Need information...

[djmosier]

I'm a fairly new Albino Pacman owner. Unfortunately, reading your forum, I've discovered that the pet shop guy didn't give me nearly enough information as to the care of my pacman. (Wacca is his/her name) I'm not sure how to tell if Wacca is a girl or a boy. I was told that after he outgrew the critter keeper, I could either upgrade him to a larger size keeper, or to a 10 gallon tank. I opted for the tank. He's right at 3" in length. I wasn't told about the substrate, Vit D/Calcium or Multivitamin, how often to feed, having a water bowl, or about lighting, temp, or humidity. I was told that he could eat goldfish or minnows, crickets, or pinky mice. After reading your forum, I found out he could eat earthworms, also. (I didn't know to cut them up, and gave him earthworms whole, and he ate them. Is that okay?) I am planning a trip to the pet shop tomorrow to buy the substrate, vitamins, water bowl and a few other items. The main concern I have right now, is that although he eats every day, and doesn't seem to have lost his appetite ate all, he hasn't pooped in about a week. Do I need to do something? (Besides fix his enclosure - a lot!)

[GrifTheGreat]

I'm a fairly new Albino Pacman owner. Unfortunately, reading your forum, I've discovered that the pet shop guy didn't give me nearly enough information as to the care of my pacman. (Wacca is his/her name) I'm not sure how to tell if Wacca is a girl or a boy. I was told that after he outgrew the critter keeper, I could either upgrade him to a larger size keeper, or to a 10 gallon tank. I opted for the tank. He's right at 3" in length. I wasn't told about the substrate, Vit D/Calcium or Multivitamin, how often to feed, having a water bowl, or about lighting, temp, or humidity. I was told that he could eat goldfish or minnows, crickets, or pinky mice. After reading your forum, I found out he could eat earthworms, also. (I didn't know to cut them up, and gave him earthworms whole, and he ate them. Is that okay?) I am planning a trip to the pet shop tomorrow to buy the substrate, vitamins, water bowl and a few other items. The main concern I have right now, is that although he eats every day, and doesn't seem to have lost his appetite ate all, he hasn't pooped in about a week. Do I need to do something? (Besides fix his enclosure - a lot!)

Whole Earthworms are fine for a 3" Pacman just make sure it isn't the ones the size of a snake.

Lighting for Albino can only be non daylight basking bulbs. No UVB/UVA. You will want Infrared bulbs and make sure their 50 watts or less. Nothing higher. You can also purchase a UTH appropriately sized for the frog's enclosure.

Cover 3 sides of the tank with some sort of natural terrarium background. The static cling kind works well.

If he hasn't pooped yet you can soak him in a luke warm bath of dechlorinated water and add 3 drops of honey in the bath and dissolve it. Soak the frog for 20 minutes then prepare a second bath of just luke warm dechlorinated water for the same duration then return the frog home.

[djmosier]

Thank you! The earthworms are normal sized, and he seems to love them. I'm in the process of doing some improvisational changes to the enclosure, to make it a little more habitable for him until I can get to the store tomorrow. I removed the river rocks and am putting down moist paper towels wadded up, to act as temporary substrate. I'm putting in a shallow bowl for water, as opposed to just having a small amount of water in the bottom of the tank. I'm leaving the 3 large rocks that I have because he seems to like them, and for now, I covered 3 sides of the tank with hand towels. Anything else to suggest?

[GrifTheGreat]

Thank you! The earthworms are normal sized, and he seems to love them. I'm in the process of doing some improvisational changes to the enclosure, to make it a little more habitable for him until I can get to the store tomorrow. I removed the river rocks and am putting down moist paper towels wadded up, to act as temporary substrate. I'm putting in a shallow bowl for water, as opposed to just having a small amount of water in the bottom of the tank. I'm leaving the 3 large rocks that I have because he seems to like them, and for now, I covered 3 sides of the tank with hand towels. Anything else to suggest?

You don't have to wad up the paper towels. Just make them fairly thick. 4 to 5 layers will work. Make them heavily moist.

Cover the lid 3/4 of the way with plastic wrap to hold heat and humidity in, but be sure that their is air circulation.

[djmosier]

done. Thank you So Much! Right now, he's happily 3/4 buried in paper towels. I feel much better about his well being now.

[GrifTheGreat]

done. Thank you So Much! Right now, he's happily 3/4 buried in paper towels. I feel much better about his well being now.

Keep an eye on him.

[djmosier]

I had to go to work at 8pm, but he did fine. He is in the lukewarm bath now - hoping that will get things moving.

[djmosier]

The lukewarm water did the trick. Thanks a bunch!

[Mentat]

Hello and how is Wacca doing? Although a concern to watch out for, would not stress about a Pacman not pooping for a week or so. Fresita has done that a couple times. Then she makes a mess in her bath for a few days in a row.

