sick Simon

[gab]

I’m new to the forum and not great with computers, so please bear with me. I have a sick African clawed frog named Simon (I ‘m pretty sure she’s a girl, but she came with a name so I didn’t change it). She’s 5 years old and lives in a 55 gallon tank with several minnows (ones she didn’t eat when they were smaller). I’ve got a large Aquaclear power filter and a homemade canister filter as well on the tank. I also change about 50% of the water every week and a half and use Koizyme. I’ve never had a problem with water quality—no ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites and the pH runs around 7.5. Her tank mate (an albino African clawed frog-Simon is sort of green and black) died about 2 months ago-she was 10 ½ years old). Simon seemed fine after the death of her friend for a few weeks. Then she began to eat less and less (very unlike her-she’s always had a healthy appetite-maybe even a little on the pudgy side). She would usually eat 4-5 reptomin sticks twice/day and went down to about half that and then nothing for about a week(if I didn’t hand feed her, I wouldn’t even have known anything was wrong). I began to get concerned so I decided to try some antibiotics. I started with Maracyn 2 and Maroxy. I also started to salt her tank with aquarium salt—1 tablespoon / 5 gallons water. After a few weeks of an occasional piece of food (I was trying all sorts of treats and her Reptomin at this point-earthworms, baby fish, and flies) and no response to the Maracyn 2 or Maroxy (and many water changes to get all the meds out), I decided to try soaking her in chloramphenicol for an hour each evening(I found info on the internet -20mg/L and we use this antibiotic for fish where I work). She ate 4 pieces of food 20 days ago and ate 1 fly 12 days ago.
Even though she’s always been a big frog, she seemed maybe a little bigger-even though she had barely been eating for a while. After reading about bloat I also decided to try Epsom salts. The day after I started the chloramphenicol, I started soaking her in epsom salts for an hour each morning (1/2 tsp per gallon). After 5 days of the Epsom, I read on your site to use 1 tsp per gallon, so I increased to that. Today is day 13 of the chloramphenicol and day 9 of the ½ tsp Epsom salt. There is still no difference—I don’t even know how she is still alive and fairly active. Do you have any suggestions as to what her problem may be or what I can do for her? I love these frogs-I’ve had many of them over the past 35 years or so (since I was a kid) and I’d hate to lose her. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. I love reading about other people’s frogs on your website.

[mpmistr]

I’m new to the forum and not great with computers, so please bear with me. I have a sick African clawed frog named Simon (I ‘m pretty sure she’s a girl, but she came with a name so I didn’t change it). She’s 5 years old and lives in a 55 gallon tank with several minnows (ones she didn’t eat when they were smaller). I’ve got a large Aquaclear power filter and a homemade canister filter as well on the tank. I also change about 50% of the water every week and a half and use Koizyme. I’ve never had a problem with water quality—no ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites and the pH runs around 7.5. Her tank mate (an albino African clawed frog-Simon is sort of green and black) died about 2 months ago-she was 10 ½ years old). Simon seemed fine after the death of her friend for a few weeks. Then she began to eat less and less (very unlike her-she’s always had a healthy appetite-maybe even a little on the pudgy side). She would usually eat 4-5 reptomin sticks twice/day and went down to about half that and then nothing for about a week(if I didn’t hand feed her, I wouldn’t even have known anything was wrong). I began to get concerned so I decided to try some antibiotics. I started with Maracyn 2 and Maroxy. I also started to salt her tank with aquarium salt—1 tablespoon / 5 gallons water. After a few weeks of an occasional piece of food (I was trying all sorts of treats and her Reptomin at this point-earthworms, baby fish, and flies) and no response to the Maracyn 2 or Maroxy (and many water changes to get all the meds out), I decided to try soaking her in chloramphenicol for an hour each evening(I found info on the internet -20mg/L and we use this antibiotic for fish where I work). She ate 4 pieces of food 20 days ago and ate 1 fly 12 days ago.
Even though she’s always been a big frog, she seemed maybe a little bigger-even though she had barely been eating for a while. After reading about bloat I also decided to try Epsom salts. The day after I started the chloramphenicol, I started soaking her in epsom salts for an hour each morning (1/2 tsp per gallon). After 5 days of the Epsom, I read on your site to use 1 tsp per gallon, so I increased to that. Today is day 13 of the chloramphenicol and day 9 of the ½ tsp Epsom salt. There is still no difference—I don’t even know how she is still alive and fairly active. Do you have any suggestions as to what her problem may be or what I can do for her? I love these frogs-I’ve had many of them over the past 35 years or so (since I was a kid) and I’d hate to lose her. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. I love reading about other people’s frogs on your website.

Hey there, welcome to the forum.

