Pacman Frog Beginner Questions

jaw6053

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
469
Hello everyone,

I have recently got into the tarantula hobby and today I came across a Strawberry Pacman Frog that I had to have. It is my first frog and I wanted to check care requirements here. I housed it in a extra large critter keeper roughly 15 3/4" L x 9 3/8" W x 12 1/2" H , with enough damp substrate to bury itself completely, a large corner water dish big enough for it to sit in, spanish moss in corner and 2 fake flowers. Is this all ok and do I need to add anything ?

Are these true statements (underlined) ?

Temps = 65-80 room temperature is fine (the room its in house stays at a costant 78F)
Needs Day/night cycles (Natural sunlight from window in its room)
Feeding - Crickets and dubia roaches are fine (I have dubia colony started so I plan on feeding it dubia)

Its definitely not small and I do not know it's age or sex. The original owner said he was feeding it crickets regularly with (1) pinky mouse a month. When I got it home tonight and in it's new enclosure it was smacking the sides which I found rather odd and it seemed really pissed off. Any and all help would be appreciated.


Thank you
 

Nir Avraham

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 14, 2013
Messages
227
Pacman frogs are very easy to keep.
22-25 C during the night, and 27-29 during the day. Day and night cycle are important too.
Food diversity is very important for them. You can feed them with other bugs and mice too. There’s a special pellets for them too.
 

jaw6053

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
469
Pacman frogs are very easy to keep.
22-25 C during the night, and 27-29 during the day. Day and night cycle are important too.
Food diversity is very important for them. You can feed them with other bugs and mice too. There’s a special pellets for them too.

My Pacman frog has buried itself to the bottom and I can no longer see it. What should I do ? Should I put live prey in for it or wait ?
 

Nir Avraham

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 14, 2013
Messages
227
My Pacman frog has buried itself to the bottom and I can no longer see it. What should I do ? Should I put live prey in for it or wait ?
Wait for him to come out by himself. Don’t leave to prey inside!
 

jrh3

Araneae
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
1,333
Hello everyone,

I have recently got into the tarantula hobby and today I came across a Strawberry Pacman Frog that I had to have. It is my first frog and I wanted to check care requirements here. I housed it in a extra large critter keeper roughly 15 3/4" L x 9 3/8" W x 12 1/2" H , with enough damp substrate to bury itself completely, a large corner water dish big enough for it to sit in, spanish moss in corner and 2 fake flowers. Is this all ok and do I need to add anything ?

Are these true statements (underlined) ?

Temps = 65-80 room temperature is fine (the room its in house stays at a costant 78F)
Needs Day/night cycles (Natural sunlight from window in its room)
Feeding - Crickets and dubia roaches are fine (I have dubia colony started so I plan on feeding it dubia)

Its definitely not small and I do not know it's age or sex. The original owner said he was feeding it crickets regularly with (1) pinky mouse a month. When I got it home tonight and in it's new enclosure it was smacking the sides which I found rather odd and it seemed really pissed off. Any and all help would be appreciated.


Thank you
You need to supplement with calcium with D3, this is very important. I dust crickets every other feeding A multi vitamin wouldn’t hurt. Also a good brand is rep-cal. They have multi vitamin and calcium w/ D3 get both bottles
 

jaw6053

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
469
You need to supplement with calcium with D3, this is very important. I dust crickets every other feeding A multi vitamin wouldn’t hurt. Also a good brand is rep-cal. They have multi vitamin and calcium w/ D3 get both bottles
Can you post an amazon link with what you are talking about ? Or a picture of the bottles I need ? Here is a pic of my frog, you cannot see him because its buried itself completely under the coco fiber right at the edge of the moss.

Thank you,
 

Attachments

jaw6053

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
469
Pacman frogs are very easy to keep.
22-25 C during the night, and 27-29 during the day. Day and night cycle are important too.
Food diversity is very important for them. You can feed them with other bugs and mice too. There’s a special pellets for them too.
I have a colony of DUBIA roaches which I plan on using. I also currently have crickets, mealworms & superworms on hand. I occasionally pickup hornworms for my tarantulas but I am not sure if this frog will eat those ?
 

jrh3

Araneae
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
1,333
Can you post an amazon link with what you are talking about ? Or a picture of the bottles I need ? Here is a pic of my frog, you cannot see him because its buried itself completely under the coco fiber right at the edge of the moss.

