK there should be fir bark on the bottom, some branches from drift wood and some plastic plants like ivy's,and other plants that hang from the drift wood a water bowl according to his size. the temp is too warm 79 tops is good, feed him in a bowl and thats it . also its ok to go back to the care sheet. Mine are doing fine. Very easy frogs to keep.

[Robin]

Where did you get small mealworms?

I purchased the small worms at PetSmart.

[Robin]

Wow jeez... You need to do about 2 months of research before buying ANY pet! Bleach will deffinatly kill the frog. Mealworms will make your frog obese because mealworms are treats due to the fact that they are high in fat. Also mealworms cant stick calcium powder or multi-vitamins. No crickets and only melworms= Dead frog. Also you need an 18x18x24 tank. Do not handle them either! They absorb our oils through their skin! Sorry for being harsh but I just hate it when people buy frogs and have no idea what they are doing!

Philip - I did do research (though not 2 months worth, I catch on pretty quick). That said, all of the tips are quite different, including yours! Reading through this website, some people handle their frogs constantly and say you need to "socialize" them while others say do not ever. As for the tank size and bedding, mixed opinions as well. The only constant is crickets but even there, some folks say they too can be hard to digest. So, you can see the confusion. So, no need to be haughty or a hater, not everyone is a frog expert.

[Heatheranne]

I did find the Internet could be misleading and also inconsistent. You will learn a lot here. Just read as many care articles as you can and peek through the posts. The care articles are previewed and checked by the forum leaders who have lots of knowledge. People will answer questions rather quickly and have good advice and sometimes suggestions for improvement. In my career I have learned that there is always more to learn and room for improvement. The information is here or will be provided if you ask. And, well... you'll enjoy your babies and will be a good parent. Some people just tend to present the information a little subtler, lol! But truly, everyone here is really nice. Some a little more protective than others. But then, amphibians are their specialty and they want the best for them.

Keep us posted . We're here to help.

[ViperJr]

Philip - I did do research (though not 2 months worth, I catch on pretty quick). That said, all of the tips are quite different, including yours! Reading through this website, some people handle their frogs constantly and say you need to "socialize" them while others say do not ever. As for the tank size and bedding, mixed opinions as well. The only constant is crickets but even there, some folks say they too can be hard to digest. So, you can see the confusion. So, no need to be haughty or a hater, not everyone is a frog expert.

I think what he means is that you should wait with the frogs until you are confident and ready to take care of them. I'm sure you did some research, but you obviously did not do enough if you still have plenty of question, and frogs at home already.

About the different opinions of tank size and bedding. There will always be different opinions on these kind of things, because there simply are no "yes and no"-answers. Sure, a frog can probably survive in a 0.5 gallon tank, but how healthy will it be? And does he feel better in a 100 gallon than a 10 gallon? Nobody really knows, until we figure out a way to actually ask them.
And about the handling. No, you do not need to handle them. They are not social mammals like hamster or rat or whatnot.

I think it's great that you're taking your time to get answers to all your questions that you have and this is a good place to find information.

[UncleChester]

Don't let anyone make you feel bad on how you are currently taking care of your frog. That you came here to learn more and have asked thoughtful questions is pretty darn good evidence that you care about your frog and want to take the best care of him that you can. So that's good.

In case you haven't seen it, see Kurt's (<-he's reliable) care sheet on this website Frog Forum - White's Tree Frog Care - Litoria caerulea

1. If you are interested in setup advice, please post some pics of your tank. This will help you in planning a larger one as your frog gets bigger

2. It's not too difficult to keep a couple weeks cricket supply alive in a shoebox sized tupperware container in between pet store runs. Anything that isn't a full adult male cricket won't chirp, and this smaller number won't make a noticeable stink. See Frog Forum - Culturing Crickets - Care and Breeding of the Common House Cricket for info on how to house crickets, even if you have no plans on breeding them. Mealworms are dead easy to breed and might be a fun project your child can help with (same with pill/sow bugs), so keeping them around as a froggy treat for variety is a good idea.

4. Give it time, you'll hopefully have years for him to get used to you. Limit the handling as much as possible, and always make sure your hands are clean of any chemicals and well rinsed (no soap!). They absolutely don't need socializing though, but in my opinion you should be comfortable picking up your frog for those times that you need to.

