Will this work?

[ejh805]

Hey everyone

Totally new here, and this seemed like a very informative place so I though it'd be worth it to join in.

So, I'm planning on getting my first Pixie frog in the next few months. Up until the point he/she comes in the mail, I will be preparing the newcomers home & food situations.

I'm starting with a 29 gallon glass aquarium, so that I wont have to buy another tank to move it into when it gets done growing.
Also, am working on getting a little over 1/3rd of the tank set up to be aquatic. It will have a mini-filter. Until the frog gets larger, I'll be placing a lot of big rocks in the water so that it isn't far too deep for the little guy/gal. I plan on ordering (hopefully) him from LLLReptile.com. So far, all I've ordered from there are supplies and the customer service has been stellar. I've heard good things, so maybe the experience with getting a live animal from them will go as smoothly as I hope. If anyone here has experience with them, I would really appreciate some input.

So, for the rest of the tank, plantation soil will be used. I'm working on deciding what kind (if any) live plants to put in there or if I should just stick with fakes. The heating pad is going to be a 30-40 exoterra under-the tank type pad. I've read that some people choose to put it on the side of the tank instead of underneath. Which one is best? And why?

I'm using a traditional fish-tank-type cover to hold in humidity (there are still several small uncovered spots to allow air flow).

The one thing that's really stumping me is how to set up something for crickets. I'll be getting 200 of them when I order my Pixie.
Feeding those orange cube flukers cricket diet things. Do they work well? I'm also getting a shaker/dispenser so I can coat them with calcium and vitamin powder. How long should 200 crickets last with a baby pixie? And how many do they tend to eat within a 2-week time span?

I'm so sorry for all the questions!
But I'm super excited and it just can't be helped.


ps this is my first "official" frog. When I was a kid, I would raise bullfrog tadpoles from the local petshop and let them go in a nearby creek surrounded by woods after they got their legs. But, that's really the extent of my frog-keeping. So any and ALL advice is welcome. Once I get the setup situated, I'll post pictures.

Thank you!
-Emily

[Misschievou2]

Congratulations and Welcome! .

I personally do not own a pixie frog - I actually own a pacman frog. But the Pixie frog and the pacman frog are very similar is characteristics and care so I should help!

A 29 gallon tank? Never heard of that - kind of an odd number no? Either way recommended for a pixie frog to have a 20 gallon tank or higher so that should do! Good job on that . I am not sure if the pixie frog needs all that fancy equipment with the 1/3 tank of water. Why not just a plastic bathing container that he or she can slide into? But by all means make your tank extravagant! I personally enjoy the plastic plants but also can I suggest a background for your tank? This can help to destress the frog. lllrepticle.com ? Sounds nice. I am just not a huge fan of online shipping of living and breathing animals but I am sure a lot of people do it! Just make sure there is a garantee of some type. .

Soil. good. Coconut fiber is great too because it keeps in the moisture longer. Please do not forget to pick up dechlorination drops for your frog. The chlorine in normal tap water is toxic. This means the bathing water needs to be dechlorinated, the spray spritzer to moisten the soil should also have the drops in it too. Also make sure you have a in tank temp and humidity monitor to watch the ranges. . I personally do not need a heating pad because my house is a warm temperature normally. Can I suggest getting the temp gauge first and taking a look at it every so often during the day to see how the tank is doing temp wise? Maybe you are like my house and it is unnecessary for a heating pad. Why is a heating pad on the bottom bad? The frog usually digs under the ground to cool off but if the heat is on the bottom of the tank you could hurt him or her.

For the crickets - I actually went to the dollar section of my pharmacy and picked out a food storage container and poked holes in the top. I placed the crickets in with veggies and potatos and they love it! They also have a moist paper towel on the bottom to drink if they get thirsty. Sounds like a buffet for a king cricket to me! Also you can get the shaker but what do you think about getting a sandwich bag and placing a table spoon of calcium powder in zipping the bag and shaking? Works for me. lol . 200 is a lot of crickets. My pacman frog is young so he eats around 4 to 6 medium crickets a day.

I urge you to go ahead and keep researching and asking all the questions you need.
http://www.frogforum.net/care-sheet-...ubmission.html

This link I gave you is a WONDERFUL outline of a care sheet for pacman frogs. I know it isn't about pixie frogs and there is some variations but I figured I would get you one step in the door. . Good luck!!

[Sunshine]

Here is a link to the Pyxie caresheet. http://www.frogforum.net/content/afr...-breeding-118/

[Misschievou2]

Here is a link to the Pyxie caresheet. Frog Forum - African Bullfrog - Pyxicephalus adspersus - Care and Breeding

awesome! I can't wait to take a look at that I wonder how much pixies and pacman frogs differentiate!

