new trouble catching food

[kyled509]

I have had my pacman frog for almost a year and all has seemed well until recently. We had some very cold weather here for about a week, during which time his enclosure dropped down between 60 and 70 at night (70-80 days). During this time he didn't eat, which I thought was reasonable. Once temperatures returned to normal (normal day temp 80-90, night 70-80) he exhibited all his usual interest in eating, but he has been completely unsuccessful in catching anything on his own. It has been 2 weeks now since the cold spell (3 since he was eating normally). At first I thought he was sluggish because of the temperature. Then I thought he was getting weak from lack of a good meal. I started holding food right in front of him, and he is sometimes willing to take that. He was typically eating about 16 large crickets per week, and I am presently managing to get less than half that in him. I think his body condition is still acceptable, I'll try to include a pic. I will fill out more specifics in the form below.

1. Size of enclosure
20 gallon tall aquarium
2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences
no others
3. Humidity
70-80
4. Temperature
80-90 days, 70-80 nights (range indicating cool side temp -heated side temp)
5. Water - type - for both misting and soaking dish
tap water for both
6. Materials used for substrate
jungle mix
7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials.
live pothos plant - grown in jungle mix just for him, no chemicals; soaking dish, no other decorations8. Main food source
large crickets almost exclusively, but currently offering large meal worms also
9. Vitamins and calcium? (how often)
just calcium once per week
10. Lighting
a standard aquarium light bulb
11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure
heat lamp - 150 watt "night black heat incandescent spot" bulb
12. When is the last time he/she ate
currently taking one bug per day when bug is held for him
13. Have you found poop lately
no, not in the last 3 weeks.
14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)
15. How old is the frog
I have had him for nearly a year and he was a small/young when I got him
16. How long have you owned him/her
17. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred
Pet store purchase, assuming captive bred
18. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats
Almost exclusively large crickets. I am currently offering large meal worms also, because they move slower and I thought he might be able to catch them.
19. How often the frog is handled
rarely, if I need to clean his area
20. Is the enclosure kept in a high or low traffic area
low
21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc)
I mist the enclosure twice a day, and refill his soaking dish once per day. I rinse his soaking dish with hot water before filling it. I remove any poop as soon as I find it. I have done a total substrate change roughly every 3 months.

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

1. Size of enclosure
20 gallon tall aquarium
It is a bit big for your frog.
These frogs get stressed in large areas. A 10 gallon is better for an adult packman.
What will help is to cover the sides and back with just about any thing like construction paper or even a cut up brown paper bag.
what would be best is some aquarium backing.
A fake plant with large leaves that he can hide under will also help.

2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences
no others
3. Humidity
70-80
4. Temperature
80-90 days, 70-80 nights (range indicating cool side temp -heated side temp)

Day time should be 80 to 85 and night time 75 to 80 is optimal.

5. Water - type - for both misting and soaking dish
tap water for both

I hope that you are using a water treatment chemical like Seachem prime.
Even if you are using a well.

6. Materials used for substrate
Jungle mix,

Looking at the photo it looks like there is pieces of bark. This can cause impaction.
I would totally replace it with Eco earth coco fiber ASAP!!!

7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials.
live pothos plant - grown in jungle mix just for him, no chemicals; soaking dish, no other decorations

8. Main food source
large crickets almost exclusively, but currently offering large meal worms alsoA varied diet is the best. Crickets alone are not very good alone.
Highly recommend feeding crickets fresh vegetables like carrots , romaine lettus , kale plus chrshed cherrios 48 hrs before feeding
to your frog, Meal worms should be avoided since their exoskeleton is hard to digest and could cause impaction.
I highly recommend starting a dubia roach colony and feeding small to medium nymphs.
Another good staple food is Night crawlers, you can get thin at walmart in the sorting goods section
Just make sure that they are unscented and no dyes. Have the attendant open the container and check to make sure the
worms are in good shape and not dead.
Your frog should be able to eat one whole worm.
Do not buy red wrigglers they will make a yellow mucus that will make the frog spit out the worm and may never try to eat another one again.

9. Vitamins and calcium? (how often)
just calcium once per week

I highly recommend that you include a multivitamin once a week. There is a moderator here that has a very good supplement regimen.
Hopefully they will see this and post a link to the thread.

10. Lighting
a standard aquarium light bulb ( This is fine since your frog is not a albino, they are very sensitive to light.)
11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure
heat lamp - 150 watt "night black heat incandescent spot" bulb

12. When is the last time he/she ate
currently taking one bug per day when bug is held for him

13. Have you found poop lately
no, not in the last 3 weeks.

I would try giving the frog a night crawler First. They act like a natural laxative.

14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)
15. How old is the frog
I have had him for nearly a year and he was a small/young when I got him
16. How long have you owned him/her
17. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred
Pet store purchase, assuming captive bred
18. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats
Almost exclusively large crickets. I am currently offering large meal worms also, because they move slower and I thought he might be able to catch them.

See the answer on #8

19. How often the frog is handled
rarely, if I need to clean his area

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

21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc)
I mist the enclosure twice a day, and refill his soaking dish once per day. I rinse his soaking dish with hot water before filling it. I remove any poop as soon as I find it. I have done a total substrate change roughly every 3 months.