Thank you,
The substrate looks a little dry but it could be the picture, if its dry it could be why he is burrowing down often. Here is what I use. It doesn’t have to be this brand, but this is good stuff.
44310920-B49B-4429-8607-2FD06DB11356.jpeg 2C99192A-C2EF-4395-A560-B8BF30F8C3A6.jpeg
 

jaw6053

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
469
I have a colony of DUBIA roaches which I plan on using. I also currently have crickets, mealworms & superworms on hand. I occasionally pickup hornworms for my tarantulas but I am not sure if this frog will eat those ?
I think my substrate is too dry after seeing your pic. Should I just go add water to the substrate around where it's buried with my pipette ? I really only dampened the coco fiber when getting the enclosure ready and it wasn't wet at all. The top dried out over the weekend even more.
 

jaw6053

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
469
The substrate looks a little dry but it could be the picture, if its dry it could be why he is burrowing down often. Here is what I use. It doesn’t have to be this brand, but this is good stuff.
View attachment 333082

The rep-cal calcium is not a bad price, only $4.92 for 3oz but the rep-cal multivitamins are $17-$20 for a 3oz jar and thats too much when the "flukers" brand is $1.32. Do you think it would be ok to mix the flukers brand with the rep-cal calcium ?
 

jrh3

Araneae
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
1,333
The rep-cal calcium is not a bad price, only $4.92 for 3oz but the rep-cal multivitamins are $17-$20 for a 3oz jar and thats too much when the "flukers" brand is $1.32. Do you think it would be ok to mix the flukers brand with the rep-cal calcium ?
yes that will be fine.
 

jaw6053

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
469
yes that will be fine.
Well, after I added quite a bit of water to the substrate Thursday & Friday night, I was happy to see my Pacman this morning. It came up from being buried and had its head above the substrate. I mixed the rep-cal calcium with the multivitamin powder 1-1 ratio in a baggy, threw 2 medium crickets in it, and then fed them to my Pacman. Thanks for your help!!
 

Attachments

Dandrobates

Arachnoknight
Joined
Nov 17, 2018
Messages
180
Repashy Supercal is the best supplement on the market. Yes it is expensive but it is essentially the only supplement you will need for this species and you can dust prey at every feeding. Take note though that all supplements need to be refrigerated to maintain their optimal shelf life of up to six months. I’ve been keeping frogs for 30 years and I have found Repashy’s products to be the best ones on the market. It is also important to gut load your feeders as well with a variety of fresh vegetables such as dandelion greens, carrots, sweet potato, zucchini, collards etc. I have mixed feelings as far as the offering of mammalian prey goes. An occasional pinky is ok, but mice on the whole are not a good prey item as their continued consumption can result in obesity.
 

jrh3

Araneae
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
1,333
Repashy Supercal is the best supplement on the market. Yes it is expensive but it is essentially the only supplement you will need for this species and you can dust prey at every feeding. Take note though that all supplements need to be refrigerated to maintain their optimal shelf life of up to six months. I’ve been keeping frogs for 30 years and I have found Repashy’s products to be the best ones on the market. It is also important to gut load your feeders as well with a variety of fresh vegetables such as dandelion greens, carrots, sweet potato, zucchini, collards etc. I have mixed feelings as far as the offering of mammalian prey goes. An occasional pinky is ok, but mice on the whole are not a good prey item as their continued consumption can result in obesity.
Do you have any documentation to support the claim that Repashy Supercal is the best on the market? I have never had an issue with Rep-cal and have been using it for probably 10 years.
 

jaw6053

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
469
Do you have any documentation to support the claim that Repashy Supercal is the best on the market? I have never had an issue with Rep-cal and have been using it for probably 10 years.

@ JRH3 - Do i have to dust every single feeder I feed my Pacman ?
 

Dandrobates

Arachnoknight
Joined
Nov 17, 2018
Messages
180
Do you have any documentation to support the claim that Repashy Supercal is the best on the market? I have never had an issue with Rep-cal and have been using it for probably 10 years.
Edit. I was referring to Repashy calcium plus and not supercal. That was my error.

Nonetheless, I consider Repashy products to be superior. As far as Repashy Supercal Vs Repcal herptivite and calcium supplements go, I consider Repashy Supercal to be a more complete supplement and here are my reasons.

1. Reptivite states on the bottle that it provides no vitamin A. Instead it contains beta carotene with the explanation that it acts as pre vitamin A. However, we now know that despite the detection of beta carotene in amphibian tissues there is no current evidence to suggest that they can convert it to vitamin A (McComb, 2010). Therefore it is, for all intents and purposes, deficient in providing any source of pre vitamin A that can be converted by amphibians.

Furthermore, the label on the herptivite bottle states that the use of beta carotene instead of other precursors is to prevent an overdose of vitamin A. YES Vitamin A is fat soluble and yes it can be taken to overdose. However hypovitaminoisis A can lead to health issues including squamous meta plasma “short tongue syndrome”, compromised reproductive organs etc. (Wright, 2006; Pessier 2013). Vitamin A deficiency is often overlooked in favor of D3 despite the fact that both have significant benefits to overall health. Repashy Calcium plus contains beta carotene but it also contains a different vitamin A supplement (to my knowledge it is vitamin A acetate which is considered as having low toxicity). Given that Repashy Calcium plus can be used as a supplement with every feeding it is reasonable to assume that the animal is reaping the benefits without a significant risk of overdose. (Note this is not to be confused with Repashys stand alone vitamin A supplement that can only be used sparingly on a once a month basis).

