Another "my Pacman won't eat" thread

[newtype311]

Hey guys,

Im new to the forums, but I've been reading up on everything over the last week. I've tried a few things I've seen in other threads, and in the Care Sheet, but I haven't really made much progress.

First off, let me begin by posting my setup info:

1. Size of enclosure – 10 Gallons
2. # of inhabitants – 1 Just the PacMan
3. Humidity - 75–80% some times drops to 60 though.
4. Temperature – Cool side:78-80 / Warm side: 82-85
5. Water - Dechlorinated Tap / heated for baths
6. Materials used for substrate – Eco Earth
7a. Enclosure Setup - 4–5" of Eco Earth with 2 small fake plants and 2 live plants in the corners.
7b. How were things prepared prior to being put into the viv – He was in a very small Tupperware container when I bought him from a dealer
8. Main food source – Initially Large Crickets (ate 2)
9. Vitamins and calcium? - I have a nutrient and calcium mix
10. Lighting – Natural Ambient light from the window across the room combined with a 29w bulb to regulate temp on the warm side
11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure – I have a UTH on one side of the tank, a 29w bulb for extra heat during the daylight hours, and a Damp towel covering 2/3 of the tank lid to regulate the Humidity and keep in heat.
12. When is the last time he/she ate – I can confirm that he ate 1 cricket on day 1, and maybe another on day 2. Then nothing.
13. Have you found poop lately – Last night he left a weird double lump thing in that looked milky in color in the bath.
14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure – See the end of the post for images.
15. How old is the frog – Baby <2.5"
16. How long have you owned him/her – 10 days
17. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred - Captive
18. Frog food – None, so far just the night crawlers and crickets.
19. How often the frog is handled – 3 quick times: once to put him on the warm side, twice to put him in the water dish for a warm soak. All for less than 20 seconds each time.
20. Is the enclosure kept in a high or low traffic area – Relatively low, just my wife and I in the bedroom, he's on a high shelf out of the way for the most part.
21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc) - I change the water daily and mist several times a day. Haven't had him long enough to clean the tank yet

The first 2 days I had him, things seemed pretty normal; he found a spot in the center of the tank he liked, dug a hole, and sat there. I put 2 crickets in the first night and the next morning one was gone so I assumed he ate it. A few days later I noticed that he wasn't eating any of the crickets I was adding, he also developed a heavy breathing pattern which is what really caught my attentions.

Previously his breathing was barely audible, you had to look right at his throat to see movement, but now his whole head bobs ever 5 seconds or so as he breathes.

He hasn't eaten since Sunday of last week so I'm really getting concerned. I've tried smaller crickets, I've dangled both sizes in front of him, and I've tried halved nightcrawlers, leaving everything in the tank over night. but so far no progress.

The nightcrawlers showed a slight bit of hope at first, he opened his mouth twice but didn't actually bite. I did get him to bit one once and I immediately let go of it, but all he did was spit it out after a few minutes.

Don't know if its important but he's shed twice in the last few days so far.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!


This how I got him from the reptile store, a very small container.


I forgot to add earlier that his name is Odo (from Star Trek DS9).


Soaking in his bath today, he's starting to look thin to me.


Here's the tank setup (you'll have to excuse the glare) 3 sides of the tank are covered (2 by imagery and 1 by the heating pad). you can also see that I have a few crickets that tend to sit still against the other side of the tank.