New fantasy frog

[Buck Rogers]

Hi all

I was recently very, very lucky to get my hands on this stunning Ceratophrys cranwelli x Ceratophrys cornuta. I am really excited about this as it is extremely difficult to find exotic frogs in South Africa and when they do pop up you have to act really fast to get them.

Just a few questions I have for some of the guys keeping them:

I have a tank set up for him that sits at 28 directly above the under tank heating pad (and one on the side while we still in Winter) with the cool side dropping to around 20 degrees. The substrate I used is a mix between peat moss and organic top soil. I have the water bowl placed above the heating pad to help with the humidity and there are some slate stones and some sphagnum moss on one corner with a fern just to give it some sort of 'prettiness'. I find that during the day he is under the soil and then at night he is out or semi submerged. Is this normal as I thought they were diurnal?

He has eaten a few large crickets ( I know this as they not hopping around the cage anymore) and I had to assit feed him a giant mealworm and fuzzy the second day to ensure he got some food in him. I thought they were quite ferocious feeders, but so far he has been very reluctant to 'launch' at anything I dangle infront of him with forceps... How do you guys usually feed yours?

Please feel free to critique anything that I have done with the setting up of the viv or feeding and any further advice that I will need.

Here is a pic of him in the meantime (size is just smaller than a coke can circumference). Once I've given him an awesome semi natural viv setup I'll post some better pics.

Thanks in advance!

[pacsack]

Its ALOT but I think it will answer a lot of questions you may have
Hey Buck, that is a very nice looking fantasy! I just recently got one too and I agree it is a little different than a Cranwell or Ornate. First off they are not diurnal they are nocturnal, as all horned frog species are to my knowledge at least, they will accept some prey items during the day if they are hungry enough but I find it best to feed them at night. I use a 24 hour bulb for night time, it is a deep red coated bulb that gives off a simulated moonlight. A healthy frog will stay buried for the good part of the day with just a little sticking out if not completely buried. I can always tell if my frogs are hungry if they have about 1/3 of their body above the substrate, If they are full they normally burrow deep down and hide so make sure you have enough substrate in there to cover the frog completely if it wishes to. Since you just got your frog he will be a little shy and reluctant to eat in front of you just make sure your terrarium has plenty of plant cover I even put a false back and sidings in mine just so it doesn't feel so open to the frog. And being a fantasy frog Cranwelli x Cornuta it is likely to always be a bit more shy and picky, that is just the Cornuta in him hehe. Also a frog of that size doesn't need to be fed every single day I would say every other day would be just fine and make sure not to give him mice or fish too often they can get obese really quick. Hope I helped a little Buck enjoy your new frog!

[RikoAustria]

I've got a few things to add. The sphagnum moss and the peat moss should go. Plain soil, or better yet, cocofiber is the bet substrate for these fat frogs as the risk of accidental ingestion of the moss can cause impaction. Also, give it some time to acclimate to its new home. Sooner or later you will see the voracity of your hungry beast. Best of luck with your new frog! Also, if you can, add a few cuttings of pothos plant in there to help it feel more secure.

By the way... nice looking frog!

[Jeff Boyardee]

Your temperatures are good. I'd get rid of the under tank heater though. They are burrowers, and the UTH can cause burns if they burrow down to it and sit there. I know you would think they'd move if they were getting burnt, but I have heard of it happening.

[tattoofix]

I agree with everyone... I KNow the moss can give them impacation if they eat it.. So far i have NEVER seen my frog try and eat any.. he rarely Gets into his Water bowl, (which is Dont know if thats normal for a Cranny or even a pacman) the only bad thing I have Found about coco Fiber is that I got the stuff in the bag and Didnt Wet it right, so i gotta Spray it EVERY day, Which leads to my point about the Moss, it is SUCH a hassel and when I change the soil and stuff in the middle of this month.. Im taking it out, you Gotta Spray the moss so much more than the Soil.. i think im just going to add Some to the Sides and back that way it will keep up moisture be out of his Way and Just to help ensure the difference between Dry and wet.

Lucas (my Guy) Is a cranny but he is just like everyone says, he Buries Himself for like 2-4 days, and When He uncovers the Top of himself, He Will lay there Because he Knows As Soon as I spot him, ill feed him.. so he usually stays in one Spot.. If He is REALLY Hungry, he Will take the crickets and worms From the Forceps.. But usually He likes to see them Scurry around.. So i usually Drop them infront of him and have them run infront of his mouth and he Takes them. Now I dont see him poop, i guess Cuz Hes Buried All the time, But He has a VERY Healthy Appetite so Im not worried.. I dig Around to Fluff up his Coco Bedding and See Something that look like Poop so yeah.

I Dont know if any of this is relevant though but im a new paccy owner so.. im giving you the best I could. o.O

[pacsack]

I agree with everyone... I KNow the moss can give them impacation if they eat it.. So far i have NEVER seen my frog try and eat any.. he rarely Gets into his Water bowl, (which is Dont know if thats normal for a Cranny or even a pacman) the only bad thing I have Found about coco Fiber is that I got the stuff in the bag and Didnt Wet it right, so i gotta Spray it EVERY day, Which leads to my point about the Moss, it is SUCH a hassel and when I change the soil and stuff in the middle of this month.. Im taking it out, you Gotta Spray the moss so much more than the Soil.. i think im just going to add Some to the Sides and back that way it will keep up moisture be out of his Way and Just to help ensure the difference between Dry and wet.

