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]

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.

[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.

[Robin]

Where did you get small mealworms?

I purchased the small worms at PetSmart.

[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.