Trying to figure out why pacman died :(

[Hill111]

I bought a juvenile Pacman frog from Petsmart about 1 month ago. I was very nervous about buying it because I bought another one a while back that turned out to be sickly and died. So when I was in the store I asked them if it was healthy, they put a couple crickets in the tank and he ate them right away. I brought him home, put him in his tank, and he was doing well. Very active at night, eating 2-3 crickets every other night, soaking in his water dish, and pooping. I was so happy that this guy was doing so much better than my last one. On Sunday I noticed he was acting strange, he completely burrowed himself under the substrate, covering his head, which he usually doesn't do. The next morning when I woke up he had come out of his burrow and was sitting like usual with just his body buried in the substrate so I thought he was okay. When I came home from work Monday evening he was dead with a bloody eye!! I'm trying to figure out what I did wrong before buying another one....maybe someone can help me. There were 3 small crickets in his tank that he had not eaten yet which may have been what caused the bloody eye, but I'm not sure. I had a 10 gallon tank with coconut substrate that he burrowed in. Heat lamp that kept the temps at about 80 F during the day and heating pad on the side that kept it 72 at night. I had a fogger that kept the humidity between 70-80%. I changed the water frequently and fed crickets, and crickets dusted with calcium and vitamin D. For the water I let it sit out for 12-24 hours to dechlorinate, now I'm wondering if maybe this wasn't good enough? I have 3 fire belly toads who I've had for about 5 years now, and that is what I do for their water and it seems to be fine for them....anyone have any advice before I try again??

[Bynny Ribbit]

I'm so sorry this happened.

It's difficult to really say what caused it, especially considering how sudden it seemed. The water could have been the issue. It's always best to get a water conditioner made for these animals, especially since they often times have other nice little perks along with removing the chlorine.

[Ihaveafrogaddiction]

I wouldn't recommend buying pacman frogs from petsmart, because I had the same issue you had. They seemed healthy in the store but once they got home, they acted fine, and then died. I thought maybe it was just the frog I got, and got another one, and it died for no apparent reason. Then i was stupid enough to buy three more from them because, again, I thought maybe it was just the frog. Out of the 5 I bought from petsmart, only 1 is healthy and is still doing good for me about 2 months later. 2 frogs have died on me, 2 frogs have health issues, and only 1 is healthy. The two frogs that have health issues can't hop without going on their back, they have really bad aim, and when they go to move they just go in circles. Ever since I've got them and giving them calcium and vitamins, I have seen some improvement to their health, but not much. I have noticed they have been eating a lot more then they was when I got them. I do think they will have permanent issues for the rest of their life. I recommend buying from a breeder who has good reviews, and healthy animals. I got my first albino pacman frog from a local pet store who buys from a local breeder. It is as healthy as it can be, and from here on out I will never buy another pacman frog from petsmart. If you don't have a breeder in your area, then buy one off line. I've heard, and read that underground reptiles is good, but I have never bought anything from them, so make sure you look them up, and read reviews. I know shipping and all can really add up, but it's worth spending the money and have a good healthy animal, instead of buying a cheap one and having a sick animal.

Sorry to hear about your little guy, I wish you better luck next time.

[Bynny Ribbit]

frogaddiction, that's simply heartbreaking. It's always sad to hear about the unhealthy animals coming from these big chains. Hopefully the ones with health issues get better as time goes on.

Hill, frogaddiction has great advice. I don't know of any local breeders, but I'm also from the Chicagoland area and I know of a few reptile shows where you can get Pacman frogs. The Chicago Reptile Show is coming up in June in Crystal Lake. It's definitely a small event, but it was this convention last fall that I got my horned frog from Go!Lizards. She is about 8 months old now and going strong, ate food from tongs the first day I brought her home. Obviously your mileage may vary, but I had a very good experience buying from them.

There is also the North American Reptile Breeders Conference (NARBC) that will be coming to Tinley Park next fall. Although this is a gigantic show, you'll find the majority of it is snake morphs. There will still be breeders with Pacman frogs, though, just have to keep your eyes peeled! Of the two times I've gone, both Josh's Frogs and LLLReptile were there and they had some really healthy looking Cranwellis and Ornatas. LLLReptile even had some nice looking Fantasy ones, if that interests you. Other breeders are hit and miss, I saw both healthy and unhealthy frogs while walking around there, so you want to make sure to inspect any frogs well and ask questions. My friend bought a healthy looking baby Pacman from a breeder that ended up being a fussy eater, turns out it had only been fed feeder fish and pinky mice! He's doing great now, but definitely an experience that taught us to always ask about these things, lol.

There may be more events where they sell reptiles/amphibians, but these are the only two I have been to.

You can also order a cutie online, but I personally like seeing them in person. I feel it's less stressful for both you and the frog, and it gives you more control in assessing the frog's current health and responsiveness. I hope this may help you find a Pacman that can keep you company for years to come.

[Hill111]

Thank you both so much for your replies, it makes me feel better that maybe it wasn’t my fault that he died. I’m definitely never buying a frog again from a pet shop, my husband said that was probably the reason too. I’ve bought all my FBTs from there and they are doing fine, which is so crazy! I will definitely check out the reptile expo in June and hopefully will find one there!! Also, if anyone has a Pacman care guide that has worked well for them I would really appreciate if you could share it. I looked on this page but couldn’t find one and I just want to make sure I’m doing everything right.

[Bynny Ribbit]

Frog Forum has their very own care article here! The pictures don't work anymore, but it's still very informative!