Pacman Frog *Pic Update*

[LittleMissMich]

In August there's going to be a reptile show here in Portland. I've been planning on getting a pacman for months. I've been getting conflicting information which I completely expected. On eHow someone, not sure who writes those articles, wrote that distilled water would burn the frog and to use tap water...I wouldn't use tap for my fish, so...I'll ignore that. I read, in conflicting views, that fish (goldfish, feeders, and guppies) can be fed to them. If you feed them fish or rodents (I love rodents, so...no), you won't have to use supplements on the crickets, earthworms, mealworms, and such.

I have a 2.5gal that I used for Pacific Green Tree Frogs and guppy breeding. I want to use it as a holding tank, maybe for feeding only and to keep the little guy in for at least the first week to make sure he's healthy. I'll be buying from a breeder at the show; only breeders that have strictly captive bred animals are allowed. I'm hoping for a male because I hear the male is not as mean and are much smaller than the females.

I'd like any info I can get about them even if I already know it, everyone has their preferences. Like what kind of cage, glass or plastic, and the set-up to how and what to feed. I don't have a 10gal tank yet that isn't filled with fish (I breed guppies), but I will have one soon before I bring the little guy home.

*Pics are on the last page*  

[Akari_32]

First off, Pacmans are STUPID! They cant help it lol The gene for smarts skipped them in froggy world. They dont know that if the water if higher then their nostrils, they need to get out of the water. So a very shallow dish and strickly monitored water levles in dish is very important.

They like to dig a bit, but mine never did. She made a little hole in the gravel in her dish and stayed there all the time. EcoEarth makes a good substrate for them. I tried soil, but it molded really fast and I was scooping out moldy chuncks all the time.

Vary their diets, they will get bored and not eat. Also, dont buy food from just "any guy off the street" so to say. If you want to breed your own feeders, feed them a high quaility food (New Life Spectrum and Omega One are great fish foods, for example). Goldfish are high in fat, so that would be a good treat, every now and then. Buy the fish, and QT it for two weeks, and feed it as much as it will eat (because of this, buy it really, really small. They grow fast). If it looks sick, dont feed it to your frog. If you have any questions about fish health let me know.

To feed, I would get some froggy-only tweezers (or maybe tongs, when he gets bigger >.<). My Pacman was a pain in the butt and wouldnt eat unless it was right in front of her face, so I had to hold the food with tweezers in front of her, and some times push it onto her nose alittle (again, they're kinda dumb LOL). A friends of mines frog eats in a smaller tank (2.5 gallons I think), and he activly hunts down his food. So I guess just do what ever the frog does better with.

Most people say 10 gallons for a full grown frog, but to me a 20 long is the way to go. Just because they're lazy doesnt mean they arent big lol

I would get a glass top for the tank, too. They like it really humid, and screan does nothing for that. You might also want some sort of heater. What ever you get, just dont put it on the bottom of the tank, because they will burrow and lay on top of it and burn themselves.

Hmmm, I think thats all I got. If I think of anything else, I'll add it =3  

[LittleMissMich]

i never expected much smarts from a fat lazy frog. xp My cousin's is about full grown and sits in one spot, never moves and expects his/her food to be dropped into his/her's enormous mouth eek . It's a sight... She keeps it in a square tank that's pretty small, because even in a bigger tank, this guy never moved! I've seen some more active ones for sure.

Thankyou for your advice, I was wondering about substrate. It's one of those things no one can seem to agree on. I wanted to have live plants growing in the tank, I have some established semi-aquatic plants growing already. What's your take on that?
My pacific tree frogs got bored easy too, though the crickets were stupider than them. Can baby pacman eat big crickets? The tiny ones are so hard to keep alive. They always burrowed under their water sponge and drown... rolleyes My fish have always been on a high nutrient diet; I used to breed to get specific lines. I have a bunch of throw-backs now that don't match any line. The males are pretty, but the females get HUGE!
I'm hoping to line the bottom of the tank with gravel and enough water to soak it, and moss on top with an opening in the center so the frog can soak. The water will be very shallow, only enough to add moisture. I just want to know if I should use distilled water that's been sitting for a few days or if I could use a dechlorinator like with my fish?  

