Need help with Red Eyed Tree Frog - still wont eat

[MantidBro]

i got frenchy, my red eyed tree frog, last week end. So its been a week, and he still hasnt eaten. I know they go on hunger strikes when stressed, and considering he was just shipped to petco and then taken to my home, it makes sense thats he is stressed and that it may take a moment for him to adapt. I was told that they can go two weeks without eating. What if by then he still wont eat? Has anyone heard of, or had, a Red Eye that died of starvation because it refused to eat? Do older Red Eyes have a harder time getting used to changes than younger ones? I'm pretty sure mine is an adult, or subadult, male. He is a little under 2 1/2" and has a big skull which I read is a sign that hes male. Also he doesnt sleep in the same spot every night the way I read females do.

Well can you guys help me out? What are some ways to help him relax and get him to eat? i dont hold him, i dont watch him as much, and i cover half the free side of his tank. His temperature and humidity is right where it should be. Lights are on for 12 hours and off for 12 hours. I caught him shedding yet again, on the stick right under the UV light.

Should i try putting him in a separate container, with crickets, again? or will that just strss him out and make him not eat for even longer? ive let some loose in his terrarium with no luck (peeking behind the curtain so he cant see me rather than staring at him head on), and also am using a bigger container for the bowl feeding method cause i thought it might be easier. No luck on that either so far...

This is very concerning. Im worried he will end up dying.

[lnikkiy]

Sorry to hear you're having trouble - hope your froggy will be Ok. Try putting a dark cloth/paper over three sides of the tank for a little while. often new frogs that are having trouble adjusting just need that extra security. Plus, it helps them feel like they are well hidden and its ok to start hunting. I know you mentioned you have part covered, i couldn't figure out how much you meant. Some of my ruby eyed tree frogs will only eat when it is pitch black - i suppose you could try that

also, Ive found that with pickier frogs, the bowl feeding method can really stress them out. maybe try just putting food into his terrarium for a little while until you know he has gotten a good meal. Some pet stores carry an appetite stimulant as well that you could try. I haven't used those before, so I would do some research about it first.

good luck

[MantidBro]

Sorry to hear you're having trouble - hope your froggy will be Ok. Try putting a dark cloth/paper over three sides of the tank for a little while. often new frogs that are having trouble adjusting just need that extra security. Plus, it helps them feel like they are well hidden and its ok to start hunting. I know you mentioned you have part covered, i couldn't figure out how much you meant. Some of my ruby eyed tree frogs will only eat when it is pitch black - i suppose you could try that

also, Ive found that with pickier frogs, the bowl feeding method can really stress them out. maybe try just putting food into his terrarium for a little while until you know he has gotten a good meal. Some pet stores carry an appetite stimulant as well that you could try. I haven't used those before, so I would do some research about it first.

good luck

3 sides are covered, sides and back, all with naturey designs. Then i put a blanket over half the screen to keep humidity in, and let the blanket hang down over the front, the free side, so half the free side is covered. So the only spot that shows outside the cage is half of one side.

BUT... I am so happy... He just ate! the cricket was climbing up a fake plant and he snatched it! then went right back to sleep, lol. Im so glad!!

I had changed a few things... I quarantined some moss and added it in. And i let more crickets lose, so instead of 10, there are like 20.

Someone told me to keep the humidity at 70-80%... Accidentally, it got up to 95%, im thinking because of the moss i added. But thats when he ate! Could it be that the humidity just had not been high enough? Maybe at his previous home, his owner kept it closer to 90%, so having less than that wasnt feeling right for him. I did read that some people will keep it closer to 90%.

Or might the moss be making him feel more lively?

Or did I just not let enough crickets lose in there?

I dont know, he seems healthier than usual, i personally think its related to the humidity! Maybe my digital guage is off?? or maybe he really just needs it around 90% to feel good.

[Randy]

i think you're doing fine . Hes gotten used to his enclosure and is eating now .All frogs have their own desired humidity level but you will hear a specific number here ,do what works try the higher humidity for a bit then slowly bring it down and see what happens .If he seem to eat with igher humidity you found his sweet spot , if he eats when its lowered to 80 percent he was merely stressed .

[lnikkiy]

So glad to hear he ate! have fun with your new pet!

[MantidBro]

So glad to hear he ate! have fun with your new pet!

Yeah im frikkin stoked!! i was getting worried. He has eaten a few times times tonight. Thanks man!

[MantidBro]

i think you're doing fine . Hes gotten used to his enclosure and is eating now .All frogs have their own desired humidity level but you will hear a specific number here ,do what works try the higher humidity for a bit then slowly bring it down and see what happens .If he seem to eat with igher humidity you found his sweet spot , if he eats when its lowered to 80 percent he was merely stressed .

Thanks! Ive been doing everything i was told to do. But gonna have to go beyond what i was told when it comes to humidity. Hes doing fantastic, the best ive seen him doing since i got him. I really think the whole issue here was that he wasnt getting enough humidity. It seems i did find his "sweet spot". He does seem to be used to his home now as well. He tends to sleep on the wall, behind the fake leaves. I have a hard time spooting him sometimes! which is just what he wants. He just ate again, then had a nice shedding session while clinging to the rim of his water bowl, then ate some more, had a big poop, then went behind a leaf. Thrilled!! What a relief. i realized that it seemed easier for him to shed this time, like it was coming off in globs rather than strings, another indication to me that the humidity was too low for him.