5. Bleach is fine on hard items. Be sure it has a chance to completely air dry before the frog can come in contact with it- move him to another container if you plan to use bleach inside the viv. A deep clean like this shouldn't be needed often though.

[Lacibeth]

Ahh, if only people did all of their research before getting any pet; furry, scaly, feathery or other. But they don't, in large part because they don't always know there are questions they should ask. Plus, pet shops are not the font of information that they should be. So instead of chastising someone for actually asking questions and wanting to provide the best habitat possible, isn't it better to answer the questions in the hope that the information goes viral and reaches more and more and more people?

I have in the past (and still do to a limited degree) taught dog obedience. Instead of berating the dual-income, 3 child family with no backyard for rescuing a Jack Russell terrier, we discuss ways to deal w/ a hyperactive dog + kids, + full-time work schedule to keep him and the family sane.

[BG]

I know what you mean. I'm sure Robin has it down packed.she just wants to make 1000000% sure and their's nothing wrong with that. I now how she feels cause i been there. We need to help her here so her froggy can live a long life just like our frogs.

[Robin]

Don't let anyone make you feel bad on how you are currently taking care of your frog. That you came here to learn more and have asked thoughtful questions is pretty darn good evidence that you care about your frog and want to take the best care of him that you can. So that's good.

In case you haven't seen it, see Kurt's (<-he's reliable) care sheet on this website Frog Forum - White's Tree Frog Care - Litoria caerulea

1. If you are interested in setup advice, please post some pics of your tank. This will help you in planning a larger one as your frog gets bigger

2. It's not too difficult to keep a couple weeks cricket supply alive in a shoebox sized tupperware container in between pet store runs. Anything that isn't a full adult male cricket won't chirp, and this smaller number won't make a noticeable stink. See Frog Forum - Culturing Crickets - Care and Breeding of the Common House Cricket for info on how to house crickets, even if you have no plans on breeding them. Mealworms are dead easy to breed and might be a fun project your child can help with (same with pill/sow bugs), so keeping them around as a froggy treat for variety is a good idea.

4. Give it time, you'll hopefully have years for him to get used to you. Limit the handling as much as possible, and always make sure your hands are clean of any chemicals and well rinsed (no soap!). They absolutely don't need socializing though, but in my opinion you should be comfortable picking up your frog for those times that you need to.

5. Bleach is fine on hard items. Be sure it has a chance to completely air dry before the frog can come in contact with it- move him to another container if you plan to use bleach inside the viv. A deep clean like this shouldn't be needed often though.

Thanks for the kind words and advice. I am a perfectionist and an avid reader so the more I read, the more I see, the more I self doubt. I did feed Fritz some crickets and it went swimmingly.

As for the cleaning of the tank, my plan was always to move Fritz to another container while I cleaned it out and replaced the bedding. I will hold off on any bleaching (thoroughly washing it and drying it of course) until I think there is a strong need.

It is like having a new baby -- trial and error (but hopefully, not too much error). Thanks again.

[Robin]

I know what you mean. I'm sure Robin has it down packed.she just wants to make 1000000% sure and their's nothing wrong with that. I now how she feels cause i been there. We need to help her here so her froggy can live a long life just like our frogs.

thank you! We do want to provide the best environment for Fritz and this sure looks like the best place to bring aall my questions, hopefully, without being judged. I will post some photos as soon as I can get Fritz to say cheese (shy frog).

[meganmcnerney]

Robin, I'm surprised that you were criticized (and not me!). I had tadpoles given to us without asking if I wanted them and I've been busy reading and asking the stupid questions and making mistakes along the way as well. Too bad we don't have a "dislike" button for posts....I'm with you on the live food, not thrilled about keeping crickets or fruit flies myself. But the froglets are pretty darn cute and my son (who is also autistic) is responding really well to them, so as long as it is a positive experience, I will do what is necessary.

Good luck and ignore the people who are rude in giving their advice.

[Robin]

Ha ha I was searching for the dislike button but I think the aforementioned poster is 12 years old so we shall let that pass.

Good luck with your froglets!