whites tree frog questions

[ReptileMom]

I have 2 whites tree frogs i got from the last reptile show, both are healthy as far as i can tell but they dont move as much as i think they should. one sits in the water bowl all the time and the other sits in the same spot. the water bowl is big enough that they could both get in if they wanted to. i mist the cage at least once a day. there is eco earth as substrate. it stays warm in my room because i also have snakes...they are in a large critter keeper temporarily until i can get to my tanks in storage. i've only seen them eat once or twice since i got them almost 3 weeks ago..do they have a hibernation period or something?

[kueluck]

If you would answer the questions below it will help out a lot. There are several people here that care for the WTF that will be able to help out with your problems. Also pictures are worth a thousand words, so if you can post some of the habitat and of the frog it would be great.


1. Size of enclosure
2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences
3. Humidity
4. Temperature
5. Water - type - for both misting and soaking dish
6. Materials used for substrate
7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials.
- How were things prepared prior to being put into the viv.
8. Main food source
9. Vitamins and calcium? (how often)
10. Lighting
11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure
12. When is the last time he/she ate
13. Have you found poop lately
14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)
15. How old is the frog
16. How long have you owned him/her
17. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred
18. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats
19. How often the frog is handled
20. Is the enclosure kept in a high or low traffic area
21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc)

[ReptileMom]

wow i really thought i had answered this...ok size of enclosure is as of this moment a large plastic critter keeper...not sure of measurements. hope to have some help this weekend so i can get my tank out of storage..was supposed to have help but with my back problems its slow going...will prob be a 10 gal tank. 2 inhabitants both about the same size. not sure of age but i think the vendor said they were almost at the age that if they were male they would croak...so far havent heard anything. unsure of exact humidity level...but it gets misted at least once a day...i try to do it in the morning when i get up and at night before i go to bed. water is tap water for both drinking and misting. temperature unknown but the room stays warm for my other reptiles. substrate is eco earth..they have a fake plant in there and they dont pay it any attention..they are like ok and...main food source is either lobster roaches or crickets. both are always dusted with calcium powder at least once or twice a week. lighting right now is whatever is in the ceeling fan..i think one is uvb cuz my iguana likes to sit up on my shelf closest to my fan but the rest are the energy saving bulbs. unsure of last time they ate, i put bugs in there and unless they are burrowing or getting out of the top i am not seeing anything. as i am not sure what frog poop looks like idk if i've found any...i spot clean once a day so if i see anything in thhere that isnt bugs, frog or eco earth it comes out. unsure of how old exactly the frogs are or whether they are wild or captive bred..i asked but she wasnt sure...she was the guys wife or something and he had stepped away from the booth...i pet the frogs but other then that i dont handle them too much. the enclosure is in my room and im usually the only one in it other then ivy my free roaming iggy..he stays off that shelf tho....i spot check every day and rinse and refil the water bowl. anything else you need to know? pics to come soon

[kueluck]

Tap water MUST be treated or this will kill your frog. You can also use bottled water, but NO distilled for soaking, this can be used to spray the glass in the enclosure to keep water spots from forming. You want spring water, just make sure there is nothing added. Some times they will add sodium.

IMO you'll need a 20 to 30 vertical gallon enclosure for two WTF. They are quiet active at night and will use and need every bit of space you give them. I have 3 in the exo terra 18x18x24 but getting the 36x18x36 so they are more comfortable, these guys can get big.

Humidity and temps are very important to keep these guys healthy & happy. Temp range 75(nighttime)-85(daytime) with humidity 50-60%

Food source is good, but if these are still babies you want to dust w/calcium every other day & use a good multi-vitamin the other days. I also use a probiotic once a week & one day a week non dusted feeders. Also bowl feeding works great, this way the bugs can't hide from the frog, the frog won't ingest substrate & it's easy to remove uneaten feeders. FYI turkish roaches don't climb like the lobster do.

Keep an eye out for poop. It should be dark brown and well formed, if not you should take a sample into your vet for testing.

You mentioned you got these at a show in SC. I went to the Columbia ReptiCon and saw several WTF there but the ones I saw did not look good, I hope you were able to purchase
some healthy ones.

I'm pretty new at WTF, but I've had other amphibians for 2 years so I hope some of the WTF experts chime in to help fill in the blanks.

This is a must read Frog Forum - White's Tree Frog Care - Litoria caerulea

[ReptileMom]

i dont get the tap water thing, used it for years and never had a problem with it, even had a fully aquatic frog it in for years with no problem. `10 gal is what i have available atm. its either that or the 55 gal which i dont have space for...i do have a small exo terra, my large one is housing my rat snake.. they are not babies they are a good size...i havent gotten a chance to get pics yet but i will soon. lobsters are what i have and im not changing it..i got mine at the columbia repticon and they looked good to me.,

[kueluck]

Your tap water must not be treated by a city then. When people say "tap water" first thing that comes to mind is chlorine, chlorides, fluorides and all the other chemicals they put it. I also suggested the turish because I've done the lobsters & they freak me out.

i dont get the tap water thing, used it for years and never had a problem with it, even had a fully aquatic frog it in for years with no problem. `10 gal is what i have available atm. its either that or the 55 gal which i dont have space for...i do have a small exo terra, my large one is housing my rat snake.. they are not babies they are a good size...i havent gotten a chance to get pics yet but i will soon. lobsters are what i have and im not changing it..i got mine at the columbia repticon and they looked good to me.,

[Heatheranne]

I too have been asked to check into this post to help, but you all have it covered so I will just add a few basics.

Water, as noted by Grif, above ^.

Whites do grow bigger than some tree frogs and do need height. A 24" tall tank or higher is recommended. Same with size...a 18"x18"x24" is fine for two whites. Petco is currently having a tank sale...just an fyi .

Give them some tall vines and plants to climb on. If you are not sure of how to prepare and debug live plants or branches safely, just let us know and we'll add that too.

Try covering the back and two sides of the tank with a background and they'll be more likely to explore. It helps them to feel secure.

Humidity and temp - you need to monitor them and keep them in the guidelines listed or it is a matter of time before they become sick. Much easier to keep them healthy and happy than treat illnesses. You may have to mist twice a day. Most people do.

Your feeders are fine so long as their not too big. The bugs should be no larger than the distance between their eyes. That is how you can determine if they can swallow them easily. Use calcium with vitamin D3 powder every other day and the mvi weekly but not on the same day. If they are eating well, this will prevent MBD and deficiencies. It's a necessary part of keeping them healthy.

Last..whites are adorable frogs . Once you get things straightened around and on target they should be a bit more active for you (at night).

Welcome to the forum . I'm glad you came. Now you'll be able to make them happy and keep them healthy .

Peek through the posts on whites tree frogs and some of the basics too. You'll learn a bunch. Good and bads. Take a look at some vivariums for great tank ideas.