[LittleMissMich]

so no one has any advice? just one person? I'd really like some opinions here. 3nodding  

[Kipluck]

I want one of those someday. I want an Albino and I will name it Ms. But ANYWAY, Cranwell's can pretty much eat anything they can fit in their mouths. So unless it is a TINY baby, it can probably eat big crickets.

I hate little crickets. I have to get them for my Bumble Bee Walking Toads, and my lizards. My green tree frogs get baby roaches and big crickets. The geckos get mealworms and roaches and crickets. The sugar gliders get mealworms and roaches but NO crickets. Tortuga get shrimp, snails, krill, bloodworms, and thew occasional roach. And finally the crabs get shrimp, krill, bloodworms, freeze-dried crickets, etc.

That's my buggy menu.  

[Vanilla eXee]

When I keep crickets, I don't give them a water sponge. I give them some very moist types of food like cut open grapes or cucumber slices in addition to whatever else I feed them. I've never had them drown that way. Like Akari said, coconut coir is a really good substrate. Bed-a-beast is usually cheaper than eco-earth, but it's the same thing. You can grow plants in it too. On it's own it dries out rather quickly, though in a tank with a cover it should hold the moisture better. I would get a spray bottle for daily touch ups.

I would get your plants established before getting the frog. If they're rooted and growing, it'll be harder for them to get torn out and killed.  

[LittleMissMich]

@ Kipluck: Thanks, feeding my animals is always an important and sometimes difficult to do right. I hate the little ones too, they die real easy. My pacific tree frogs only ate the little ones, they were pretty small themselves. I love Bumble Bee Walking Toads heart They're so cute whee

@ Vanilla: I gave them lettuce and was told the sponge would work best for the tiny ones. I'll be planting my temporary set-up after my finals are over.

Do I use distilled water or use De-Chlorination chemicals like with my fish?  

[imderanged]

I have a Pyxie not a Pacman but it's my understanding that their care is very similar. The temperaments are also almost the same, the Pyxie is just bigger. I keep my Pyxie in coco fiber. I don't use moss in my frog tanks. I used to use it in my tree frogs tank when I first started keeping them, but they were swallowing it when they were hunting. The long fibers can cause impaction issues, the shorter coco fiber pieces are less of a problem. I don't bother with stones underneath, it makes the tank very heavy and makes it harder to clean. I also don't bother with real plant. My Pyxie is quite a digger and I have heard the same about Pacmans. I use tap water treated with "Reptisafe" for all my reptiles and amphibians. In his tank he has a half log hide, a lager waterdish for soaking and some plastic plants that stick to the sides to look nice & give him a sense of security. I have an UTH mounted on the side. I use a screen top and but no heat/light directly over top. I find this set up the best for the humidity as long as you mist regularly. My personal opinion is that a glass top will not give you enough ventilation and you may have mold issues. You can safely feed the frog crickets or other prey items proximately the width of the space between his eyes. So, large crickets will probably be safe considering the size I normally see baby Pacmans sold at, but you will have to look at the individual frog and make that call. Personally I only used crickets when my frog was very small. He grew very rapidly and soon i moved on to larger prey...feeding the amounts of crickets it would take to keep my Francis happy just didn't make sense. Perhaps this is where the 2 species will vary most, Pacmans are a bit smaller and you might get away with insect feeders. I prefer to use live Goldfish and less frequently frozen thawed mice. I also find he eats better for me if i put him in his water dish to soak before i attempt to feed him. Watch out feeding him, both these species have teeth and bite!  

