Purchased 8 days ago and still won't eat

[Treefolk]

1. Size of enclosure
16x11x6"


2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences
1


3. Humidity
80-100%


4. Temperature
80-82 hot side with 70-75 on coolside (measured with temp gun and thermostat regulated)


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


6. Materials used for substrate
Coco coir 1" depth


7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials.
None


8. Main food source
Attempting appropriate sized dubia roaches and cut up earthworm. Will try to tong feed or just leave in enclosure in front of frog/s.


9. Vitamins and calcium? (how often)
They haven't eaten yet so dusted every time


10. Lighting
Normal house hold lights (rack system).


11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure
Back panel THG 11" heat tape hooked up to thermostat.


12. When is the last time he/she ate
You tell me.


13. Have you found poop lately
In 3 of the 6 enclosures.


14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)
My rack thread is in the bottom of the forum.


15. How old is the frog
1- 1 1/2" diameter


16. How long have you owned him/her
8 days


17. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred
CB


18. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats
Ive tried every day except for 2 days as to try not to overwhelm them. Always at night with really low light levels.


19. How often the frog is handled
Never


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


21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc)
new tanks so only spot clean poop and change water dish when dirty.


Well, there you have it. I'm guessing they are stressed by their new homes and will come around, but 8 days is a bit much for me and am looking for tips to 'encourage' them into eating something.

[DesertHeat]

The main thing I see is the r/o well water. R/o water will literally suck the nutrients straight out of your frogs.

However I have no experience with well water so I'll admit I'm not sure of a solution... Hopefully Griff or Carlos pops in soon with their formidable frog knowledge.

You also say the rack is in a medium to high traffic area. Low traffic areas will reduce stress from noise and big animals (ie humans) passing by.

I do have some questions about your rack tubs though. Are they clear? If clear, are 3 sides covered? Can the frogs see one another? What is the photo period for your lighting (how long is it light and how long dark each day)?

6 new frogs all in once go? Talk about jumping right in!

Edit: I forgot to mention that the tubs are too big for babies, which can cause stress and cause them to not eat.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

[Treefolk]

The main thing I see is the r/o well water. R/o water will literally suck the nutrients straight out of your frogs.

However I have no experience with well water so I'll admit I'm not sure of a solution... Hopefully Griff or Carlos pops in soon with their formidable frog knowledge.

You also say the rack is in a medium to high traffic area. Low traffic areas will reduce stress from noise and big animals (ie humans) passing by.

I do have some questions about your rack tubs though. Are they clear? If clear, are 3 sides covered? Can the frogs see one another? What is the photo period for your lighting (how long is it light and how long dark each day)?

6 new frogs all in once go? Talk about jumping right in!

Edit: I forgot to mention that the tubs are too big for babies, which can cause stress and cause them to not eat.

Sent from my HTCONE using Tapatalk

Ive read to use distilled water, so RO water will have a little more dissolved solids then distilled, which has absolutely 0.

Yes, moving to a lower traffic area would be better.

Yes, clear and the 3 sides are covered. I can barely see the frogs when attempting to look in, so highly unlikely they can see each other.

Photoperiod of 12-14 hours of light a day. The last two hours is just the kitchen light which barely illuminates their enclosures.

[GrifTheGreat]

Ive read to use distilled water, so RO water will have a little more dissolved solids then distilled, which has absolutely 0.

Yes, moving to a lower traffic area would be better.

Yes, clear and the 3 sides are covered. I can barely see the frogs when attempting to look in, so highly unlikely they can see each other.

Photoperiod of 12-14 hours of light a day. The last two hours is just the kitchen light which barely illuminates their enclosures.

R/O and distilled water are only for misting and fogger units. It will do just as Desertheat said.

Well water is bad for your frog. Recomend switching over to spring water, but be sure to dechlorinate the spring water because it does still get treated by those who bottle it with chlorine.

[Treefolk]

R/O and distilled water are only for misting and fogger units. It will do just as Desertheat said.

Well water is bad for your frog. Recomend switching over to spring water, but be sure to dechlorinate the spring water because it does still get treated by those who bottle it with chlorine.

I actually know quite a bit about water purity from a previous profession and spring water has no guarantees of having better quality then well water. Spring water is literally Alhambra going into a watershed and making a large well with some filtration in place.

Can anyone be specific about what minerals in what PPMs are right for pacman frogs? If so I can easily replicate it.

[Mentat]

Your tubs are too big for a baby Pacman and when frogs get stressed, they won't eat. A critter keeper similar to ExoTerra's medium Breeding Box is a better choice until frogs are 3-3.5 in SVL.

Need to control humidity between 70-80%. Anything above 90% for a Pacman is not good.

When we discuss enclosure temperature we are referring to air temps, not a surface reading. You need to check the air temp close to frog's location is 82-84F.

The shredded coco should be mixed with same type water as the frog's bath. R/O water is not a suitable choice.

Don't think anyone has researched the perfect water chemistry for a Pacman frog. If you have well water and it's being certified as safe for human use by recent testing; then you can use it for frog after treatment with Seachem Prime to neutralize any possible metals in it. R/O water (well or tap sourced) will leach out frog minerals same as distilled water. That can cause a physiological imbalance and hurt your frog. The water dishes should be changed daily. Good luck !

[GrifTheGreat]

I actually know quite a bit about water purity from a previous profession and spring water has no guarantees of having better quality then well water. Spring water is literally Alhambra going into a watershed and making a large well with some filtration in place.

Can anyone be specific about what minerals in what PPMs are right for pacman frogs? If so I can easily replicate it.

Its not so much the mineral content of well water that makes it good or bad. Its other thing in the water like heavy metals or sulfer. There have been many people come here after having been using their well water an the frog is suddenly sick. They don't exposed to water from deep under ground so there is no telling how they will react to it. It could also be location specific.

The only study for perfect mineral content for a is for breeding and I cannot provide that information to you.

Carlos has you covered on the rest.

[Treefolk]

Your tubs are too big for a baby Pacman and when frogs get stressed, they won't eat. A critter keeper similar to ExoTerra's medium Breeding Box is a better choice until frogs are 3-3.5 in SVL.

Need to control humidity between 70-80%. Anything above 90% for a Pacman is not good.

When we discuss enclosure temperature we are referring to air temps, not a surface reading. You need to check the air temp close to frog's location is 82-84F.

The shredded coco should be mixed with same type water as the frog's bath. R/O water is not a suitable choice.

Don't think anyone has researched the perfect water chemistry for a Pacman frog. If you have well water and it's being certified as safe for human use by recent testing; then you can use it for frog after treatment with Seachem Prime to neutralize any possible metals in it. R/O water (well or tap sourced) will leach out frog minerals same as distilled water. That can cause a physiological imbalance and hurt your frog. The water dishes should be changed daily. Good luck !

First, thank you.

I will move them into 6qt shoe boxes.

I'm not sure how one measures and then regulates temperature provided by heat tape. I've seen posts of underbelly heat tape used by mikesfrogs (successful breeder) and he doesn't seem to have any problems. The temp that should matter is the one that the frog is in contact with (IMO). This reasoning comes from keeping lots of reptiles over the years.

I will use spring water from now on. Still wishing I had some sort of concrete science behind requirements.

[Treefolk]

The only study for perfect mineral content for a is for breeding and I cannot provide that information to you.

Why not? Do you not have it or are you unwilling to share?