2. On the Repcal herptivite label it clearly states that the product should be mixed with Repcal calcium supplement just before feeding. The label goes on to state that the supplements are packaged and sold separately because damage to the beta carotene would result during processing if combined with calcium. This is true. However, as stated prior, the literature shows that beta carotene is not a form of pre vitamin A that amphibians can convert. Therefore I see no point in purchasing two products that need to be combined immediately before feeding to spare a nutrient that frogs can’t metabolize for the intended purpose anyway. Repashy Calcium plus is sold in a single bottle without the need to be combined with a second supplement. Here is where convenience and efficiency factor in.

3. Repcal herptivite appears to be richer in amino acids, yet commercially available insects are already good sources of amino acids most B vitamins and minerals except calcium (Fink 2002). Yet vitamins A, D, E and thiamin are of potential concern. (Ferrie et al 2014) Repashy Calcium plus contains a useable form of pre vitamin A again whereas herptivite does not therefore it is more in line with the recommendations in the current literature.

4. From my own experience I have noticed that Calcium plus stays on my feeders longer and is more palatable than herptivite (which i have used in the past). It clumps less and my smaller frogs reject it less than herptivite. I am not opposed to herptivite per se, but I have found better overall results with Repashy Calcium plus. Obviously supplements are a matter of personal choice but I have based my choices on evidence from amphibian nutritional studies and the results I see in my own collection.
 

jrh3

Araneae
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Jun 4, 2011
Messages
1,333
Edit. I was referring to Repashy calcium plus and not supercal. That was my error.

Nonetheless, I consider Repashy products to be superior. As far as Repashy Supercal Vs Repcal herptivite and calcium supplements go, I consider Repashy Supercal to be a more complete supplement and here are my reasons.

1. Reptivite states on the bottle that it provides no vitamin A. Instead it contains beta carotene with the explanation that it acts as pre vitamin A. However, we now know that despite the detection of beta carotene in amphibian tissues there is no current evidence to suggest that they can convert it to vitamin A (McComb, 2010). Therefore it is, for all intents and purposes, deficient in providing any source of pre vitamin A that can be converted by amphibians.

Furthermore, the label on the herptivite bottle states that the use of beta carotene instead of other precursors is to prevent an overdose of vitamin A. YES Vitamin A is fat soluble and yes it can be taken to overdose. However hypovitaminoisis A can lead to health issues including squamous meta plasma “short tongue syndrome”, compromised reproductive organs etc. (Wright, 2006; Pessier 2013). Vitamin A deficiency is often overlooked in favor of D3 despite the fact that both have significant benefits to overall health. Repashy Calcium plus contains beta carotene but it also contains a different vitamin A supplement (to my knowledge it is vitamin A acetate which is considered as having low toxicity). Given that Repashy Calcium plus can be used as a supplement with every feeding it is reasonable to assume that the animal is reaping the benefits without a significant risk of overdose. (Note this is not to be confused with Repashys stand alone vitamin A supplement that can only be used sparingly on a once a month basis).

2. On the Repcal herptivite label it clearly states that the product should be mixed with Repcal calcium supplement just before feeding. The label goes on to state that the supplements are packaged and sold separately because damage to the beta carotene would result during processing if combined with calcium. This is true. However, as stated prior, the literature shows that beta carotene is not a form of pre vitamin A that amphibians can convert. Therefore I see no point in purchasing two products that need to be combined immediately before feeding to spare a nutrient that frogs can’t metabolize for the intended purpose anyway. Repashy Calcium plus is sold in a single bottle without the need to be combined with a second supplement. Here is where convenience and efficiency factor in.

3. Repcal herptivite appears to be richer in amino acids, yet commercially available insects are already good sources of amino acids most B vitamins and minerals except calcium (Fink 2002). Yet vitamins A, D, E and thiamin are of potential concern. (Ferrie et al 2014) Repashy Calcium plus contains a useable form of pre vitamin A again whereas herptivite does not therefore it is more in line with the recommendations in the current literature.

4. From my own experience I have noticed that Calcium plus stays on my feeders longer and is more palatable than herptivite (which i have used in the past). It clumps less and my smaller frogs reject it less than herptivite. I am not opposed to herptivite per se, but I have found better overall results with Repashy Calcium plus. Obviously supplements are a matter of personal choice but I have based my choices on evidence from amphibian nutritional studies and the results I see in my own collection.
Nice write up. Thanks for the info. I know Repashy makes a great product but never read into depth as what makes it better than the rest. You might have convinced me to try their products over my current one.
 

Dandrobates

Arachnoknight
Joined
Nov 17, 2018
Messages
180
Nice write up. Thanks for the info. I know Repashy makes a great product but never read into depth as what makes it better than the rest. You might have convinced me to try their products over my current one.
Thank you it’s my pleasure.
 

jaw6053

Arachnobaron
Joined
Dec 1, 2019
Messages
469
I have a question and cannot seem to find an answer. When feeding my pacman how much should I be feeding ? I cannot tell if it's full or if I should keep feeding it ? Attached is an updated picture so you can see the size of it.
 

Attachments

Top