[LittleMissMich]

imderanged

I have a Pyxie not a Pacman but it's my understanding that their care is very similar. The temperaments are also almost the same, the Pyxie is just bigger. I keep my Pyxie in coco fiber. I don't use moss in my frog tanks. I used to use it in my tree frogs tank when I first started keeping them, but they were swallowing it when they were hunting. The long fibers can cause impaction issues, the shorter coco fiber pieces are less of a problem. I don't bother with stones underneath, it makes the tank very heavy and makes it harder to clean. I also don't bother with real plant. My Pyxie is quite a digger and I have heard the same about Pacmans. I use tap water treated with "Reptisafe" for all my reptiles and amphibians. In his tank he has a half log hide, a lager waterdish for soaking and some plastic plants that stick to the sides to look nice & give him a sense of security. I have an UTH mounted on the side. I use a screen top and but no heat/light directly over top. I find this set up the best for the humidity as long as you mist regularly. My personal opinion is that a glass top will not give you enough ventilation and you may have mold issues. You can safely feed the frog crickets or other prey items proximately the width of the space between his eyes. So, large crickets will probably be safe considering the size I normally see baby Pacmans sold at, but you will have to look at the individual frog and make that call. Personally I only used crickets when my frog was very small. He grew very rapidly and soon i moved on to larger prey...feeding the amounts of crickets it would take to keep my Francis happy just didn't make sense. Perhaps this is where the 2 species will vary most, Pacmans are a bit smaller and you might get away with insect feeders. I prefer to use live Goldfish and less frequently frozen thawed mice. I also find he eats better for me if i put him in his water dish to soak before i attempt to feed him. Watch out feeding him, both these species have teeth and bite!

Yeah, I know about the teeth...scary, but cool too. I'm breeding guppies to feed to my frog as I read that it's okay to add goldfish or feeder fish to their diet. I hate crickets...they stink and kill themselves too fast. Pacman's don't grow too fast, I think they're one of the frogs that are slow growers.

Edit: I forgot to add that I won't be feeding my frog in his living quarters, but in a separate tank so I don't need to worry about him eating his bedding.  

[Levina-jade]

Packman's have such pretty colors, I like both coco fiber and eco-earth for any tropical critter. The packs at work get large crickets and they too are lazy, wont go get lunch, tongs are so the way to go for feeding. I like them and their chill personality.  

[Shanna66]

ive only scanned everyone's posts so if i repeat anything im sorry

rodents and fish are fine as treats, fish breed yourself or get from a freidn who breeds them. feeder fish in petstores are usually very filthy and may have parasites. and rodents are very fatty for a pacman. bugs are best. when it gets big enough look into goliath worms, they are huge and have soft bodies. and they are really pretty too lol

use the same kind of water you would put in a fishtank. dechlorinated tap water is fine for anphibs

heating with these guys is one of those things where everyone does it differently. some people say that a light will dry out the frog, some people say that it will burn itselt if you put a uth on the bottom of the tank, and some people say they dont get enough belly heat if the uth is on the side of the tank. personaly i would put a uth on the bottom of the tank because thats what i do with my skinks who burrow and they havent had any issues with it. but to each their own.

and for substrate eco earth holds moisture very well. i like mixing my eco earch with some (excuse my spelling im sounding out the word here) sphagnum moss for my humidity loving lizards  

[LittleMissMich]

Shanna66

ive only scanned everyone's posts so if i repeat anything im sorry

rodents and fish are fine as treats, fish breed yourself or get from a freidn who breeds them. feeder fish in petstores are usually very filthy and may have parasites. and rodents are very fatty for a pacman. bugs are best. when it gets big enough look into goliath worms, they are huge and have soft bodies. and they are really pretty too lol

use the same kind of water you would put in a fishtank. dechlorinated tap water is fine for anphibs

heating with these guys is one of those things where everyone does it differently. some people say that a light will dry out the frog, some people say that it will burn itselt if you put a uth on the bottom of the tank, and some people say they dont get enough belly heat if the uth is on the side of the tank. personaly i would put a uth on the bottom of the tank because thats what i do with my skinks who burrow and they havent had any issues with it. but to each their own.

