Beginner needs help (terrarium) :)

[Zlitni]

On wednesday i'll get my first reptile, a pacmanfrog Cranwelli. My terrarium temp is about 24,5-24,8 (celsius), is that okay? i have two lamps over the top (1 Trixie Infrared 35w and 1 Normal 40W), hope not that's gonna grill my frog?
Besides, my terrarium is about 95 (75 for the frog) x 37 x 48 [L x W x H]....


here's some pictures, any ideas? (note: now i have a background on it)

[poison]

looks great and by the way frogs aren't reptiles there amphibians

[GrifTheGreat]

Welcome to Frog forum

The setup looks good, but there are a few matters that need attention.

When using a Temp gauge in an enclosure such as this you'll want to get an average air temp reading. The best way to do this is to place the temp and hygrometer in the dead center of the back wall 1.5 inches to 2 inches above the substrate.

If you have a UTH(Under Tank Heater) it needs to be on the side of the tank opposite the side where the water dish is located. These are burrowing frogs and burrow into the moist substrate to thermoregulate their bodies. If the frog becomes too warm and burrow over the UTH trying to cool off it won't understand why it can't do so and overheat itself which can be fatal. If the UTH gets really hot it will also burn the frog from making the glass hot. The UTH should be placed on the side just above the top of the substrate.

Do you have a lid for the enclosure? If not then get one.

Temps should be around 26°C to 28°C(80°F to 82°F) during the day and 24°C to 26.5°C(75°F to 79°F) at night. Humidity should be around 75% to 80% At all times.

Here is the care article for the forum. http://www.frogforum.net/content/pac...-breeding-170/

Any further questions feel free to ask.

[DVirginiana]

Looks like a nice setup. Is the frog an albino? If it's normal, anything 40 watts and under should be alright, but for an albino you don't want to use a white light at all. What is the humidity in your tank?
Is the piece of wood something you picked up, or something from a pet store? I can't tell from the pics. If it's something you found outside, you'll want to bake it (for my snakes' driftwood decorations, I usually do 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes) to get rid of any bugs, fungus spores, ect. that could be hiding on it.
Also, just make sure that nothing has any sharp edges. If there are any exposed wire-tips on the plastic plants, even if they are under the dirt, it would be a good idea to use a drop of 100% silicone to seal them off since frogs' skin is so fragile.

[Zlitni]

GrifTheGreat & DVirginiana

My white temperaturegauge are also an hygrometer, both in one

The humidity is about 65, i've heard that it needs 60-70%, so think that's nice...
The temp is about 24,5 to nearly 25, and i've heard that some says it should be about 25-28 and other says 24-27 ?

The piece of wood is not something i've picked up from outside. It's unfertilized sphagnum from a store in Odense: Plantorama

About the food:
- Do mealworms crawls/clambs upside? (i mean, upside the classwalls, so they can crawl out of the top)
- Do mealworms diggin into the dirt/spaghnum like "normal" worms?

[GrifTheGreat]

GrifTheGreat & DVirginiana

My white temperaturegauge are also an hygrometer, both in one

The humidity is about 65, i've heard that it needs 60-70%, so think that's nice...
The temp is about 24,5 to nearly 25, and i've heard that some says it should be about 25-28 and other says 24-27 ?

The piece of wood is not something i've picked up from outside. It's unfertilized sphagnum from a store in Odense: Plantorama

About the food:
- Do mealworms crawls/clambs upside? (i mean, upside the classwalls, so they can crawl out of the top)
- Do mealworms diggin into the dirt/spaghnum like "normal" worms?

Don't use Mealworms they are not good for your frog and can cause an impaction(intestinal blockage) that can result in death. To answer your question though, no they can't climb the glass, but will burrow in the soil. They are dangerous to feed to your frog so don't use them.

[Lija]

I would also cover 3 sides of the tank to make frog more comfortable

[Zlitni]

In the Companion Guide i have, it says that pacman frogs are eating wild caught insects, snails (i guess not with snailhouse) and rainworms... can i just catch that near the lake where i live?

By the way, hope that it can go with temp on 24,5? or is it too much from the manuals?

[GrifTheGreat]

In the Companion Guide i have, it says that pacman frogs are eating wild caught insects, snails (i guess not with snailhouse) and rainworms... can i just catch that near the lake where i live?

By the way, hope that it can go with temp on 24,5? or is it too much from the manuals?

24.5° is a little too cool for during the day. 26° Is more ideal. At night 24° is ok, but not too much cooler than that.

Snails carry parasites like Nematodes and could make your frog sick.


See if you can buy Earthworms(Rainworms) from a pet store near you rather than catching wild ones.

[DVirginiana]

In the Companion Guide i have, it says that pacman frogs are eating wild caught insects, snails (i guess not with snailhouse) and rainworms... can i just catch that near the lake where i live?