Lucas (my Guy) Is a cranny but he is just like everyone says, he Buries Himself for like 2-4 days, and When He uncovers the Top of himself, He Will lay there Because he Knows As Soon as I spot him, ill feed him.. so he usually stays in one Spot.. If He is REALLY Hungry, he Will take the crickets and worms From the Forceps.. But usually He likes to see them Scurry around.. So i usually Drop them infront of him and have them run infront of his mouth and he Takes them. Now I dont see him poop, i guess Cuz Hes Buried All the time, But He has a VERY Healthy Appetite so Im not worried.. I dig Around to Fluff up his Coco Bedding and See Something that look like Poop so yeah.

I Dont know if any of this is relevant though but im a new paccy owner so.. im giving you the best I could. o.O

It is not that your frog will attempt to eat any, it is that he may accidentally get a mouth full while feeding, even if you tong feed it is still a possibility. That being said some types of moss are safer than others. I would never use sphangum it is long and does not really take root into anything. In addition like you said moss is not easy to keep alive and is a little over kill for a horned frog. But if you really want to make a 2ft by 1ft plot of rain forest you could make a dart frogesque tank for him, I have actually seen it done but in my opinion it will just be torn up by the frog as they love to burrow. It just depends on if you are willing to go through the trouble and expense of setting it up. They are not cheap and are definitely not something you would just want to half do.

[Buck Rogers]

Excellent, thanks so much for the great responses and feedback.

Just to clear some stuff up, the under tank heater is under a wooden base under the glass tank, so there is a good centimeter separating him from the heating pad and the hottest it gets directly on top of the heating pad is 30 degrees C.

I am going to remove the sphagnum moss which was only sitting in one corner of the tank and replace this with some leaf litter.

Last night he fed in front of me and I found one of his massive stools in the cage as well. One thing I did notice though after he defecated he seemed a very noticeable 'sunken' look around the hips, is this a sign that I should up his food intake drastically or is this a normal response after defecation?

[John]

It's hard to draw any conclusions from that "sunken" look. However, young tropical frogs should eat daily, so keep trying to make him into a fatty!

[Jeff Boyardee]

My little guy eats every day or two, and when he does his business I definitely notice a change in his appearance. Sometimes he drops a load that looks a third of his size, so he does look a tad "deflated".

When my bigger/fatter frogs go, they don't show it near as much.

[Buck Rogers]

My little guy eats every day or two, and when he does his business I definitely notice a change in his appearance. Sometimes he drops a load that looks a third of his size, so he does look a tad "deflated".

When my bigger/fatter frogs go, they don't show it near as much.

Yeah!!! That's spot on with the description, almost loos deflated after dropping a stool.

One daft question though, how do I ensure that he's well fed if he stays burrowed 2 - 4 days at a time?? Should I dig him out and feed him in a tub, or should I just let the crickets run around until he grabs them?

Thanks in advance.

[noob]

you can but i wouldnt dig him up it might stress him when ever he gets hungry he will get out of his hole. i feed my frog every 2 days and if i feed him a mouse or pinkie i will go 2 weeks just because a mouse is hard on them to digest

[Julia]

. I use a 24 hour bulb for night time, it is a deep red coated bulb that gives off a simulated moonlight.

Its been proven that frogs can see red lights. Black is better, but no night light if best.

[Deku]

Personally. I prefer using natural soil. you know potting soil? But thats just me. As for you living in africa.... Correct me if Iam wrong but isnt africa constantly hot? Like temps never drop below 70s? If thats the case you dont need a heater or another heat source.

Also as for moss being dangerous. I highly doubt a frog will ingest a LARGE piece of moss. If it does then YES it is dangerous. But as long as you feed AWAY from the moss it should be fine.


As for the guy saying his frog doesnt go in his water dish. Perhaps the dish is too deep? Water needs to be around at most 2inches deep. Otherwise they could drown. Well depends on size of frog. Just think of small puddles.

[Buck Rogers]

Personally. I prefer using natural soil. you know potting soil? But thats just me. As for you living in africa.... Correct me if Iam wrong but isnt africa constantly hot? Like temps never drop below 70s? If thats the case you dont need a heater or another heat source.

Not a chance, our Winter temps on the highveld (home of your African Bullfrogs) dropped to below zero (C) this winter. We also have what is called blac frost which is a freezing frost that kills every plant.

In summer the temps will be fine to just be running a side heating pad and not under floor. I am going to also fit in a small flourescent fish tank light to help the plants grow and that should help keep the temps up nicely.

I removed all the sphagnum, the substrate is a mixture of top soil and coco fiber and also planted a large fern. Since planting the fern today I noticed he has not completely burrowed himself under the soil and has been sitting under the fern partially buried with just his eyes popping out.

Once again guys, thanks for all the great advice. Not easy trying to get the correct information when there is so much conflicting information out there and nobody keeping them here in South Africa.

[Eel Noob]

Sweet lookin fantasy.

[Buck Rogers]

Hi all

I wanted to show you all an updated pic of my Fantasy. He's eating like a demon and quite active, he has not grown much, still just a bit smaller than a coke can diameter - I can cup him in my hands easily. Is this a normal size for them or will he be getting any bigger?

Many thanks!

P.S. Just love his horns

[John911]

Hi all

I wanted to show you all an updated pic of my Fantasy. He's eating like a demon and quite active, he has not grown much, still just a bit smaller than a coke can diameter - I can cup him in my hands easily. Is this a normal size for them or will he be getting any bigger?

Many thanks!

P.S. Just love his horns

I dont think fantasys get too big, like cornutas.

[EpicFrogMan]

Nice fantasy man, Hybrids for life.

[69hemicuda]

Hello everyone,
I'm new at this and I'm sure I am in the wrong spot again. Could someone please explain to me how to go to the proper place to post questions? I am new to pacman frogs and albino bullfrogs and I have received much conflicting advice. I would like help with. Thanks for helping out. Once again sorry if I am in the wrong place and have intgerupted

[nicodimus22]

Go to the top of the page, click on 'Forum Index" and then click on the most appropriate forum to ask your question in.