Is the only issue with this frog a lack of appetite? If so I would stop all medications immediately. I think the best practice with animals like amphibians is absolutely do not medicate unless you know exactly what is wrong. Medications (especially the wrong ones) can easily cause more problems and complicate the situation. I would also cease salt treatments, nothing I've read here says to me the frog has actual bloat. If you could take some pictures we could see if the frog perhaps does have bloat. Some times african clawed frogs do take a short hiatus from eating, this is perfectly normal and no reason to medicate. They can go a long time without food and no one really knows why they stop eating randomly but again, it's natural.

Are you using KoiZyme as a water conditioner? It appears to be a medication and not a water conditioner that properly treats the water to remove heavy metals and chlorine.

Also one last thing to consider, this frog just may be old and not feel like going on. 5 years is rather short for a clawed frog and many specimens can certainly live much longer but depending on its genetics, it may just be 'tired'.

I would just cease the use of ALL medications, offer up treats like nightcrawlers as you have been and wait and see.. if the frog is not emancipated then it's not starving.

[gab]

I had pretty much decided to stop all treatments on Sunday when I sent my first post. I realize frogs periodically go without eating-her tank mate that recently died went on "food strikes" fairly often and I never worried about it. Simon had never refused food and it was almost a month of very little food before I started medicating.
I use Koizyme as a water conditioner-to keep the population of "good" bacteria up, not as a medication. I have well water so I don't need any water conditioners. I do run the water through a carbon filter before adding it to the tank, though.
I'll try to post some pictures this afternoon if I can figure out how to do it.

[gab]

Attachment 58684Attachment 58682Attachment 58685Attachment 58683


I'm having trouble with posting pictures. I'm off work today, so I'll try again. Simon is still not eating and is staying at the top of the tank since I stopped her meds. Please help.
I don't know how these pictures will turn out, but here they are.

[Mentat]

Hello and welcome to FF Gab! Sorry your frog is sick or maybe just lonely . Can't open pic files. Maybe you can try using a web site like Photobucket to upload your pics and then paste the provided code into your post.

Agree with Michael previous comment about not medicating a frog that does not show specific disease symptoms. Does frog looks bloated compared to recent weeks? Any color changes etc.? Please answer these questions here to get a better idea of situation in tank. Also, do the fish show any signs of disease? Thank you !

Trouble in the Frog Enclosure”

The following information will be very helpful if provided when requesting assistance with either your frog or enclosure. To help with your questions, please utilize the below list and post the information in the proper forum area to get advice from FF members that keep the same frog. This will allow for little confusion and a faster more informed response.


1. Tank Size and volume of water in it (full, 1/2 filled, etc.)?

2. Number of inhabitants including all frogs and any fish?

3. Water source and any conditioner treatments?

4. Water Temperature and how is it heated (if so)?

5. Water chemistry levels: pH; Ammonia (NH3); Nitrites (NO2); Nitrates (NO3)? Note that if you do not have test kits, most aquariums/pet shops will do complimentary tests if you take a clean water sample.

6. Describe any filter system including model and media?[/COLOR]

7. Substrate type?

8. Tank set-up (plants (live or artificial), driftwood, hide outs and other decor? - How were things prepared prior to being put into the tank?

9. Main frog staple food and any treats? How often you feed?

10. CA, vitamins, and any other additives used (how often)?

11. Lighting set-up and hours it's used?

12. When is the last time frog ate?

13. Have you found poop lately?

14. A picture would be helpful including frog and tank (any including cell phone pics are 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. Any medications in the water (treatment dosis and for how long)?

19. Any salt in water (how much)?

20. Is the tank kept in a high or low traffic area?

21. Describe tank maintenance to include water changes, cleaning, media changes, etc.).


By Lynn(flybyferns), GrifTheGreat, and aquatic questions added by Carlos(Mentat)

[gab]

I'm working on getting pictures. They're on photobucket, but I'm not sure how to post them. Anyway, I think I answered most of the questions in my previous posts. To clarify, she's been in her tank for 4 years, and currently lives wiht about 5 minnows she didn't eat. 55 gallon tank filled almost to the top, Aquaclear 110 power filter plus homeade canister filter, no media really-just sponges and the biosphere ceramic balls for bacteria. I did have carbon and zeolite before medicating, though, but haven't replaced yet. Temperature runs 78-80 this time of year, no water quality issues, no substrate or conditioners (I have well water). I do use Koizyme, though. UV lights run at two hour intervals during the daytime, tank is in a low traffic area. Last time she ate was 4 pieces of Reptomin July 21 and then 1 fly on July 29.
I can't seem to get the pictures to come through. Please help. I'll keep trying.