Red Eyed Tree Frog Leg Problems

[Mentat]

Sorry about your frogs; please answer these questions that will assist others identify any problem areas. Thank you !

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)

by Lynn(Flybyferns) and GrifTheGreat.

[boa10jeh]

Firstly, thanks to both of you for getting in touch so quickly! Heather, I was previously using a ceramic heater on a thermostat clamped about 8 inches from the top of the terrarium to keep the temperatures very similar to your recommendations, but I was told by my local exotics store this was too high, and that too low is worse than too high? Can you give me any more information on the temperatures, and reasons behind your recommendations? All the care sheet available on the internet say different things!
As for the supplements, I use the exo terra calcium with D3 and the exo terra multivitamin, and have just checked the dates on them, and both don't expire until 2014. I haven't tried switching brands no, do you think this might help? I keep other frogs (in separate terrariums) which are also dusted with these supplements and have had no problems of this kind with any of them. There have been no strange movements at all, other than slightly more mobility in the bone I am worried about, but like I said, everything else seems very normal. All the plants I sourced from a provider who (claims) not to use any fertilisers and advocates that all their plants are suitable for use with amphibians. Nonetheless, before putting them in with my frogs, I removed all the soil that they came in, and thoroughly rinsed the roots and leaves before replanting them in my terrarium. Besides, all the plants that are in there currently have been in there for many months.
Hope this answers your questions!
Carlos, I'll answer yours in a separate post in a moment, so that there isn't confusion!
Thanks again!

[boa10jeh]

Carlos,
In answer to your questions:
1. the enclosure is 60x45x60cm.
2. inhabitants - 4 red eyed tree frogs (one large female, about 2.5/3 inches, 2 males, both about 1.5 inches, and one unknown, probably male, also about 1.5 inches).
3. humidity - usually around 60%.
4. temp - low 70s in daytime, high 60s at night (may be changing this with Heathers advice, above).
5. water - tap water treated with exo terra water conditioner sprayed daily, water area full of the same available at all times.
6. substrate - eco earth (made up with treated water)
7. enclosure is heavily planted, with false bottom and exposed water area (changed every other day) plants are live, and mostly broad leaf. There is a branch in the middle (sturdy and secure, cannot fall or shift). cork bark background. All plants were from a provider who claimed not to use fertilisers such that plants were amphibian safe. Nonetheless, all plants were removed from pots, all soil was washed away from the roots, and leaves were thoroughly rinsed prior to planting in the enclosure.
8. food source - live size 3 or 4 crickets, gut loaded with apple, bran, carrot or potato prior to feeding.
9. supplements - calcium with D3 every other day, multivitamin once a week.
10. lighting - 25 watt sun glo in exo terra compact top, and a 5% uv.
11. temperature maintenance - currently just the sun glo bulb, and weather :P but during winter, I use a ceramic heater attached to a thermostat clamped so it is about 8 inches above the top of the terrarium (to prevent burns).
12. both those I am worried about eat every night, have a good appetite and I haven't observed any change in overall condition.
13. i have not seen a reduction in the amount of poop, but equally do not know from which individuals it is coming specifically.
14. i will post some pictures when they are in a good position to demonstrate the problem (don't want to handle them in case it does more harm than good).
15. the older worry frog was a juvenile when i got him in January 2012, and I was told the younger had been out of the water for about 4 weeks when I got him in October.
16. in above question.
17. all my frogs are captive bred.
18. fed daily (unless there is food leftover from previous night) food is available every night. fed solely crickets.
19. all 4 red eyes are only handled when it is necessary to move them (eg. when cleaning enclosures) no individual is handled more than once a fortnight.
20. enclosure kept in a bedroom, so only used by one person, who is rarely there anyway.
21. enclosure is spot cleaned whenever poo or other mess (eg dead crickets) are spotted. full clean out is given every month-6 weeks (remember plants take out a lot of the chemical waste). Cleaned with hot water, no chemicals. Enclosure was brand new, so rinsed before use. water is changed every other day.
Hope this helps!