Need another perspective

[EnviroJKru92]

Just bought a pacman frog two weeks ago. Love the frogs however I'm starting to notice he isn't eating. In fact I haven't seen him eat yet. The store I bought him didn't not explain any of the things I have just found out on the internet so I've completely redid the enclosure. Using De-chlorinated water instead of filtered water, Coconut fiber substrate, live plants including marbled pothos and silver philodendrom, temp is around 79, while humidity is between 70-80. I have my crickets on a all supplement diet to ensure a healthy diet for my frog. If anyone has suggestions please I would greatly appreciate it.I've tried rubbing crickets in his face.
This is where he recently settled and I don't want to move him but I'm afraid the crickets will never run across him.This was his perfect spot but still no feeding.Tank set up two heat pads to keep the temperature and I spray daily to keep humidity.

[Mentat]

Hello and welcome to FF! Your frog could be stressed from the multiple enclosure changes or something else. Here is a link to the forum's care article: Frog Forum - Pacman and Horned Frogs - Ceratophrys - Care and Breeding.

Dechlorinated tap should be used on daily changed water dish and to mix the substrate with. Another source of stress is if the enclosure is too large for a baby. What is your frog's length from nose to tail and enclosure size?

Crickets should be gut loaded with fresh veggies (carrots and lettuce) and cereals (cherios and oats). Their size should be same as the distance between the frogs eyes. Can also feed not dyed night crawlers (from Walmart or bait shops) cut from pointy end same as frog's length. Once you get frog eating should start to use supplements and here is a guide with schedules: http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html.

Recommend try to get temp to 82F daily for a baby with a couple degree drop at night. Also, cover the enclosure on 3 sides to reduce stress. Good luck !

[EnviroJKru92]

Yeah, I am struggling to keep the temperature above 80. I live in Indiana, so the weather outside is changing constantly. I have my heating pad underneath now and hopefully it will help. I'm afraid to buy more than two heating pads. Seems a bit ridiculous. But my frog looks healthy still. I mean He is still fat haha. The tank he is in now is a ten gallon. I have the top wrapped 3/4 with aluminum foil. Here is a picture. I dont know maybe he is too small for the aquarium right now.

[GrifTheGreat]

Yeah, I am struggling to keep the temperature above 80. I live in Indiana, so the weather outside is changing constantly. I have my heating pad underneath now and hopefully it will help. I'm afraid to buy more than two heating pads. Seems a bit ridiculous. But my frog looks healthy still. I mean He is still fat haha. The tank he is in now is a ten gallon. I have the top wrapped 3/4 with aluminum foil. Here is a picture. I dont know maybe he is too small for the aquarium right now.

Never place the Heat Pad under the tank. These are burrowing frogs and will not understand why they cannot properly thermoregulate if they burrow over a heat source. Place it back on the side. Just use a space heater to raise the ambient air temp within the room where your frog is. I live in Ohio and know all to well about the ever inconsistant climate.

[EnviroJKru92]

Well I was giving my little guy a quick clean and I through some crickets in the container I hold him in while I prep his cage and I believe he ate one. Haha super fast but I was 99% sure I had 5 in there and now there is 4. So I believe my pacman frog is just very specific in when and how he eats. For instance he hides under the plants and I will try and put a cricket in his face to see him eat. He wants nothing to do with being forced to eat. However, late at night or during the day he will move around the tank, gets in his water bowl regularly every other day so I think he is doing well. Temperature is steadily at 80 so I hope that is okay. Idk what you guys think.

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

I think you're doing just fine.When I got my Pac-Man "peptio"
He was tiny also, barely 17 g at first he didn't want to eat either.
And I'm sure it was due to the stress of moving from one enclosure to another.
But once I got three sides covered and got the temperature and humidity sorted out.
And I got larger crickets he started to eat.
And as he grew I increase the size of his food I started breeding my own roaches
Feeding him nightcrawlers roaches and the monthly pinky mouse.
Now that he's almost 170 g he now eats A small jumper mouse once a month.
2 adult roaches A day Fed by tongs.

[GrifTheGreat]

Well I was giving my little guy a quick clean and I through some crickets in the container I hold him in while I prep his cage and I believe he ate one. Haha super fast but I was 99% sure I had 5 in there and now there is 4. So I believe my pacman frog is just very specific in when and how he eats. For instance he hides under the plants and I will try and put a cricket in his face to see him eat. He wants nothing to do with being forced to eat. However, late at night or during the day he will move around the tank, gets in his water bowl regularly every other day so I think he is doing well. Temperature is steadily at 80 so I hope that is okay. Idk what you guys think.

