Complete newbie question: changing the paper towels

[Taxi]

Hi everyone,

So I got a Red-Eyed Tree Frog for Christmas, much to my surprise. I'm sort of freaking out about not knowing how to take care of it--reading a lot on this site is helping. Anyway, he's still little, so I've got him in a small plastic house with a lamp, a small leafy plant he can climb on and hide in, and a bowl of water, and the bottom is lined with paper towels. So far so good. But I'm wondering what's the best way to change the paper towels.

I'm trying to keep my distance and let him settle in so he doesn't get too stressed. He hasn't eaten yet, I assume because he's still stressed from the move. During the day I only come close to mist the tank (it's very dry in my house overall, so I do this a bunch.) Although I'd love to watch him all night (I'm pretty nocturnal myself), when it's lights-out time I put a cloth over his house so it's nice and dark and hopefully not too scary. However, I also have to replace the paper towel, which seems like a terrifying ordeal for the little guy. What I heard was that I should get him into a little temporary tupperware container (I poked holes in for breathing) for the five minutes while I change the paper towels. But how to get him in? I don't want to handle him or push him or anything. When I tried to get him in today he jumped away and looked scared to death (I also was scared to death of hurting him) and I thought, there's got to be a right way to do this. So I come to you guys.

How do I change the paper towels in my red-eye's tank without stressing him out more than necessary?

[frognerd101]

I have had this issue with changing paper towels with many of my tree frogs. I have been keeping my red eyed tree frog for over a year now. I have noticed that it does take some time for the frog to adjust to the new tank.

If the tree frog is sleeping on the glass, change the paper towels without handling him. They are very deep sleepers, so as long as you are quiet and don't knock anything around, you should be fine.


Sometimes handling is required to change the paper towels, and you should do that as quickly as possible, with gloves is best but not required.

I would switch to a different substrate, such as moss or coconut fiber bedding. This way, you would not have to change the substrate as much, minimizing stress and allowing your frog to adapt to its environment in a comfortable manner.


Good luck with your frogs.

[Shanny]

Yes, I just put my two baby red eye tree frogs in with my adults. So I know all too well what you're dealing with. If you can, you are better off getting a glass tank, even if temporary, it keeps the heat and humidity in much better. I only had a spare 20 gallon when I got my two babies (under an inch, so about the size of a penny) so I kept them in there.. But they are doing much better now that they are in the adult terrarium.
I would alway try and change the paper towel and clean during the day. Your frog should be asleep during the day, they are strictly nocturnal. If he/she is not sleeping during the day then your heat and or humidity may not be high enough
Also, you may want to try and cover the back and two sides of the cage with paper to make your frog feel safe until he/she gets used to the new home.
As mentioned by above person, these frogs are heavy sleepers. You should have no problem changing out paper towel during the day. If you come in to clean and he looks to be awake, then I would just wait until later.
Make sure you have enough crickets for your frog, but not too many as too many crickets can stress your frog out if he's not eating them.
Hope this helps
I know I elaborated on things you did not ask about, sorry, I'm just trying to help out as much as I can.


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=44.926714,-93.081187

[Taxi]

Believe me, any advice is happily recieved! I will change the towels when he's sleeping from now on. I guess I didn't want to wake him up; he does seem to sleep very soundly. When I move him into a bigger house, I'll take your advice and change to a different substrate--probably moss, I love moss anyway. Do you need to change or clean the moss somehow?

[Shanny]

I had moss in my old terrarium. Just make sure you get a kind that's not long and stringy because if they accidentally swallow it they can become impacted. I now have Eco earth with a small amount of moss lining the river going through my terrarium.

When I had all moss in my old set up I had to take it out periodically and either completely replace it or rinse it really well. I'm starting to find that the way I have it now works much better for me as far as upkeep and all. I do like the way moss smells in the terrarium though, it's got a fresh smell to it. I use 'frog moss' which I get from petco, it comes in a small box. Also the flunkers brand moss looks to be very similar to the frog moss and I've heard good stuff about that.

Idk if you can tell but here is a pic of when I first setup my current terrarium..




I have since added bamboo sticks horizontally across my tank with a fake vine of leaves I got from a craft store wrapped around the bamboo to my tank, which I have yet to take a pic of. The way I have it now may not look as nice to the human eye, but my frogs love it and now they've got so much more vertical space to climb rather than just climbing the glass. I may be able to take a pic of my current setup tmr and post it if you'd like.


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=44.926767,-93.081269

[Taxi]

So do you need to change the eco-earth too? When I see these elaborate and beautiful setups people have, I wonder how they can take out the bottom without completely taking the entire thing apart!

[frognerd101]

Usually eco earth only needs to be cleaned every 5-6 months. If you have a live vivarium, the only thing you really have to do is remove dead crickets and feces and the tank will stay clean.

[Shanny]

Another way to lower how often you have to clean, is by adding live springtails to your substrate. I just recently ordered some from joshed frogs and put them in my terrarium. So far, so good. Springtails eat dead anything, be it crickets, dead leaves on the ground. They also eat feces and mold that has grown on some of the pieces of wood I have in my tank.

[Taxi]

OK, I will definitely go with eco-earth then I think, and springtails if I can find them. Right now I'm mostly worried that he's never going to eat anything...I've had him 4 days now, and not a nibble. He did eat while my sister-in-law had him, she says, so hopefully he's still OK. I would breathe a lot easier if he'd just eat something...

[Shanny]

He will eat, he just needs time to get used to his new home and feel comfortable that's all


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=44.926658,-93.081226

[frognerd101]

Red eyed tree frogs are totally nocturnal species. I have actually never seen my red eyed tree frog eat, and I have been keeping him alive and healthy for over a year now. When I first acquired him, he did not eat anything for 2 and a half weeks. It just takes some time for frogs to adjust to their new surroundings, and I have noticed this pattern occurs a lot with red eyed tree frogs.

People have reported success with feeding them baby mealworms in a bowl. Just put in 5-6 mealworms in a small plastic bowl, but place it in firmly into the substrate so that it is not knocked over. This may not work all the time, but it is worth a try.