By the way, hope that it can go with temp on 24,5? or is it too much from the manuals?

Do not do that. With snails, the shell would cause impaction and possibly kill a frog. Even if the shell was removed, most snails (like frogs) produce toxins. Even if they aren't considered harmful to local animals, they might be harmful to a pacman frog. Also, rainwater washes in all sorts of chemicals and pesticides, so it is a bad idea to feed anything you catch in the wild.

Can you get Canadian Nightcrawlers? I have heard from other reptile keepers in Europe that they are not always labeled as canadian nightcrawlers, so here is a link to the species I'm talking about
Lumbricus terrestris - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In my opinion, they are the best food for pacman frogs. You will also need to have a calcium supplement.

[Hoppity100]

Does he have enough water? If you have just that little dish with water I don't think he is going to be very happy. Mine spend most of their time in the water and my tank is 60 water and 40 land. I have a land area plus driftwood just above water. If you have humidity he will enjoy that. Mine like some humidity, too.

[Hoppity100]

Does he have enough water? If you have just that little dish with water I don't think he is going to be very happy. Mine spend most of their time in the water and my tank is 60 water and 40 land. I have a land area plus driftwood just above water. If you have humidity he will enjoy that. Mine like some humidity, too.

My second message did not go thru: I hope you give your frog more water. I think you may have too much heat or light. I have my tank by a window, mine are fine with natural light and small under water heater. I have a lamp next to tank with 25 w bulb and a 40 w bulb if I need one. If I could send a pic of my tank, I would. No one at home has shown me how. But these frogs really enjoy water and some warmth/humidity. My frogs spend alot of time in the water. Hope this helps.

[Zlitni]

Actually i can hear that you keep your pacmanfrogs a little bit different from each other, and understand that some pacmans often goes into the water, and some of them do not that often, but i don't think none of you does it bad...
I think my pacman is healthy. I just need to buy a water bowl more, i think, and make a little smaller oasis more nearly the cave

[Hoppity100]

Okay, can you put in second bowl of water or 1 good sized one and see if frog likes it? Thanks for writing.

[Zlitni]

Okay, can you put in second bowl of water or 1 good sized one and see if frog likes it? Thanks for writing.

For sure... I think maybe the one i have now (the 2nd biggest of the five sizes) and a little smaller one (medium size maybe)

[Lija]

careful with water bowls, it can't be too deep or pac may drown, the dish should be pretty shallow, the water should be no higher then frog's chin, IF humidity in the tank is ideal, then there's no real need for a frog to go in there unless he likes to use his water bowl as a toilet or just because, so as long as humidity is good I wouldn't worry about the amount of water. Usually the water bowls are the size of a frog + a little bit more in diameter, so it can move in there if he'd like to.
In proper environment majority of the time healthy pacs will spend burrowed in a substrate, if the frog is spending a lot of time in his water dish that is indicator that humidity of the tank is off.

[GrifTheGreat]

Hoppity please realize Pacman Frogs are not aquatic nor are they semiaquatic. They are terrestrial and only seek water during their mating season. They spend their lives burrowed into the forest floor where they await passing prey. Their is no need to give the frog extra water sources. That being said these frogs are not good swimmers and may drown if the water source is too deep and the frog cannot get out of the water dish.

Please do not suggest care options that do not apply to the species.

Now I'm not attacking you in anyway and if you feel I am, then I am sorry, but if you don't know how to care for the frog in question please allow those who are experienced with the species to answer. I'm trying to prevent an accident that would be just waiting to happen.

Please read the care articles on this forum to expand your knowledge on other species of frog. If you better understand the animal's care so you can offer proper care suggestions.

Thank you again..

[Zlitni]

careful with water bowls, it can't be too deep or pac may drown, the dish should be pretty shallow, the water should be no higher then frog's chin, IF humidity in the tank is ideal, then there's no real need for a frog to go in there unless he likes to use his water bowl as a toilet or just because, so as long as humidity is good I wouldn't worry about the amount of water. Usually the water bowls are the size of a frog + a little bit more in diameter, so it can move in there if he'd like to.
In proper environment majority of the time healthy pacs will spend burrowed in a substrate, if the frog is spending a lot of time in his water dish that is indicator that humidity of the tank is off.

I never fill the water bowl full, as long as he's a baby, but when he grows, that'll be another thing.
My pacman have spend a lot of time in and sometimes under the spaghnum after i buyed a 50W infrared instead of two spots with 2x 35W Infrared (my terrarium is high for at pacman, nearly 48 cm). So I guess i can take that as a good thing for now?
But I will put a little water bowl more in the terrarium, but no more than that...

[Hoppity100]

I would hope you give it a nice sized bowl of water, they need to know its there to use. They like water as much as land.

[Lija]

my tank is 60 water and 40 land.

that is total over kill, that ratio would be ideal for pixie, not pacman, but if there's enough land i don't see why it would complain