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Thread: FBT stopped eating

  1. #1
    FBTmom
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    Default FBT stopped eating

    Hello. In June of this year we rescued two FBT's from my son's classroom where they were living in a 2gal. betta container with a little gravel, a small bowl of water, and nothing else. They apparently lived that way for about three years. Anyway, we adopted them and put them in a 20gal. tank with half water and half land. Now they're in my 33gal. with 75% water that's 4" deep with a small filter set on low flow, and 25% land with hiding spots. I do a water change every few days, and yes, I de-chlorinate the water first.
    Anyway, my son has always hand fed the toads their crickets without any problems. (Sometimes we'd release the crickets, but too many drown.) But a couple weeks ago, one of the toads stopped eating. I wasn't too worried because he seemed healthy and wasn't acting any differently than usual. But now it's going on two weeks. He still looks fine and all, but I can't figure out why he won't eat. We tried putting him in a separate container, and while the crickets walked all over him, including across his face, after about 15 minutes he still hadn't eaten any of them. He won't eat the mealworms either.
    Now, I don't know if this is a coincidence, but just prior to this happening, we tried feeding canned dead crickets for the simple reason that our pet store always runs out of live crickets and I was hoping the canned stuff would work as a back up. It didn't. But this one toad hasn't eaten anything since...........
    Anyway, our house temp. is 75 and their water temp. is 70 degrees.
    Any ideas would be so appreciated, as I'm really starting to get worried. Thank you!

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  3. #2
    FBTmom
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Here's a picture of the tank set-up, as well as the toad that's not eating. As you can see, he's plump and healthy looking, even after not eating for so long.
    I just tried to feed him again by just putting a cricket loose in the tank. The cricket sat on the back of the non-eating toad (after running around loose for 5 minutes) and the other toad snatched him up! This guy is just not interested in eating.
    Another piece of info- the toad not eating also started just shortly after moving them to this new, larger, tank set-up. Though that shouldn't be the issue. When I moved them from that horrible betta container to the 20gal, he didn't stop eating.
    Anyway, thanks again for any help.
    Attached Images Attached Images   

  4. #3
    Julia
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Hi Diane,

    Thats wonderful that you rescued those poor FBT's from the classroom!

    I think part of your problem may be the water temperature is too cold. I would recommend temps around 75-80 in the water. Warm water helps the toads digest...if they are not digesting properly then they will not want to eat.

    It gets kinda chilly in BC so I would recommend a turtle heater to keep the water temperature up. You can also use fish heaters just be sure that it has a protective case on it so it can not burn your animals.

  5. #4
    Julia
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    I did not see your second post until after I responded. Thats a beautiful set up! Sometimes it takes frogs/toads several weeks to settle after changing their environment. Some may adjust faster then others.

  6. #5

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    It's great that you rescued these two toads and are putting them in such a large tank! It looks fantastic, by the way.

    Do you know how old the toad is? And is there any chance the toad swallowed a piece of gravel accidently and might be impacted? How long has it not been eating?

  7. #6
    Julia
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Just brainstorming ideas here, but did your last set up have wood in the water like this one? Correct me if I am wrong but wood can change the PH balance of the water. I know thats a big deal for fish...not sure how it would affect toads.

  8. #7

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    I could be wrong, but I don't think it does affect the toads. I have a friend who had 10 FBT in a tank, and there was driftwood in the water like that, and they were completely fine.

  9. #8
    FBTmom
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Thanks, Julia and 1beataway for your responses.

    Julia-I've finally found a heater that I can order for the water! I've been looking for a while since winter is coming. I'm from a very small town that has nothing except one tiny private pet store with a tiny inventory. Anyway, I'm going to order the heater on-line. It's a TetraFauna Aquatic Reptile heater, 100W.
    The wood I have in the tank came from a very clean lake here, and I boiled it for 15 minutes before using it. Same as the rocks and everything else in the tank. I can pick up a PH test kit and check it if it really could be a problem. The toads spend 95% of their time in the water.

    1beataway- The toad hasn't eaten for almost 2 weeks. I'm not totally sure of his age, but he was in that classroom for 3 years, and prior to that they came from the pet store. I don't know how old they are when they show up in the stores, so he's at least 3+ years old.
    Now, as far as the gravel, I know it's not great to use. In the 20 gal tank I had them in previously I tried soil, etc, and what a nasty mess. So I'm back to the gravel here, but there's mostly frog moss and the piece of bark on land, so I'm hoping he didn't ingest a piece of gravel. Now that the moss has proven to work ok, I'm going to cover the rest of the above water gravel with it. In this tank (except for the cricket I tossed in today) the toads have never 'free fed'; my son always hand feeds them, so I'm doubting he ate gravel. I'm really hoping not. What a horrible thought..........