[Locascio]

i own a few pixies and thay are a lot of fun to own and if your lucky youll get a male. just rember thay eat like crazy so be ready to find a good petshop to buy all your frog food youll be there at lest once a week and btw your in the right spot for good info....

[Bruce]

Hey everyone

Totally new here, and this seemed like a very informative place so I though it'd be worth it to join in.

So, I'm planning on getting my first Pixie frog in the next few months. Up until the point he/she comes in the mail, I will be preparing the newcomers home & food situations.

I'm starting with a 29 gallon glass aquarium, so that I wont have to buy another tank to move it into when it gets done growing.
Also, am working on getting a little over 1/3rd of the tank set up to be aquatic. It will have a mini-filter. Until the frog gets larger, I'll be placing a lot of big rocks in the water so that it isn't far too deep for the little guy/gal. I plan on ordering (hopefully) him from LLLReptile.com. So far, all I've ordered from there are supplies and the customer service has been stellar. I've heard good things, so maybe the experience with getting a live animal from them will go as smoothly as I hope. If anyone here has experience with them, I would really appreciate some input.

So, for the rest of the tank, plantation soil will be used. I'm working on deciding what kind (if any) live plants to put in there or if I should just stick with fakes. The heating pad is going to be a 30-40 exoterra under-the tank type pad. I've read that some people choose to put it on the side of the tank instead of underneath. Which one is best? And why?

I'm using a traditional fish-tank-type cover to hold in humidity (there are still several small uncovered spots to allow air flow).

The one thing that's really stumping me is how to set up something for crickets. I'll be getting 200 of them when I order my Pixie.
Feeding those orange cube flukers cricket diet things. Do they work well? I'm also getting a shaker/dispenser so I can coat them with calcium and vitamin powder. How long should 200 crickets last with a baby pixie? And how many do they tend to eat within a 2-week time span?

I'm so sorry for all the questions!
But I'm super excited and it just can't be helped.


ps this is my first "official" frog. When I was a kid, I would raise bullfrog tadpoles from the local petshop and let them go in a nearby creek surrounded by woods after they got their legs. But, that's really the extent of my frog-keeping. So any and ALL advice is welcome. Once I get the setup situated, I'll post pictures.

Thank you!
-Emily

First off, a 29 gallon has the same dimensions as a 20 long, it's just taller which you don't necessarily need for a pixie. If you do end up with a male though, I would highly suggest something bigger. Will a 29 work? Yes. Will he live in it? Yes. But I keep my female and my young male in 40 longs, and especially since you're planning on making 1/3 water, you may want to consider the larger tank so you have something to work with.

As for your water setup, use the KISS method. KEEP. IT. SIMPLE, STUPID! Lol! Seriously though, the more complex it is, the more he'll trash it when he swims like crazy and poops everywhere in the water. You may want to consider using more than a mini filter, Tetra Whisper 40i or 20i is a good one to use. this is my females water set up. Very minimal an simple.

Plantation soil is fine, just triple check to be sure it is 100% fertilizer free. The chemicals can harm your new little frog! Also, make it deep. They love to dog and sometimes burry themselves, about 5-6 inches deep should be more than enough. Keep the soil moist, but by no means sopping wet, that's an invitation for molds and other nasty bacteria to grow.

As for heating, a pad can work, but make sure you but it on the side! ABF's naturally dig to cool off, so if it gets warmer a they dig down, it may throw of their natural behavior, or worse they could keep digging to the bottom and burn themselves. I prefer to use heat lamps with dimmers to control temps. 76-78 at night, 80-84 during the day. Humidity isn't as big of a deal as it is with pacman frogs. It's good to keep it higher, but pixies can tolerate a large range of humidity. Remember, they survive Africa's dry season! If they want water, their pool or water dish will suit them fine. For this reason, you don't have to use a fish tank lid, a simple screen lid will work perfectly fine.

Can't help you too much with crickets. Orange cubes, from what I've heard, work fine though. I ditched those nasty, smelly things for a Dubia roach colony a loooong time ago!

Best of luck!

[ejh805]

Thank you everyone I really appreciate it.

I just bought a 40 gallon sized breeder, so my frog will have more room to do as it pleases. Plus it'll look a lot nicer.
And to Bruce about the roaches. I have heard many things about how roaches are better all-around for pixies than crickets, but I have an extreme fear of roaches.
Probably more of an intense phobia than fear. Or else I'd do that

[Bruce]

Ahh I see. It took me a few weeks to get used to them, but after 3 years I'll never go back!

[ejh805]

I guess I could try them if the cricket stink gets to me too badly (I live in a 2 bedroom apartment). I'll be using the spare 29 to house crickets.
And it's weird. I can pick up spiders, scorpions, snakes, and all kinds of "creepy-crawlies" whatever and it doesn't bother me at all. But something about roaches. Just ughhh -shudders- dunno if I could handle it.

