Substrate for WTF and other concerns.

[Endosymbiote]

Hello everyone, just yesterday I bought a WTF, and set up a terrarium after spending quite a bit of time online figuring out everything I needed to raise it properly.

However, I'm already concerned about the frog's feeding and the substrate I used. I read online in several sources that coconut-based substrate is safe for the frog, and this is what I am using:
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products...ation_soil.php

My main concern is that every few crickets the frog eats is accompanied by a mouthful of dirt. Sometimes it seems it manages to wipe it off, but sometimes it looks like it is swallowing at least a little of the dirt. I am worried that it will cause gut impaction. (Note: I did not use gravel or pebbles in the terrarium.)

Next: My frog is young, maybe 1.5 to 2 inches long. How many small crickets should I be feeding it per day? Should all the crickets be dusted with calcium? When should the frequency of calcium dusting be lowered?


I know that's a lot, but I appreciate any advice.

[Kurt]

The coconut bedding should not impact the bowel. However gravel will, so its a good thing you did not use it.

As far as how many crickets you should feed it per day, well, you will have to play around with that and see what works best with your frog. I would dust at least once a week.

[lraulston]

My WTF gets mouthfulls of dirt all the time. No problem. It all comes out okay. He manages to wipe some of it out sometimes, and other times some goes down with the cricket.

[Endosymbiote]

Thanks, I will dust the crickets at least once per week.

[Ryan S]

What about sphagnum moss?

[Kurt]

Sphagnum moss works fine. I use it with a lot of my amphibians.

[lraulston]

I've heard it can cause impaction also

[John]

I've heard it can cause impaction also

I've heard that too, though I haven't seen it. I think it's more a problem in ground dwelling frogs. Treefrogs really shouldn't be eating much of their substrate if the vivarium is furnished properly.

[lraulston]

Yes, but white's don't care what is there when they go to eat. It all goes in the mouth, which is why I don't have it. But i know some people keep it no problem.

[Kurt]

I've heard that too, though I haven't seen it.

I have seen my blotched tiger salamander accidentally eat sphagnum and he/she his still alive.

(note to Laura; he is eating crickets not as enthusiastically as he used to. The vet diagnosed him/her with a respiratory infection and he/she is currently being treated for it.)

I have also seen my Colorado River toad scoop up shagnum whilst feeding. He usually manages to "spit" it out.

[lraulston]

well Kurt, I hope he gets better soon!

[Kurt]

Thanks. He still has a lot of fight in him.

[lraulston]

Well that is a good sign.

[Kurt]

Yes it is. He has more fight than I have.

[Endosymbiote]

Update:

Everything seems to be going OK with the WTF. (Thanks guys!) Haven't named it yet... I don't want to do so until it starts to look super healthy.

Compared to the pics of "Dumper" my frog looks thin... I don't think it was fed sufficiently at the pet shop.

Current diet: 2-4 medium crickets / day, calcium dusted once or twice / week. Please let me know if adjustment is necessary. I will try and get some pics up soon.

My new concern is that my habitat is improperly designed. It is not an upright habitat (and only 20 gallons), I know this is a flaw and will try to remedy it soon. (This is probably why it ends up with a mouthful of dirt occasionally) During its sleep cycle, it climbs up pretty high behind some of the fake leaves and hides, so it looks like it's not completely bad.

If someone could direct me to pics/descriptions of optimal habitat design, I would appreciate it.

One more thing: how often should I expect it to shed and eat its old skin? I've seen it doing it once (I thought it was yawning), but that was over a week ago.

[into]

Dumper was chubby when I got him. He eats about the same as yours does.. except I feed him about 3 large crickets a night and dust them with a vitamin supplement twice a week. Dumper lives in a 20 gallon tall tank that I created for him using 2 cheap 10 gal. tanks stacked on top of each other to form one tall one (bottom removed from the top tank). I have yet to see him climb to the top, and he is usually on the ground or on a branch half way up somewhere.

This is from my experience and I'm very much a newbie, but Dumper went through a growing phase and I noticed him shed around twice a week from the time I got him until last week. During this time, just about all his scars have faded (he was a mess when I first got him) and he's grown over a half an inch. I haven't noticed him shedding lately, but it starts without notice and only takes him a couple minutes to suck it down, so I may have missed it.

[Kurt]

You may want to get a fecal float done, to check for gastrointestinal parasites. An overall health check couldn't hurt.