Thinking of getting a Pac Man Frog

[FrogLover2009]

I am thinking of getting a Pac Man Frog. Before I think about buying anything I want to know all there is to know about the care, environment, and hazards to watch out for with this animal. I want to give it the perfect atmosphere to keep him happy. If you have any advice, or any suggestions, reply to my thread OR you can message me in private. Either will do fine.

[IvoryReptiles]

I suggest YOU do the research. Just read through the posts. There is no possible way for us to address ALL of the details in one post. Start with the care sheets and then read the posts about issues that folks have had, it's the best way to learn. Then if you have specific questions, you can ask and we can answer.
That is my advice.

[arielgasca420]

Check out the care article on this website. I use it as reference. Im new at this and dont rely soley on my info but here is what I have gathered in my year of owning a pacman.
for the substrate I use coco fiber. Sometimes it can be dangerous to feed your pacman on coco fiber because when they lunge at their food the occassionally miss and get a mouth full of coco fiber. Some of it they can push out of their mouths but there is still a little that may cause compaction.
make sure that there is enough substrate for the pacman to burrow. This provides your pacman with a medium to buffer temperature. It is very common that they will burrow completely during the day. change the substrate every two-three months or as soon as you smell it becoming sour
With smaller pacmans that are not mature I would suggest nightcrawlers (get unscented), crickets and dubias. They only reason you want to stay away from ssuperworms and mealworms is because they have a hard exoskeleton (or chitin I think it is called) this can cause impaction if it is a staple diet. Provide variety so that they can have a good nutrion ratio. some are fattier than others. make sure to gutload your food with carrots, kale, and potatoes the day before so that your frog can have optimal metabolism of nutrients.
Provide a dish of water that your frog can comfortably wade in. make sure it is shallow throughout the entire lifespan because these guys are so fat that it is hard for them to swim. change the water bowl after it has been used and use a water declorinator. If you do not notice your pacman going into the water bowl at least once a week than you may have to assist him the first few times so that he knows where the bowl is and what it is for. expect to have a little shy behavior the first week while he is getting used to his environment. try your best not to touch him or pick him up because this can cause stress in a new enclosure.
as far as husbandry goes a 20 gallon long is a good tank to fit him comfortably. If you are getting a baby you may want to start off with a 10 gallon long and move up to a 20 once it gets bigger.
live plants help humidity and here are a few common ones that are non toxic. pothos, bromeliad, bamboo, and ferns. dont put anything in there that can poke an eye out.
temps should not reach over 85 degrees. I keep mine at around 82. I mist everyday to keep the humidity up. I keep mine at around 60%. make sure your humidity is not really high because fungus and mold will start to accumulate in your cage. There needs to be some sort of airflow as well so do not cover the cage completely. There can be a build up of CO2 and that can suffocate your frog.
Dont put the cage near any air vents or windows to keep them safe from cold drafts.
Thats the basics, as far as lighting goes I am still uncertain about this. typically reptiles need UVB to metabolize calcium and other nutrients but for amphibians it is the heat (UVA) that helps them metabolize. heat lamps are good for this especially ceramic heat emitters because the bulb is less likely to over heat and cause a fire. I personally just started out with a Zilla Kent Marine Black Night Heat Bulb at 100 watt but my tank is 24" high so that is a proper distance from a frog. You have to make sure that you read the directions because if it is too close than you can burn off all the beneficial bacteria on your frogs skin and then dry out your frog causing him to go into aestivation. (i made this mistake once)
You have to provide a photoperiod of 12 hours daylight and 12 hours night. It is important to get a timer for your lights to ensure this photoperiod. a dim light can substitute for a photoperiod. you dont want anything that is too bright that can harm their eyes. most will just burrow deep down anyways if it is too bright.
for ambient heat (UVA) alot of people would suggest an under tank heater or UTH for short. dont actually put it under the tankf ro two reasons 1) your frog burrows to buffer temp. If he burrows down to the glass where the heater is than he will cook his organs 2) the weight of the tank with sever the electrical cable and cause the UTH to short circuit. this can cause a fire. If you do want to keep it under the tank than make sure there are stilts. most people suggest putting the UTH on one end of the tank on the side panel. this will create a hot side and a cool side. make sure the water dish is on the cool side.
aestivation is your frogs way of telling you "something is wrong with my setup" it is either too hot, too cold, or too fry. aestivation is when your frog goes into a deep sleep and the skin is hardened. it is best to figure out what exactly is wrong and fix it. Once I soaked my frog in warm water and he came out of aestivation, but this can also stress them out.
If your frog ever becomes sick (prolapse or aestivation) you can put him in a pedalyte soak. I have never done this before so check on this site for more info on that. make sure to get unflavored pedalyte.
I have tried to cover everything but this is just off the top of my head and what I have collectively learned from spending hours on this site and hours reading herpetology research and articles.
If you chave any more questions feel free to message me. it is always important to post on this forum so that you can get numerous opinions and not just one.
not everyone knows everything

[GrifTheGreat]

Coco fiber does not cause impaction. The only way this substrate causes impaction is if there happens to be a large ball of the fibers clumped into the soil and they eat that fibrous lump which I have even seen passed by the frogs. Coco fiber is safe, but in any case you do not want them eating substrate. Tong feeding is best.

Also a 20 gallon is much too large. New frogs should be kept in small enclosures. Especially babies. Babies should be kept in medium to large critter keepers to allow them to not be overwhelmed by the large space. They tend to become very stressed in large enclosures. Even juveniles should be kept in these size enclosures until they are large enough to be placed in a larger tank. Even so a 10 gallon is the most suitable size Sven for an adult female because even as adults they become overwhelmed and stressed by large open spaces. Also the reason for babies and juveniles to be kept in smaller enclosures is due to their need for a lot of food an nutrition needed during these crucial growth stages in their lives. They need to have food easily available and easy to catch hence the smaller enclosure.

You will learn a lot from your frogs behavior. Pay close attention to its habits and reactions to your presence. It takes Time for them to get used to you and trust you. Once you are no longer seen as a threat the frog will feel more comfortable and not hide from you nearly as much. Especially when it learns that when you're around it could mean food. Pacman frogs are nocturnal so they should be Fed at night. Be sure to cover 3 sides of the enclosure with some sort of dark background so the frog feels more secure and provide hiding places as well like fake plants with large broad leaves for cover.