PACMAN FROG STILL NOT EATING

[RuthieH27]

I got him this past Sunday (5 days ago) and I have tried feeding him multiple times with no results. First I put the crickets in his terrarium and let them hop all around, they mostly just hid and I removed them. Then I tried putting a few in a smaller empty feeding tank with him a couple times, and nothing. He’s only just bigger than about 1” but he literally shows NO INTEREST in even trying to eat. The crickets go right in front of him or on him and he just sits there. He also pushes his face up against the side of the feeding tank looking out which doesn’t help. He has pooped once, which I immediately removed from his enclosure but I’m not sure what to do. I’ve never seen an animal not want to eat so much.

 

[basin79]

I got him this past Sunday (5 days ago) and I have tried feeding him multiple times with no results. First I put the crickets in his terrarium and let them hop all around, they mostly just hid and I removed them. Then I tried putting a few in a smaller empty feeding tank with him a couple times, and nothing. He’s only just bigger than about 1” but he literally shows NO INTEREST in even trying to eat. The crickets go right in front of him or on him and he just sits there. He also pushes his face up against the side of the feeding tank looking out which doesn’t help. He has pooped once, which I immediately removed from his enclosure but I’m not sure what to do. I’ve never seen an animal not want to eat so much.

The Ceratophrys cornuta (Surinam horned frog) I had was like that. They are notorious for being more difficult feeders though.

What I had to do was sit there for about 20 minutes and gently push food against the mouth every couple of minutes. Eventually the frog would take the food. It was like I had to annoy it enough for it to eat. Once it had taken the first bit of food I then used to daisy chain more food in. The frog did start feeding better after a number of weeks.

C.ornata and C.Cranwelli usually feed alot more freely though. Is yours warm enough?

 

[RuthieH27]

The Ceratophrys cornuta (Surinam horned frog) I had was like that. They are notorious for being more difficult feeders though.

What I had to do was sit there for about 20 minutes and gently push food against the mouth every couple of minutes. Eventually the frog would take the food. It was like I had to annoy it enough for it to eat. Once it had taken the first bit of food I then used to daisy chain more food in. The frog did start feeding better after a number of weeks.

C.ornata and C.Cranwelli usually feed alot more freely though. Is yours warm enough?

He should be. He has a heating pad on the side of the tank. With the thermometer right in front of it it reads 80 degrees and 80% humidity. A few days ago he took a cricket from my hemastats by Kind of pushing it on his mouth. It was half in and half out and I figured he’d eat it so I walked away, came back to find he had spit it out. Should I keep trying to hand feed every day? Is day or night better?

 

[basin79]

He should be. He has a heating pad on the side of the tank. With the thermometer right in front of it it reads 80 degrees and 80% humidity. A few days ago he took a cricket from my hemastats by Kind of pushing it on his mouth. It was half in and half out and I figured he’d eat it so I walked away, came back to find he had spit it out. Should I keep trying to hand feed every day? Is day or night better?

80c won't be the temperature he's at though. If it's 80c in front of the heat mat it might only be 65-70c where he is. Of course it might not be. So first of all find out what temperature it is at the surface of the substrate.

 

[RuthieH27]

Ok! I’m not home but I will! If it’s too low, are there any ways I can raise temp without using a light? That makes me worry...

 

[basin79]

Ok! I’m not home but I will! If it’s too low, are there any ways I can raise temp without using a light? That makes me worry...

You could turn up your thermostat up. You could use a smaller enclosure so there's less room to heat. Or use insulation on the sides to keep the heat in if you're using a glass enclosure. Insulating the sides of a glass enclosure makes a big difference.

 

[RuthieH27]

It is a glass enclosure! How would I undulate it?

 

[basin79]

It is a glass enclosure! How would I undulate it?

What do you have on the back of the heat mat?

 

[RuthieH27]

What do you have on the back of the heat mat?

Nothing...

 

[basin79]

Nothing...

What? That's crazy. You need to stick the mat to some insulation. Polystyrene etcetera. I use a foil back insulation boards used to insulate cavity walls. It's absolutely unreal. Just keep an eye on your temps though and turn down your stat to compensate.

 

[RuthieH27]

What? That's crazy. You need to stick the mat to some insulation. Polystyrene etcetera. I use a foil back insulation boards used to insulate cavity walls. It's absolutely unreal. Just keep an eye on your temps though and turn down your stat to compensate.

I’m brand new to keeping anything beyond a bearded dragon or a corn snake haha so I really appreciate your help! I’ll look into the insulation and try to find some photos of other insulated terrariums. I wasn’t sure that wouldn’t pose a fire risk... I moved the thermostat to the other side of the tank and it’s reading at 72 degrees over there... The breeder at the reptile expo told me he didn’t need any kind of light or heat mat at ALL but after doing some research here and on google I added the mat to the side of his tank.

 

[basin79]

I’m brand new to keeping anything beyond a bearded dragon or a corn snake haha so I really appreciate your help! I’ll look into the insulation and try to find some photos of other insulated terrariums. I wasn’t sure that wouldn’t pose a fire risk... I moved the thermostat to the other side of the tank and it’s reading at 72 degrees over there... The breeder at the reptile expo told me he didn’t need any kind of light or heat mat at ALL but after doing some research here and on google I added the mat to the side of his tank.

I'll grab some pictures of the boards I use. It'll definitely be available to you.

 

[RuthieH27]

I'll grab some pictures of the boards I use. It'll definitely be available to you.

Thank you!!

 

[basin79]

Thank you!!

 

[RuthieH27]

So it’s not directly on the terrarium? Just around it... interesting.

Side note: he just ate two crickets by hand feeding with hemastats! Just seems like a REALLY lazy frog! L

Last question! How often should I feed him?

 

[basin79]

So it’s not directly on the terrarium? Just around it... interesting.

Side note: he just ate two crickets by hand feeding with hemastats! Just seems like a REALLY lazy frog! L

Last question! How often should I feed him?

That's my tarantulas. But it's the same principle. Feed the little rascal ever 3-4 days as much he'll eat ever 20 minutes.

 

[RuthieH27]

That's my tarantulas. But it's the same principle. Feed the little rascal ever 3-4 days as much he'll eat ever 20 minutes.

Okay! Thank you so much for all your help!

 

[basin79]

Okay! Thank you so much for all your help!

Just had a bit of a read. For growing youngsters you can feed them every couple of days or every day with 3-4 suitable sized prey items.

 

[basin79]

So it’s not directly on the terrarium? Just around it... interesting.

Side note: he just ate two crickets by hand feeding with hemastats! Just seems like a REALLY lazy frog! L

Last question! How often should I feed him?

I was steaming drunk last night.

Stick the mat on the insulation. You'll need to take some out where the raised plastic section is on the heat mat so it sits flush. Just tape the the very outside of the mat. The clear parts.

Now push your enclosure right up to that. You'll notice a big difference. Also you can cut pieces of the insulation and push them right up against the glass.

Just keep an eye on the temperature in the enclosure though. You might need to turn you stat down.

 

[RuthieH27]

I was steaming drunk last night.

Stick the mat on the insulation. You'll need to take some out where the raised plastic section is on the heat mat so it sits flush. Just tape the the very outside of the mat. The clear parts.

Now push your enclosure right up to that. You'll notice a big difference. Also you can cut pieces of the insulation and push them right up against the glass.

Just keep an eye on the temperature in the enclosure though. You might need to turn you stat down.

Hahahaha! Thank you! Will do! I think starting by insulating just the side with the heat mat to start will make quite a difference!