  10. #9

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    I don't know if your pet store has it, but there's a larger "gravel" that my friend uses. We sell it with our aquarium gravel, and each piece of rock is about half the size of the frog, so they couldn't eat it. Just a thought.

    But since they were always hand fed, I would think that's not part of the problem. I think Julia may have it right with the water being cold. Let's hope it's that and the heater will fix it!

  11. #10
    Jace
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Hi, Diane and welcome to the Forum. First, let me say that your setup is absolutely gorgeous-what kind of background is that? I have 9 FBTs myself and I would love to jazz up their tank a bit.

    I have to agree with Julia: some toads are affected more by water and air temperature than others. I would try heating the water up a bit and see how that goes. On that note, your toad looks very well fed, and I have had some of my bigger toads go a long time without eating for no apparent reason. They never even looked worse off because of it. I think they just wanted to see me panic!! Of course, once they started eating again, they put Hoover vacuum cleaners to shame. As long as your toad is still active and doing its normal, toadly, things, I would just stick to your regular feeding schedule, work on water temp and go from there. Best of luck!

    P.S. I come from a small Northern B.C. town and when I first got into frogs, I was so frustrated with the lack of basic supplies. Thank goodness for Internet!! Best of luck.

  12. #11
    FBTmom
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    1beataway- I tried to get larger gravel originally, but no, our store doesn't sell it. But I do have some river pebbles I can use (that were boiled and in their 20gal tank before). They're much larger, about the size you were mentioning (you can see some of them in the tank picture). I'm going put down more of the pebbles, along with more moss. So on land they will have no access to the gravel. What about the gravel underwater? Should I remove that, too, and put down rocks?

    Jo-Anna- The background is just the aquarium backing for fish tanks that you buy by the foot at pet stores. It's attached on the outside. I got it when I originally had fish in the tank, and just left it on for the toads. The poor toads kept trying to climb the 'rocks' when I first put them in there. I started feeling so guilty watching them, I almost removed it! But now they've either figured it out, or just given up.
    Yes, the lack of basic supplies in a small town is very frustrating. First for my fish, now for my toads. It's crazy. Our pet store sells the toads, but none of the supplies for them! Anyway, I will order the heater and see how that goes.
    Do they need heat for the air as well? Or will heated water be good enough. They spend so little time out of the water.
    Last edited by FBTmom; September 8th, 2010 at 03:46 PM. Reason: typo

  13. #12
    lnaminneci
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Diane,

    You have made a really great home for your FBT's! I love the set up!
    You have saved them from such tight living quarters in a beta container?!?!?!? WOW
    Keep us posted on how they are doing. Hopefully he just needs to get adjusted to all that new space and maybe warmer water.

    What are the little guys' names? Welcome to the Forum!

    ~Lesley

  14. #13
    Jace
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    I would just worry about water temp. They spend most of their time in there anyway, and that way they can have two temperature zones and can choose where they want to be. I am going to have to bite the bullet and get a heater for mine as well. With winter on its wonderful way, our house is too cool for them to be active much. I wonder if I can find anyone to knit them little sweaters??? Lol.

  15. #14

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    I don't think you would need to worry about the gravel under the water. It seems to me that they prefer to stay near the top of the water, and not to dive down deep. I think it'll be fine. And I agree with Jace about only increasing the water temperature.

    Also, Jace...I think you're on to an idea! Froggie sweaters! From sizes XXXXS to XXXXXXXS.

  16. #15
    Jace
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Elaine, do you think little froggy booties would be pushing it???

  17. #16

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Not if you add super tiny froggie winter hats. In various seasonal colors.

  18. #17
    FBTmom
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Yeah, to think they lived 3 yrs. in a little 6"x12" plastic container with only a little bowl of water. No privacy, no hidey spots, absolutely nothing except that little bowl. And they couldn't both fit in the bowl at the same time, either. They had to take turns in it! I really don't know how they stayed alive. Now the horrible container is my cricket keeper. You should have seen these toads the first time they went into the 20gal. tank and could actually swim and jump. It was awesome to see, watching them stretch their little legs and toes out for the first time ever.
    My son named them Spuzzum and Bonkers. Bonkers is the one who won't eat.

  19. #18

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Spuzzum and Bonkers! I love it. Kids come up with the best names.

    And yeah, it's unbelievable. Amphibians can sometimes last through the toughest things. I'm so glad you found them though.

    I can't wait to hear that you bought more to put in that nice tank.

  20. #19
    FBTmom
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Imagine my suprise when I posted my answer, and then read all the posts that had come in in the meantime! You guys are hilarious!
    (But I'll put my order in for one XXS for Spuzzum, and one XXXXS for little Bonkers. Both in red, please, as that's their favorite colors).

  21. #20
    FBTmom
    Guest

    Default Re: FBT stopped eating

    Actually, 1beataway, my son is begging for more toads to "rescue" from the pet store, but I wasn't sure if our toads would feel put out (or scared) if we added strangers to their home

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