Need to use treated tap water for just about everything. If you mist just the glass only, Then you can use distilled water to prevent water spots on the glass.
But do not spray the frog with it. Distilled water has no minerals in it and can leach out vital minerals in your frog.
Sopt cleaning is great!!! But only changing the substrate every 3 months is not good. Once a month is good. Or if you smell something funky sooner than a month.
but a month is the max I would wait to to a total change out.

You can keep your live plant in a pot and use Eco earth (coco fiber) The brick form is the least expensive form.
It hydrates easily in a 5 gallon bucket of warm treated tap water.
You want the substrate to be moist not wet.
A good rule of thumb is wet enough to clump together by hand but no water dripping out
while you compress it in your hand.


Feed your frog a few night crawlers over the next few days and see if you get poop.
If you don't get him to have a BM by the first of the year then we will see about another type of treatment.

There are a few thing here that need to be addressed.
In this order.
#1 change out the substrate to ECO earth ASAP.
#2 get some kind of multivitamin power to dust your feeders.
#3 vary your frogs diet. and don't feed mealworms.
#4 Day time temp needs to be 80 to 85F and night time 75 to 80

Feel your frogs sides gently and see if you feel any hard objets like bits of the jungle mix bark.

Let us know your progress.


Good luck and welcome to the forum.

If I missed anything please let me know.

[GrifTheGreat]

90° is too hot and it should never get that high. 80° to 82° during the day and 75° to 78° night.

20 gallons is a little big for most Pacman Frogs, but if he has been in there the entire time he may not be stressed from enclosure size. A smaller tank woukd be easier to maintain climate though.

150 Watts is way to much. Should never go above 50 watts. Get a 50 watt and a Zoo Med UTH made for 20 to 30 gallon tanks, but place it on the side. Cover 3/4 of the screen to with plexiglass, aluminum foil, or saran wrap. This will help hold in heat and humidity.

Stop offering the Superworms and go back to crickets. They can be picky and know what they like. Calcium should be given no less than twice per week and a multivitamin once per week, but not both on the same day.

Do you dechlorinate your tap water? You must use a dechlorinating agent like Prime or ReptiSafe.

Make some changes and see how he responds.

[kyled509]

Thanks, I'll see if I can get the new substrate, vitamins, and night crawlers tomorrow. I have fish de-chlorinator, but I will get one of the reptile/amphibian ones if I can find it. I haven't been able to find a thermostat like device for better temperature regulation. I have a 75 watt bulb for summer months and 150 for winter months. If I downsize to a 10 gallon tank, perhaps a lower wattage bulb could be used, especially if I can also find an under tank heater.

[Mentat]

You've gotten good advice; it's very important to treat all tap water in the USA because water treatment plants add chloramines. Seachem Prime is excellent and very economical for that. You will use the treated water for his bath and for mixing the shredded coco substrate.

Flukers and others make domes with built in dimmers. Other controllers available are manual rheostats or auto thermostats like the Hygrotherm. As mentioned, you can cover the whole top with aluminum foil using electric tape on edges. Then outline your fixtures with a sharpie type marker and using scissors cut around outline but make hole a bit bigger (1/2-1 in.) for air circulation. That should help retain heat and humidity. Your goal is to avoid anything above 85F daytime and below 75F nighttime.

Need to add vitamins to frogs diet and can follow one of these schedules: http://www.frogforum.net/food-feeder...schedules.html. If frog remains unresponsive to food can try to perk up by giving a Pedialyte bath. Using unflavored Pedialyte or similar baby electrolyte make a solution with 90% 80F dechlorinated tap and 10% Pedialyte. Using a small critter keeper or a plastic bowl with holed up top; add frog and enough solution to reach the frogs chin. Leave frog covered with towel for 20 minutes and then return to enclosure and try feeding it a night crawler. If less than couple in. will need to cut worm from pointy end. Good luck !

[Hellsrage]

Flukers and others make domes with built in dimmers.

Could you not also use a plug-in dimmer or if you know what you're doing add an inline dimmer? I'm just curious if there is a reason I don't really see that suggested much, I could understand not recommending an inline dimmer since it's a technical matter and the last thing you need is someone messing with electricity.

[Mentat]

Could you not also use a plug-in dimmer or if you know what you're doing add an inline dimmer? I'm just curious if there is a reason I don't really see that suggested much, I could understand not recommending an inline dimmer since it's a technical matter and the last thing you need is someone messing with electricity.

You answered your own question . An inline dimmer or any other item used with high wattage heating bulbs, etc. should be rated for that use. Mismatching those could create a dangerous condition; hence I do not recommend them. When you compare the price of a plain dome with one's that have built in dimmers; the difference is not much too .

[kyled509]

What a project. Hopefully my frog will be happier and healthier. Thanks for all the prompt and thorough info! I'll keep you updated.

New stats:

10 gallon aquarium
Current temp: 75 - still checking and adjusting
Current humidity: 80
tap water treated with amphibian safe dechlorinator
Eco earth coco fiber substrate
One vitamin dusted night crawler down the hatch today
50 watt heat bulb with dimmer; 8 watt under tank heater mounted on the back
One stress induced bowel movement shortly after being moved to his new habitat
Still working on adding leafy pictures to the sides and making a foil cover for part of the top