New: Some advice

[CaptainMorgantown]

I'm also not trying to offend anyone, though. It just seems to be a pretty big gamble. CaptainMorgantown, I did notice that you have started several threads asking with help diagnosing problems with your frogs. Your last one even included several people telling you to take the frog to the vet ASAP, and there was no update (by the way, how is your frog doing?). Has nothing so far seemed like a strong enough sickness to separate the frogs? In my friend's mixed tank, all the frogs seemed completely fine for several months (perhaps even over a year), and then suddenly one day, one of them had red-leg. A few months later, a frog was dead. If you're waiting for that, when it does happen, it may be too late to separate and nurse back to health.

Yes, I have had problems with some of my frogs before. I bought two red-eyed tree frogs with their own tank and everything. I had him for about a week when I became concerned that he had not ate yet (the other one seemed to be doing fine), which is when I came here. I waited another week then took him to the vet. It turns out that he had worms, and the vet tried to give him some sort of vitamin medicine while I was there since it had not ate yet. He died about two days later. I ended up selling my other red-eye to (ironically) my vet. I was too nervous about keeping him. Apparently, he ended up dying too, and the vet had two of his own red-eyes before he bought mine. It seems like something that I had no control over since I only had him for about two and a half weeks, if for that long.Now the thing I posted where people told me to take my frog to the vet ASAP was my golden tree frog, but it turns out it was just an ear infection that about a week of taking meds fixed. She is doing better than ever.To answer your question, no. With the frogs that I have housed together, an ear infection does not seem like a major enough problem to separate them. You're making it sound like I have all of these different species in a tiny tank. I have two different species in a 35 gallon custom tank. It's not like they have no room to get away from each other. Also, red-leg is usually caused by a parasite, so I doubt that it was anything related to mixing species if the other frogs did not get it.

Listen, I didn't want to cause a big fuss or anything, and I'm sorry that I even posted on here. If the day comes that any of my frogs die for reasons I cannot explain, then I will gladly admit that I was wrong. I am currently going to veterinarian school, so I'm not some jerk that doesn't know anything about what they are talking about. Admittedly, I knew very little about frogs when I first started keeping them, but over the past few months I have read dozens of books, magazine articles, and different things on the internet. I'm not saying that I am an expert by any means, but I do know what I am doing.

[1beataway]

I'm sorry if you think I was implying that they were kept in a tiny tank. I used the fish examples only because that was the best common mistake I could think of that was comparable (It was 4:30 AM. I'm surprised I wrote out as much as I did. lol). I also did not wish to imply that you knew nothing about frogs at all.I simply wanted to refer to what seemed to be immediately dismissing the advice of experts on here. The person who started this thread seems to be seeking some advice on frogs, a hobby he has not been a part of for awhile. If you have done plenty of research and you feel are in the right, then that is fine. I applaud you for doing as much research as you did, and you're not just one of those people who stick 5 different species in a tank and after two weeks say, "Look, it can be done."

But 99% of us don't believe that frogs should be mixed, are trying to help the person, and do not wish to be taken as lightly as "just someone over the net." Between Kurt and John alone, there is so much expertise on the subject, and then with all the numerous people who are often in this forum, there's many, many years of experience. When someone is new to the hobby or has serious questions, this forum is a pretty great place to get answers.

As far as red leg goes, I thought I had heard that it could be caused by mixing species in a tank; however, as I do not know as much on the subject, I will not state this with confidence. I will research more on the subject, and will appreciate people commenting on it.

I think this forum thread should return to its intentions, helping the person who started the thread. Rokit, what have you narrowed your list down to? Is there any species of frog you are really interested in learning more about? Is there a certain "personality" you're looking for? White's Tree Frogs are great for something that is easier to handle and fun to watch, but most of the fun does not happen till the lights go out (though I have noticed them moving some in the day, and in the evening before the lights go out).

[Kurt]

Red-leg (a form of septicemia) is a bacterial infection of the skin. It can be quite contagious and spread like wild fire through a collection. It is not caused by keeping different species togther and neither is an ear infetion. However, the keeping of multiple species in the same tank can lead to a break down in a frog's immunity system, thus opening it up to a infection or other illness.

Gastrointestinal worms are not treated with vitamins, but with fenbendazole. I would think using vitamins to treat an infestation would be like putting out fires with gasoline.

[John]

Red leg is a septicemic disease (this means it is found throughout the body) - it's just that we see symptoms on the skin sometimes, hence the name red leg.