and for substrate eco earth holds moisture very well. i like mixing my eco earch with some (excuse my spelling im sounding out the word here) sphagnum moss for my humidity loving lizards

I wanted to use moss, but was warned away from it. I have live plants and a heating lamp. I like the lamp, it works for me. My tree frogs loved the lamp. my fish don't breed fast enough to be anywhere near enough food for a greedy little guy. i plan on feeding worms and crickets; my mom catches moths to feed to her butterfly fish, so I might set up traps for grasshoppers and such. no pesticides are sprayed around here because there's a frog sanctuary for sensitive species around the corner. I like the idea of moss still though, since I won't be feeding him in his house. I've also been looking at this tank: Exo Terra Tank for when he gets bigger.  

[Shanna66]

LittleMissMich

Shanna66

ive only scanned everyone's posts so if i repeat anything im sorry

rodents and fish are fine as treats, fish breed yourself or get from a freidn who breeds them. feeder fish in petstores are usually very filthy and may have parasites. and rodents are very fatty for a pacman. bugs are best. when it gets big enough look into goliath worms, they are huge and have soft bodies. and they are really pretty too lol

use the same kind of water you would put in a fishtank. dechlorinated tap water is fine for anphibs

heating with these guys is one of those things where everyone does it differently. some people say that a light will dry out the frog, some people say that it will burn itselt if you put a uth on the bottom of the tank, and some people say they dont get enough belly heat if the uth is on the side of the tank. personaly i would put a uth on the bottom of the tank because thats what i do with my skinks who burrow and they havent had any issues with it. but to each their own.

and for substrate eco earth holds moisture very well. i like mixing my eco earch with some (excuse my spelling im sounding out the word here) sphagnum moss for my humidity loving lizards

I wanted to use moss, but was warned away from it. I have live plants and a heating lamp. I like the lamp, it works for me. My tree frogs loved the lamp. my fish don't breed fast enough to be anywhere near enough food for a greedy little guy. i plan on feeding worms and crickets; my mom catches moths to feed to her butterfly fish, so I might set up traps for grasshoppers and such. no pesticides are sprayed around here because there's a frog sanctuary for sensitive species around the corner. I like the idea of moss still though, since I won't be feeding him in his house. I've also been looking at this tank: Exo Terra Tank for when he gets bigger.

please done feed it things you catch outside. you dont know what wild bugs have been eating or if it did come into contact with a pesticide or other chemical anytime recently, not to mention they are usually filled with parasites

mealies and supers are easy to breed. if this is your only cricket eating animal i would not recomend breeding crickets, they smell, are gross, escape, and are alot of work to keep healthy enough to use as feeders. i buy 100 every week for just a couple dollars since they are so cheap.  

[LittleMissMich]

Shanna66

LittleMissMich

Shanna66

ive only scanned everyone's posts so if i repeat anything im sorry

rodents and fish are fine as treats, fish breed yourself or get from a freidn who breeds them. feeder fish in petstores are usually very filthy and may have parasites. and rodents are very fatty for a pacman. bugs are best. when it gets big enough look into goliath worms, they are huge and have soft bodies. and they are really pretty too lol

use the same kind of water you would put in a fishtank. dechlorinated tap water is fine for anphibs

heating with these guys is one of those things where everyone does it differently. some people say that a light will dry out the frog, some people say that it will burn itselt if you put a uth on the bottom of the tank, and some people say they dont get enough belly heat if the uth is on the side of the tank. personaly i would put a uth on the bottom of the tank because thats what i do with my skinks who burrow and they havent had any issues with it. but to each their own.

and for substrate eco earth holds moisture very well. i like mixing my eco earch with some (excuse my spelling im sounding out the word here) sphagnum moss for my humidity loving lizards

I wanted to use moss, but was warned away from it. I have live plants and a heating lamp. I like the lamp, it works for me. My tree frogs loved the lamp. my fish don't breed fast enough to be anywhere near enough food for a greedy little guy. i plan on feeding worms and crickets; my mom catches moths to feed to her butterfly fish, so I might set up traps for grasshoppers and such. no pesticides are sprayed around here because there's a frog sanctuary for sensitive species around the corner. I like the idea of moss still though, since I won't be feeding him in his house. I've also been looking at this tank: Exo Terra Tank for when he gets bigger.

