Baby's looking better

[IgbyKibbits]

Charla -

One thing to keep in mind: it's getting colder! Which means that in normal habitation, Baby (being inside or being taken outside) should be registering that change. In other words, without strict guidelines (heater/lighting), Baby is going to start slowing down to accommodate for the colder temps...and go into the natural hibernation that his body is trained for.

Now, I'm not saying that this is the entire reason for his plateau in eating, but it's certainly something to consider given the time of year and change in seasons.

What kind of decorations do you have inside of Baby's tank? I know that you mentioned you were taping foliage pictures to the side, but does he have anything in the actual tank? Fake/real plants and such to hide? That certainly will help decrease his emotional stress being in a more "normal" environment.

Is baby big enough to try baby crickets? Perhaps the increased movement on the ground might help; plus, you can gutload/dust those to make sure he's getting a good source of vitamins/calcium.

I would try all those changes (if you haven't already) first to see if anything helps change his eating pattern.

Force feeding is going to be extremely hard to do with a frog that small. Kibbits was 1.5 inches long, and I couldn't get one once into his mouth because he was so stubborn! But trying to pry his mouth open enough to squirt in some liquid insectivore (from the vet) was extreme, enough so that I worried forcing him to eat was more stressful than just waiting it out : (

Just double check those other elements (temp, humidity) and perhaps the smallest crickets (on the ground and easier to catch?!) first. It's worth the try!

[charlamanda]

[QUOTE=IgbyKibbits;33992]Charla -
I was thinking about the temp as well...although baby is in the window I have the heat on only in my room and stuck a thermometer to the tank to check on in from time to time. The average, varying a few degrees at times(1-3') is about 72' F.
The pics are of a tropical coasts with ocean and blue skies and the other is tropical (both with lots of trees) with Mayan ruins, both very outdoorsy. I have 1 large fake plant that I taped to the top that hangs down to the bottom, cut 2 broad leaves off another fake plant and taped them to bottom sides(lack of room). I have a small cup/sauser with water and a wooded stick cattycorner in the tank. On the bottom I put wet pater towels and to keep the fruit flies in I have plastic/plexiglass on top w/ a small hole I stuck a straw into attached to a funnel for ventalation. I put a small blackberry in the corner in a little cup for the ff to eat so they don't starve and die too soon.
How does this sound? Oh there is only a few times when the sun is dappled on the tank in the window and when it hits the tank he/she sits in the sun. I also mist the tank through the straw hole every few days, since the top in plexiglass in maintains good humidity.
I am going to try to offer Baby a small cricket and let it roam it's tank for a while if he/she doesn't eat it i'll take it back out so it doesn't nip the Babes.
Should I make any changes??

[charlamanda]

[QUOTE=charlamanda;4011][QUOTE=IgbyKibbits;33992]
After the last post I went to check on Baby. All the fruit flies were dead so I had to clean out the tank. I took a few pics of the tank and Baby.
It is amazing how much better he/she is doing. I brought the tank out to clean, it's beautiful and warm, and placed Baby on the plant/tree I always do thats on the deck in a pot. Baby was climbing the tree (20" w/lots of branches) and even hopped on the rim of the pot and jumped and climbed a nearby vine. I offered him/her some of the smallest crickets in the group and some waxworms. The waxworms were way to big, but the crickets really perked his/her interest, watching them wonder around the container, but didn't eat any. I think Baby may not be ready yet for the larger food, but I am going to go to the pet store and have them search for the smallest crickets they have and try again with those, since they definately got Baby's attention. Once I place Baby back into the tank with the fruit flies he/she jumped off the leaf, I placed him/her on, onto the bottom and ate up the fruit flies. Good sign, and seems very comfortable in his/her home.
For the moment, I have the tank with Baby, in the yard in the shade around some plants until I can figure out where I am going to put it. I want to put the tank, for now, back in a window since this seems where Baby thrives, but with the drastict temp flucuations between day and night (day, now 80'F and 40-50' PM) it's becomming more difficult to maintain a constant temp.
A friend of mine has offered to give me a 10gal tank, which I'd like to put Baby in, just not sure of how soon I should make the transfer, maybe when he/she gets a bit bigger and healthier.

[Tom Highum]

I am slightly worried that you are not giving your little guy enough ventilation, Tree frogs need a large amount and you mentioned covering the top with plexiglass, i understand that you are worried about humidity but you might be restricting air too much. Also the more cover the better.

[mikebannon]

what an improvement!! thats great,what you did for him!

[charlamanda]

what an improvement!! thats great,what you did for him!

Thanks, I can really see a difference in his/her size, has gotten longer and activity level.

[charlamanda]

I am slightly worried that you are not giving your little guy enough ventilation, Tree frogs need a large amount and you mentioned covering the top with plexiglass, i understand that you are worried about humidity but you might be restricting air too much. Also the more cover the better.

I am concerned with this too. I am not sure if you read that I stuck a straw in the top hole and added a funnel to catch the air, one of the reasons I keep baby in the window, for the fresh air into the vent system I set up. I don't know another way to keep the FF in? any suggestions?
I'll also work on more plants, otherwise he/she has made a drastic improvement.
What about chenging to the 10gal tank? any thoughts?

[Tom Highum]

He would be fine in a ten gallon just make sure he cannot escape, with the FFs i have a screen covered cage and when i place in FFs i lay a piece of paper towel over the top to prevent them from escaping, i leave it there for like 2 hours, some still escape but most stay. He has made a drastic improvement, keep it up.

[charlamanda]

He would be fine in a ten gallon just make sure he cannot escape, with the FFs i have a screen covered cage and when i place in FFs i lay a piece of paper towel over the top to prevent them from escaping, i leave it there for like 2 hours, some still escape but most stay. He has made a drastic improvement, keep it up.

Thanks Tom, thats a great idea, with the paper towel, I thought about fabric because I really have to leave the ff in there all the time. I didn't pick the tank up, but he said it has all the stuff with it, top, light thermometer, hydrometer.....I think I'll get it today and set it up.

[charlamanda]

I've got to stop this!!!! but last pm I found another very small frog with a slight leg deformative I put in with baby..and before you all judge me.....if you were surrounded by frogs of all kinds,for free and small and helpless, you'd bring them in too!LOL I, thank god, don't have any pet stores in the area that sell any "pets" and I don't know where the shelter is, so, at least, I can't bring any more animals home that way!!!! Now I am back again with baby's friend, any name suggestions? Hopefully when I name this one he won't die the next day like Tiny did .

[bshmerlie]

I have a couple of baby red eyes that are 3/4 of an inch or less and they are feeding greet on pin head crickets. I tried the fruit flys with my first baby and he didn't seem that interested. As soon as I put in the pinhead crickets he seemed to pay more attention. Now that those pinheads are a week older both frogs are chasing after them. Besides they don't climb out of the tank like the fruit flys. The only problem with the crickets is that they jump and are impossible to pickup at that size. Use those tubes that stick down in the cricket keeper and quickly pull it out and shake them in.