New Albino Pacman Frog Owner

[mynameswerd]

Hello,

First time introducing myself on a forum.

First time amphibian owner.

I've had snakes and other reptiles.

I guess there's no hurt in finding information on a forum and being somewhat involved.

For some reason I feel like frogs need more attention, in terms of pet-keeping. I feel like they require some technicalities that are somewhat a combination of keeping a fish and reptile. I hate fish, and most reptiles are not appreciated by guests... seems like frogs and turtles/tortoises are more "acceptable" from the herp world.

Anyway, I recently bought an albino pacman frog from the pamona reptile show.

I look forward to learning much. I want to eventually breed this frog. Once i know it's gender, i plan on buying it a counterpart. I would like to learn as much as i can, so i can have a foreseeable future in this pet.


So first few questions:

1. How well can a pacman frog do in no substrate, just shallow water and a folded piece of paper towel?
2. what is the liquidy white substance that I sometimes find floating about in the water?
3. do all males croak? Do only males croak? How early do they start croaking?

I know it sounds ghetto, but my justification is that the guy who sold it to me said it can do fine in those conditions as long as i provide more room later when it grows. Also, i've read up on so many impaction stories due to bad/improper substrate, i don't want to risk it. Trust me, i've had some interesting luck with my previous pets. I've been changing the water every 2 days or whenever it takes a ****. I use pretty high quality filtered drinking water. I try to maintain 75 degrees. The frog often finds itself buried under the paper towel, with its nose sticking out.

I have a 10gallon tank waiting for his growth. I don't feel like buying anything new just for the frog to grow out of it. I'm sure i can find some makeshift items to accommodate its fast growing in the meantime.

When i first bought this guy/girl it was just bigger than a quarter. Now, 2-3 weeks in, it seems like its grown almost 1 centimeter wider (hard to tell, but definitely bigger). I've been feeding it a mix of things, including gold fish and guppies. The frog seems like it has gotten fatter, but im not sure if its from the fatty/oily contents of a fish or if it's because the frog has been just sitting in water for the past 2-3 weeks. I notice a liquidy white substance floating once in a while. I'm hoping it is skin sheds from growing? or do i have a health issue here? well, that sums up why i have these questions.

Thank you for reading this far. Help is appreciated.

[Pluke]

1. Yeah, you could keep the frog on paper towel but it might be a little stressful for him.. you should atleast throw in a hide or a fake plant for him to go under. It doesn't cost very much to get some Coco Fiber, which is the best substrate for them.

2.The white liquidy substance in the water? I'm not sure what that is. Sometimes when they go in the water after shedding they'll leave some skin floating around, this is kind of gel-ish, it's just usually the color of the substrate they've been in.

3. Only male Pacmans croak, as far as I know.

There are far more experience frog keepers than me here and I'm sure you'll get all the information you need. Also, don't feed your Pacman goldfish as they carry parasites and you don't want those in your frog. Nightcrawlers make a great staple diet for Pacmans and they love them. Hope this helps.

EDIT: Welcome to the forums!

[GrifTheGreat]

Welcome to the forum! To start with, please read the pacman care sheet if you haven't already. Frog Forum - Pacman and Horned Frogs - Ceratophrys - Care and Breeding Frogs do require daily maintainence. Proper temps and humidity are Very important for a healthy frog.

1. The best substrate for them is coco fiber (not coco husk!). They are terrestrial and prefer to burrow. If you use a water/paper towel set up, it must be kept clean and fresh. Otherwise they are sitting in their urine all day. Some Pacs get very stressed out by such a set up. Long term, if they don't have anything to grip against on the bottom of the enclosure they often develop hip/leg problems.

2. It is most likely shed skin. If it is something coming from its urine then that is cause for concern. Give the frog a soak and watch when it urinates to see if it is clear.

3. Only males do the mating call. They can start around 5.5 months, although they reach full sexual maturity around 8-12 months. The females do make some small noises. A popping/clicking noise and an angry hissing that is their dismounting noise.

Like Pluke said, goldfish are not a good feeder. They carry parasites and have almost no nutritional value. Nightcrawlers are the best staple diet. You can cut off appropriately sized chunks for the frog. Generally rule is to feed items sized approximately the distance between the frog's eyes.

Let us know if you have any other questions. Post some pictures when you get a chance. We all love pictures here!

[adinco]

just wanted to say welcome!

[mynameswerd]

Let us know if you have any other questions. Post some pictures when you get a chance. We all love pictures here!

Per your request:


I tried to get one of its back, front, and overview so you can get a feel for the size.

[GrifTheGreat]

Very nice albino! Keep us posted on him.

[Heatheranne]

Nice frog! Welcome to the forum!