Beginner Pacman frog help

[Trout hunter]

Hi all,

Ive recently purchased a juvenile green pacman frog from a local pet store. I set it up in my 18x18x24 exoterra with eco earth, moss, plastic plants, water dish and a few hides. I got it to eat a few mealworms and a super worm as he refuses crickets. He also never really wants to come above ground or eat too much. I am unsure about the best approach to heating the frog? I have purchased a 10-20 gallon zoomed heater that I have under the tank which heats the soil to 84 degrees in one spot. I also have an exo terra heat lamp with a 100 watt bulb which only gets to 77 degrees at the soil surface. The humidity is 99 % in the tank for more info Which method of heat is the best?

[Animallover3541]

Sorry that it took so long to get a response to you; this forum isn't as active as it used to be sadly.

There are two main and VERY important issues with your current husbandry:

1.) NEVER place an under tank heater under the tank for amphibians. Their natural instinct is to dig deeper to get away from heat, like they would to get away from the sun in their natural habitat. For species where the heater does go under the tank like snakes, a thermostat is required to prevent burns.

2.) 99% is way too high for humidity. Try for no more than 80%. I'd recommend anywhere from 65-80%, with moist soil.

Make sure you gut load and dust your feeders with calcium and vitamin supplements, and make sure you have calcium with D3 unless you have a UVB lamp. There is a section of the forum about pacmans which I would recommend checking out.

[Trout hunter]

Sorry that it took so long to get a response to you; this forum isn't as active as it used to be sadly.

There are two main and VERY important issues with your current husbandry:

1.) NEVER place an under tank heater under the tank for amphibians. Their natural instinct is to dig deeper to get away from heat, like they would to get away from the sun in their natural habitat. For species where the heater does go under the tank like snakes, a thermostat is required to prevent burns.

2.) 99% is way too high for humidity. Try for no more than 80%. I'd recommend anywhere from 65-80%, with moist soil.

Make sure you gut load and dust your feeders with calcium and vitamin supplements, and make sure you have calcium with D3 unless you have a UVB lamp. There is a section of the forum about pacmans which I would recommend checking out.

Hi there, So I just moved the heater to the side of the enclosure. I regularly gut load with kale, carrots, squash and lettuce. I also dust with calcium plus from repashy. The frog only shows interest in crickets and meal/superworms but will not take nightcrwlers for some reason. Is there anything else I should know in terms of husbandry?

[Animallover3541]

You at least have the basics down, but my personal philosophy is to not stop learning about my animals ever. I'm still learning new things everyday, and trying to teach others what I've learned.