[Misschievou2]

I guess I could try them if the cricket stink gets to me too badly (I live in a 2 bedroom apartment). I'll be using the spare 29 to house crickets.
And it's weird. I can pick up spiders, scorpions, snakes, and all kinds of "creepy-crawlies" whatever and it doesn't bother me at all. But something about roaches. Just ughhh -shudders- dunno if I could handle it.

Yea I hate crickets too. They are very jumpie and smelly. I am switching to nightcrawlers. ;p

[ejh805]

One thing I forgot to add!
As previously stated, I'm using coco fiber as substrate. The kind I'm getting is from exo terra and is in compressed block form. Adding hot/warm water revives this stuff, but I'm just wondering... will it be too soggy/wet to use?

[trkyhntr]

those eco bricks use one gallon of water

[ejh805]

Trykhntr,

Yes, I know. But will it be sopping? Like really really wet? Or is it just enough to make it expand effectively?

[Bruce]

The bricks seem to be finicky. Either you use too little water, just under a gallon, an it doesn't expand. But when you use a gallon it seems to be a bit too wet. Try using a gallon and wringing it out the best you can.

[ejh805]

Thanks guys. I'll try to make them work as well as possible. I got a 3 pack, unfortunately. Don't want it to go to waste, I guess.

Edit:
If I broke them up pretty well before adding water, and added it slowly, would that work? Has anyone tried?

[Bruce]

Haven't tried breaking them up, it may result in a powdery mess though. The 3 pack is the way to go with these! Economy size saves $$$

[ejh805]

That's exactly why I bought it
But, if it turns out to be too soggy, I may go out and get some of the loose stuff and mix it in so it doesn't sour quickly and have to be thrown away.

[Lija]

congrats on a new baby!

you got great advice already, just to add. I'm always using those expandable blocks, adding as much water as i can and then squeeze all extra water to get consistency I need. I would use eco earth and not plantation soil. plantation soil has a lot of plant matter and a lot of other stuff that can cause impaction if swallowed, eco earth is more fine substrate, but still you'll need to take all bigger pieces out. you don't need to break anything, take one of the bricks put it in rubbermaid container and dump a lot of DECLORINATED water and wait for it to expand, when that happens just stir it, take pieces that might cause impaction and and you are good to go.

Crickets I prefer using yellow fluckers water cubes with Ca and fluckers cricket food. not big fan of orange cubes. it will color frogs poop for one, and i noticed that probably crickets doesn't taste ( or smell) the same and frogs not like them so much, but taking, however my cresties won't even look at those crickets. and also orange cubes are more expensive.

200 crickets for a baby pixie, hm..... i bet at least half of them will die eventually. I would suggest getting smaller amounts, 50 max for a baby and increase as it grows and what is even better switch to nightcrawlers - more nutritious, zero smell, no escapees, can stay as long you need to in a fridge and use crickets once in a blue moon for your pixie to have fun catching.

29g tank for a crickets is fine, you need to put a lot of egg cartoons in there, put a clear tape along the top on a glass. but I would say you also would need a cricket keeper exoterra or zoomed, with tubes for easier catching them when feeding. a lot of headache, right? :lol: so I'd say instead of using your 29g tank get big exo terra cricket keeper ( with 4 tubes) and put 50 crickets in there, less space, less smell, less everything

[ejh805]

Thank you for that info, Lija. I have several spare rubbermaid totes lying around so I can do that. and I have strong metal screen I can press it against to drain out the water.

Unfortunately, I can't get any less than 200 at a time so I guess I'm just gonna have to let the ones that will die, die. I've got the 29 set up with a small shoebox inside, some egg crates, and some tp and paper towel tubes that I can use the same way as the tubes in the flukers cricket keeper things. Why would I need the clear tape? It's got a very fine metal mesh screen clasped on the top, with a small access door in the center. Wouldn't that work to prevent escapees?
I live in the deep south and my grandfather used to keep a huge cricket box for fishing, so I'm decently efficient at catching the things.

When I do get the pixie, I plan on eventually switching it over to nightcrawlers as a staple (plus a combination of other foods). They're easier to keep and live longer, healthier, etc.

[Lija]

i don't think you need metal screen to drain water, just use your hands, substrate has to be moist, but not mud like, if you drain too much water it will dry out pretty fast

clear tape for escapees - they can climb to the top on silicone, but can't do so on a glass or clear tape, even with mesh top i found it is easier to control it this way and even with tape and mesh they manage to escape and then my cats having fun catching it
as for dead crickets - try to take them out once in a while or smell will be awful