please done feed it things you catch outside. you dont know what wild bugs have been eating or if it did come into contact with a pesticide or other chemical anytime recently, not to mention they are usually filled with parasites

mealies and supers are easy to breed. if this is your only cricket eating animal i would not recomend breeding crickets, they smell, are gross, escape, and are alot of work to keep healthy enough to use as feeders. i buy 100 every week for just a couple dollars since they are so cheap.

I hate crickets, which is a reason i waited so long to get another frog...they are nasty and the smell never goes away. Since the petshop near me doesn't sell feeder bugs unless someone orders them, I may not be able to get mealies or supers. There is a place not too far by bus that sells feeders, but i stopped going there because they were a reptile, amphibian, and fish store, but they started selling puppies and kittens...In tiny cages....I'll look into petsmart or petco. they good?  

[Shanna66]

LittleMissMich

Shanna66

LittleMissMich

Shanna66

ive only scanned everyone's posts so if i repeat anything im sorry

rodents and fish are fine as treats, fish breed yourself or get from a freidn who breeds them. feeder fish in petstores are usually very filthy and may have parasites. and rodents are very fatty for a pacman. bugs are best. when it gets big enough look into goliath worms, they are huge and have soft bodies. and they are really pretty too lol

use the same kind of water you would put in a fishtank. dechlorinated tap water is fine for anphibs

heating with these guys is one of those things where everyone does it differently. some people say that a light will dry out the frog, some people say that it will burn itselt if you put a uth on the bottom of the tank, and some people say they dont get enough belly heat if the uth is on the side of the tank. personaly i would put a uth on the bottom of the tank because thats what i do with my skinks who burrow and they havent had any issues with it. but to each their own.

and for substrate eco earth holds moisture very well. i like mixing my eco earch with some (excuse my spelling im sounding out the word here) sphagnum moss for my humidity loving lizards

I wanted to use moss, but was warned away from it. I have live plants and a heating lamp. I like the lamp, it works for me. My tree frogs loved the lamp. my fish don't breed fast enough to be anywhere near enough food for a greedy little guy. i plan on feeding worms and crickets; my mom catches moths to feed to her butterfly fish, so I might set up traps for grasshoppers and such. no pesticides are sprayed around here because there's a frog sanctuary for sensitive species around the corner. I like the idea of moss still though, since I won't be feeding him in his house. I've also been looking at this tank: Exo Terra Tank for when he gets bigger.

please done feed it things you catch outside. you dont know what wild bugs have been eating or if it did come into contact with a pesticide or other chemical anytime recently, not to mention they are usually filled with parasites

mealies and supers are easy to breed. if this is your only cricket eating animal i would not recomend breeding crickets, they smell, are gross, escape, and are alot of work to keep healthy enough to use as feeders. i buy 100 every week for just a couple dollars since they are so cheap.

I hate crickets, which is a reason i waited so long to get another frog...they are nasty and the smell never goes away. Since the petshop near me doesn't sell feeder bugs unless someone orders them, I may not be able to get mealies or supers. There is a place not too far by bus that sells feeders, but i stopped going there because they were a reptile, amphibian, and fish store, but they started selling puppies and kittens...In tiny cages....I'll look into petsmart or petco. they good?

depends on the store, my petco only sells the prepackaged crickets which are usually half dead, my petco fails with their feeders but my petsmart is usually good with feeders. both are expensive though. i paid $5 for a frozen rat gonk at the reptile shop by my old apartment i could get a bag of rats for that much. since your only feeding one frog though you shouldnt have to worry too much about price, ive just got 7 reptiles to feed so all the money i spend on feeders adds up fast. thank god my snakes only eat once a week

online would work well if you want to buy in bulk or get a breeding colony going of any type of feeder