Quick question about acclimation

[Pezoneden]

Hi im new here and i had a quick question i just purchased a fbt and he is just sporadic all day just sitting in the corners trying to climb out. he stays in the water most of the time and doesnt explore at all. seems like hes trying to walk through the glass all day. when i open the cage he freaks out just jamming his face into the corners. ive had him for about a week and changed his environment 2 times already. hes only eatin once about 4 crickets and pooped twice. I gather he is just getting acclimated. I was thinking of purchasing him a buddy tomorrow so he doesnt seem so lonely. any help would be greatly appreciated heres a pic of his setup

[jocie1976]

I bought 2 originally and had very little cover for them. The lights looked very bright in my tank too. Then I read that they are social animals so I bought 4 more for a total of 6. I added some taller plants they had a lot more shade and hiding areas. They seem to be out a lot more now that they have hiding places. Mine also sit in the water a lot of the time too. I've had them for about 3 months now and they still jump all over the place when I open the lid. I would suggest giving them some plants to offer cover.

Also, I offer 4 crickets per frog every other day. They also liked mealworms. One has eaten a baby platy in the pond area. And I wouldn't change the set-up so often. He just needs to settle in.

I like your pond area. Very nice.

[Pezoneden]

thank you for your reply. i was thinking of adding some more plants for sure especially to his water area. i was also thinking of lining the outside of his tank with the fake jungle background paper on the sides and back so he doesnt keep thinking hes trapped maybe??? not so sure about this. im gonna introduce him/her to a partner today so hopefully they get a long and acclimated to this set up soon. Any more comments and help would be greatly appreciated thanks

[Pezoneden]

also i heard that mealworms are bad for fbt cause they cant digest the exoskeleton???

[jocie1976]

Lining the tank might make him feel more secure. My tank has all four sides clear and they are fine, but I know some frogs are shy. Mealworms should only be used as a treat. If they eat a lot of them all the time I'm sure they would have a hard time with the exoskeletons. But once in a while is fine. There are a ton of plants that will do fine in that environment.

[Hoppity100]

Forgot to ask if your water is heated?

[Hoppity100]

I learned when I buy pets I buy in 2. I had 2 FB's then got bigger tank and bought 2 more. What was the environment like that he was in when you bought him? What is different? They have to adjust, true. How big is your tank? Have you got enough water, hiding places, plants? Is he in a quiet area? Sounds like he is terribly frightened. If he is in a quiet area that would be best. You might want to try: if you have any plants you can set around outside of tank on same table, try that. I did that and the frogs look at them and probably think they're in a jungle. Mine all get along great and they often eat or sit together. I have a driftwood log that they love plus places to hide. I have a submerisble heater and 3" water. I also have my tank a bit humid, it is cold outside. Is his light source not too bright? My tank is near a window and I have a small lamp next to it for evening. Hope you can update with how he doing and I really hope you get him a friend, mine are real happy with each other!

[Pezoneden]

the setup up at the pet store was just a water bowl the same substrate, one fake plant and one half log hide. the tank is 10 gal. i just added a new plant to the water area and a new buddy for him to play with. hes in a semi quite area theres no partying or loud noises near him. it would be louder for him any where else in the house. putting the plants around them is a great idea. i dont have a light source yet during my research i found they dont need heat lamps just a uv light??? more info on this would be great..i bought and under the tank heater yesterday and put it on the substrate side cause it said if u put it under the water side it can cause stress cracks in the tank. so no the water isnt heated but there is a heat source. Now my first frog i bought (Bellini) is loving the new plant setup and its new buddy (Eduardo) it isnt freaking out at all anymore in fact its way more calm then the new frog eduardo i think they just need a little bit more time getting acclimated. All crickets i put in the tank last night are gone about 12 except 1 or 2 drowners so i suspect they are eating well. So my next step i was thinking of doing is to maybe look into getting them a light source and some more hides/plants for the dryland area. also i need more info on my heating setup

[Hoppity100]

Oh thank you for writing with such a nice update, and you got your frog a friend! I have 4 and I can see they're happier. Sounds like you have a great set up and plants are good. I have half fake and other half are strands of plants in the water, they love to sit on them. My tank is in a quiet part of the house near a window. So, no need for a hood with light. I would not want light in their eyes. I have a small lamp next to it for evening and top is screened with some saran wrap over part of it to create humidity. Water heater is a must here due to winter. I have a small submersible heater and it keeps temp at 76 degrees. If you need any help with heating, I can explain more. Think I'll go to the pet store and get a bag-o-crickets!

[jocie1976]

As long as your room temperatures are staying in the 70's you don't need a heater for them. If your temps are dropping lower than that, a small water heater would work just fine, the same kind you buy for small aquariums. The frogs themselves don't need light, and strong light can hurt their eyes. If you are using live plants though, the plants need light. The plants will also provide shade for your frogs eyes.

[Hoppity100]

Yes, the room temps are fine but if the water isn't heated its too cold. My tank is near a window and with winter coming the heater will be wonderful for them. I have strands of plants in the water, other plants are soft and fake. I don't have a hood with light...I would not put light in their eyes. I have a small lamp next to them for evening. Top is partially covered with saran wrap which traps some humidity.