These frogs are nocturnal so should be fed at night.

[EnviroJKru92]

Alright it has been a few months but I'm please to say this guy eats everyday. In fact he has been so hungry that he will occasionally chase the crickets around the tank. I'm beginning to feed in night crawlers, and dead pinkies as well.
I have read that pinkies should be given almost like a treat and only once a month while night crawlers are the best source of food for these guys. I also sprinkle both of them with Calcium. Is this good methods.

Once again thank you all for your opinions and ideas, I guess he just needed to trust me and settle in.

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

Alright it has been a few months but I'm please to say this guy eats everyday. In fact he has been so hungry that he will occasionally chase the crickets around the tank. I'm beginning to feed in night crawlers, and dead pinkies as well.
I have read that pinkies should be given almost like a treat and only once a month while night crawlers are the best source of food for these guys. I also sprinkle both of them with Calcium. Is this good methods.

Once again thank you all for your opinions and ideas, I guess he just needed to trust me and settle in.

Actually you should dust every other feeding. with calcium and once a week with multivitamin but only dust the crickets with the multivitamin.
if you dust the worm it will go nuts and put out a lot of mucus and make a nasty mess.
because most of the minerals are in the form of salts. and putting salt on a worm is not a good thing.

yes pinkies are a great treat and once a month is a good guideline.
I think you are a off to a great start with your frog.
Please post pictures.

also it is a good idea to weigh your frog when you have it out to do the cleanings that way you can keep an eye on its general health.
you can get a inexpensive kitchen digital scale that will weigh in both oz and grams.
Grams is the easiest scale to use.
When I got my frog it was 17g and now that he is almost a year old he is almost over 200g

[EnviroJKru92]

Louis, I understand that the salt reacts with the worm but does it matter if I can get Froakie to eat it. Also how do you know if they are full? I haven't tried to feed him more then a worm a day, a pinkie a day, or 4-5 crickets in a day but I'm assuming he has to be getting full after a good week and impressive increase in size. In the picture I uploaded he was very active over night and rearranged himself in the middle of the enclosure underneath my plant. He is burrowed in and I still was able to get him to swallow a worm.

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

If the frog will still eat it then ok.
Some times the extra mucus does put off some frogs.
But yours seems to be not that finicky.
Don't worry it won't over eat it will stop eating when it is full.
If the frog is greater than 3 inches STV it can eat a fuzzy but any older then the mouse is harder to digest.
I would limit pinkies and fuzzy's to once a month.
I would add dubia roaches to the menu.

[Mentat]

...Also how do you know if they are full? I haven't tried to feed him more then a worm a day, a pinkie a day, or 4-5 crickets in a day but I'm assuming he has to be getting full after a good week and impressive increase in size.

What is your frog's snout to vent length (SVL) at the present?

[EnviroJKru92]

Hey Carlos, he is 2.5 inches long and lately 2 inches in girth. Here's a cool video of me feeding him. One worm and he appears to be fool. I apologize about the quality but he only eats when its dark out.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=684751578234881

[Mentat]

At 2.5 in. a Pacman should handle the smaller (4 in. or less) night crawlers whole. Sorry can't see FB video; link crashed Chrome in my laptop. If frog is eating and growing; all is well !

[GrifTheGreat]

The mucus won't harm the frog. It just makes the worms harder to grip with tongs. As for eating only at night or in the dark that is normal these frogs are nocturnal and are usually only active at night. Occationally you'll catch them changing burrows or bathing during the day, but to often.

Sounds like you've got a healthy frog.

[EnviroJKru92]

Okay, Froakie has been doing great but has began to croak in early morning/late at night. I was trying to find good information on why he might be croaking and was wanting to open up to question to everyone on the forum. Have any of you had your pacman frog croak and if so is it an alarm or just a mating display?

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

Welcome to being a proud owner of a male frog. LOL

They will croak when ever they feel like it.

My guy will croak at 2am or a 3pm.

[EnviroJKru92]

It's crazy, he sounds like a deep whistle. I was worried maybe he was stressed, but now I feel like he just wants attention.