The CA/vitamin supplements are important to a growing juvenile. To dust with earthworms I rinse one in a little cup of dechlorinated water. Then use paper towel to dry worm a bit and sprinkle a pinch of CA on worm, then tongue feed to frog. Do that M/F and same for vitamins on W. T/T/Sat frog gets 1/2 dozen adult crickets (mine is 3 in. SVL. Sunday is off feeding day. That schedule works fine for me but you might need to adjust according to frog's response.

The shredded coco comes in loose and bricks you have to re-constitute by soaking in dechlorinated water. I prefer the loose kind; but can save a bit of $ by going with bricks in 3 packs. If so, get the Plantation Soil by ZooMed. ExoTerra's EcoEarth bricks are harder to deal with and I have found pieces of rope, wire, plastics, you name it inside them. The loose EcoEarth does not have those issues. No matter if using bricks or loose; you want to adjust water content so substrate clumps in closed fist without squeezing any water out, just slightly damp.

If buying analog gauges, do compare them at store and avoid any that get away from the average median reading. Have seen 10-20% difference in some humidity gauges at display and you do not want those stray ones. Digital gauges are more accurate but costlier too. Hope this helps and good luck !

[djmosier]

Hello. Wacca is doing great. His enclosure is now set up with the substrate, water bath, a half-log for shelter, and terrarium-looking background film. I ended up getting the brick-type substrate. The shop owner had to order the thermometer and hygrometer, as well as the heat mat, so I don't think I'll be able to compare, since he didn't have any in stock. I'll be able to pick those items up a week from today. In the meantime, I bought a 25 watt red nightlight for him, since the nights are so much cooler than the days. I also bought the vitamins and calcium, which I intend to start on right away. I think I'll begin with the calcium with vit. D. He seems much more satisfied with the new set-up. He immediately went under the log shelter and burrowed into the substrate. I fed him before putting him into the new enclosure. Should I take him out to feed him, or leave him in the enclosure? Also, I have crickets (gut-loaded) and earthworms. Should I get more fish, or are the feeders I have now sufficient to keep him healthy? Thank you for your advice. I can use all the help I can get.

[Lija]

Welcome to the forum DJ, it seems you have one happy frog
you don't need fish, they can happily live on a diet of dubia and earthworms/nightcrawlers with occasional hormworm or pacman food or pinky ( no more then 1 a month). feeder fish is not the best food for them for many reasons.
as for feeding, i never am taking my frogs out, it is less stressful for them and time consuming for me to feed them in their homes. but if i were u i would tong train a frog, you'll have less problems later.

[djmosier]

stupid question: how do you post photos?

[Lija]

lol you go advanced then attachment, then you'll figure out

[GrifTheGreat]

stupid question: how do you post photos?

When you are making a new thread or replying to a thread there will be a toolbar above the text field. Click the icon that looks like a picture in a frame and options for posting pictures will be given.

Edit: or you can do as Lija has stated above.

[djmosier]

Okay! Great! Thanks to both of you. And yes, I figured it out. Another stupid question: (and this is a beaut!) How do I tong train my frog? (I'm not sure exactly what that means.) - I know, my ignorance is showing.

[GrifTheGreat]

Okay! Great! Thanks to both of you. And yes, I figured it out. Another stupid question: (and this is a beaut!) How do I tong train my frog? (I'm not sure exactly what that means.) - I know, my ignorance is showing.

Tongs/forcepts = large tweezer like tool used for feeding animals.

It takes patience. Some will eagerly take from forcepts and others will never eat from them.

Easiest way is by letting them know that food comes from tongs. You can start by dropping thd food from the tongs where the frog can see. This way it can see that the tongs drop the food in. Then after a feeding or two you can just hold the food with the tongs and hold it infront of the frog so tbat it can grab it. Always have the tips of the forcepts pointed in a direction slightly away from the frog so that it doesn't hurt itself by jumping into the tips while eagerly lunging at the food.

It can take time, but some will accept from tongs right away.

[djmosier]

Okay, it sounds like I'm sort of already doing that, with a pair of tweezers. Wacca has tried several times to eat my finger when I just hold the fish/cricket in my fingers. I ordered a pair of plastic tweezers, so that he won't inadvertently hurt himself jumping for the food. (so far, he hasn't, but don't want to take any chances.) Thank you.

[GrifTheGreat]

Okay, it sounds like I'm sort of already doing that, with a pair of tweezers. Wacca has tried several times to eat my finger when I just hold the fish/cricket in my fingers. I ordered a pair of plastic tweezers, so that he won't inadvertently hurt himself jumping for the food. (so far, he hasn't, but don't want to take any chances.) Thank you.

You're welcome.

[djmosier]

Okay, having problems with the text part of this reply... (not the most computer-savvy!) - but here's Wacca. The first one is him/her burrowing in the substrate under the log, and the two following are Wacca in the bath. Not the best pics, but I took them with my phone in very poor lighting. Hopefully, though, this will give you an idea...

[Lija]

wow, that is one pretty and fat lady is it a girl?
if she is not calling and doesn't have nuptial pads that is a she, at that size it is easy to check it out.
nuptial pads - these mole looking things on a inner side of thumbs