Sick or Simply not Hungry?

[PineappleProducer]

Not sure if I'm paranoid or not, but i just would like some outside opinions.

My Albino ACF has not been eating like he usually does. In fact, since I moved my female frog in with him, he hasn't really acted the same. He used to happily swim to the top of the tank and eagerly wait for his food, but now, he just simply doesn't do it. At first I feared a bacterial infection may be the culprit, so I proceeded to give the tank a good cleaning and subsequently adding Melafix to the tank daily (I was unable to locate any Tetracycline anywhere). That was about a week and a half ago. Up until a few days ago, I could put the food up to his face and he'd eat some of it, but for the last day or two, he just pushes it aside. I don't want to underfeed him, but it is difficult to keep a constant surveillance on him to see that he eats when his tank mate goes to great lengths to snuff out any food in the aquarium. I just can't figure out what his deal is, if there's anything wrong at all. I took a few pictures of him tonight for you all to look at, and you all can tell me if there's anything you see amiss.

He likes to stay under his rock for most of the day now.


<------ Here he is with my female. She's going to dwarf him pretty soon I believe.

[craig121]

Hiys
can you post the size of tank and also the exactly weekly cleaning schedule including whether you gravel siphon#how much an how often change water(what conditioners used and how much)also if filtering how often you break the filter down and how you clean it// also post whats normally fed in any given week give a 7 day post and finally your water paramiters especially amonia but post PH and nitrate also thanks

[craig121]

If your unsure or do not have water check capsules take a bottle to fish store and ask for complete check write down post back

[PineappleProducer]

They're in a 20 gallon long tank. I haven't been cleaning the tank on a weekly basis, but have considered starting. When I do clean the tank, I take everything out and clean the gravel and rocks and wipe the glass clean. If the water is low, I replace it and add Tetra Aquasafe respective to the amount of the new water that I put in. I replace the carbon in the filter when I do a tank cleaning, but I don't typically take the filter itself apart - I just wipe the outside of it . I dunno if pH test kits expire or not, but according to the one I have, the pH seems to be between 6.8 and 7.2. I have no test kits for ammonia or nitrates, and won't be able to make it to a pet store until this weekend.

[craig121]

Hi thanks for honest post back

You must resist total tank stripping you are killing all the beneficial bacteria that collonise the tank which can take weeks months to recolonise meanwhile your amonia levels will be toxic* the only time a total strip downs warranted is when a disease has taken hold* We get around requiring striping tanks by having good housekeeping remember these guys are living in there own kitchen and toilet UH! Get yourself 2 large buckets prefill*adding water conditioner* night before water change(weekly) and 3rd bucket do the following below

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DDQuSSFMHg0


Remember 25% change weekly water changes and open up filter wrinse sponges in old tank water replace# if using medication you must remove carbon


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=okLoPNwfv34

[Geoff]

Not sure if I'm paranoid or not, but i just would like some outside opinions.

My Albino ACF has not been eating like he usually does. In fact, since I moved my female frog in with him, he hasn't really acted the same. He used to happily swim to the top of the tank and eagerly wait for his food, but now, he just simply doesn't do it. At first I feared a bacterial infection may be the culprit, so I proceeded to give the tank a good cleaning and subsequently adding Melafix to the tank daily (I was unable to locate any Tetracycline anywhere). That was about a week and a half ago. Up until a few days ago, I could put the food up to his face and he'd eat some of it, but for the last day or two, he just pushes it aside. I don't want to underfeed him, but it is difficult to keep a constant surveillance on him to see that he eats when his tank mate goes to great lengths to snuff out any food in the aquarium. I just can't figure out what his deal is, if there's anything wrong at all. I took a few pictures of him tonight for you all to look at, and you all can tell me if there's anything you see amiss.

I kept and bred Xenopus for 26 years. In my opinion there's no evidence to suggest that your frog is ill. It's not uncommon for these frogs to stop eating for a period of time for no apparent reason. In your position I'd just be patient and stay vigilant. It would take many months for a well-fed frog to starve to death. Administering random medications in the hope of curing an undiagnosed illness is likely to do more harm than good.

[PineappleProducer]

In that case, I guess I'll just bump the tank cleaning up to once a week and just go from there. I'm just hoping it's because he ain't hungry. The only thing that is making me nervous is that he does indeed eat, if i touch the food to his mouth (granted it's pretty much just bloodworms that he pays any attention to). And when they go through a phase of not eating, do they become less active? Comparing my two right now is like night and day.

[Geoff]

The only things I can add to my last post is that if, as you say, your frog is eating after all, then it's unlikely you have anything to worry about because sick animals usually do not eat at all. Also, the behaviour traits of individual frogs aren't always entirely consistent with those of their tank mates. My advice is to stop worrying unduly because, based on the information you've provided, in my opinion, there's no significant problem with your frog.

[craig121]

HI PP

Defo keep up the tank cleaning �� and go from there # it's a misconception these guys wild live in boggy murky dirty water and will be fine# yes they do live in that habitat and love it* but there is no amonia nitrate or nitrite in wild conditions so please 25% water change weekly(using gravel siphon) and break down filter monthly����

KEEP POSTING YOUR FROGS LOOK BRILL

[PineappleProducer]

Now I'm a bit concerned. I woke up this morning to find this. His left leg almost appears to have a mass of sorts. It's hard to see in the pictures, but it's especially noticeable to the naked eye.

[craig121]

Now I'm a bit concerned. I woke up this morning to find this. His left leg almost appears to have a mass of sorts. It's hard to see in the pictures, but it's especially noticeable to the naked eye.

Sorry PP am more into prevention than cure hopefully someone can help your Froggy

[PineappleProducer]

I hope so. I love this frog, and I'm very saddened by his condition.

[craig121]

How's the fella getting on PP

[PineappleProducer]

I wish I could give a better report. He's still hanging on, but it doesn't look promising. One of his toenails fell off, but appears to be growing back. One of his eyes had a red splotch on it, and the swelling on his leg almost became bruised looking. After a few days it appeared to be going down, and the red on his eye had disappeared completely. Unfortunately Friday night I came home and saw what I could only assume to be a very nasty fungal infection - the webbing on his hind legs had white spots and there were a few cottony looking spots on his body. The red eye from before re-appeared, this time on the opposite eye. I immediately administered some fungus medicine, and the following day I gave the gravel a thorough vacuuming. The tank right now hasn't been refilled since yesterday. I watched him shed his skin today (which he has been doing a lot since this started) and there was a pretty nasty red blotch on a piece of it. As of right now, the swelling on his leg is down to about where it was in the pics, maybe less so. The red eye is still there. The white spots on his body and webbing appear to be gone. He can still keep himself down at the bottom of the tank, but seems to be hanging out at the top most of the time. And sadly, he simply does not want to eat anything. He's a fighter, I'll give him that.

[PineappleProducer]

I regret to inform everybody that my beloved frog, E.T., has passed away. I buried him outside and wrapped him in leaves. Even now I'm having a hard time knowing that he won't be sitting in his tank looking at me when I come home everyday. :'(

[craig121]

Sorry to hear such sad news

[craig121]

I kept and bred Xenopus for 26 years. In my opinion there's no evidence to suggest that your frog is ill. It's not uncommon for these frogs to stop eating for a period of time for no apparent reason. In your position I'd just be patient and stay vigilant. It would take many months for a well-fed frog to starve to death. Administering random medications in the hope of curing an undiagnosed illness is likely to do more harm than good.

Regardless of your keeping experience if you had bothered an looked back her previous posts & problems then the losses there lies the evidence !7j