Poor tree frogs

[J_dUbz88]

Hi i have a really great frogaruim set up with some nice branches a live kroton, snake plant and a banana plant. For substrate i use half and half peat and coconut fibre theres about 5 inches for the plants. I offer a water bowl of fresh water all the time and spray once a day. i feed every other about 3 small crics each (there was 2 frogs) about a week ago one frog was acting odd instead of hiding up high he came down to the ground and was digging holes and sitting in them and was all dirty (they are usually clean) and then he turned up dead. today i look and another has died in the same fashion. When they actually pass they are on the ground and spread full length with legs out. Does anyone know whats happening?

 

[arachnocat]

That's really odd. Did you see anything on their skin? Like a red rash or fungus? What kind of tree frogs were they?

 

[xchondrox]

Did you wash the plants first before putting them in the terrarium? Some times they can have residue from fertilizers/pesticides remaining on them from the green house. I'd clean it out and start fresh!

 

[arachnocat]

Yeah, sounds like they were trying to get something off their skin maybe. Should use some dechlorinator type stuff in the water too if you don't already.

 

[J_dUbz88]

well for all my reps and arachnids i use RO water and i throughly cleaned the plants before i added them, thats why i found the deaths so odd and there is no mold and there was rash or fungus

Also they were American tree frogs

 

[xchondrox]

That red rash is a bacterial infection, its call red-leg or red thigh something. Cant remember Im not that into frogs. I know that once they have it theres not a whole lot you can do.
Google amphibian bacterial infection for more info, its late and im lazy !
I'd also recommend gutting the terrarium and disenfecting it with a 10% bleach solution before trying out any more frogs.

 

[dtknow]

How long did you have the frogs? Did you see any signs of seizures or anything?

 

[J_dUbz88]

That red rash is a bacterial infection, its call red-leg or red thigh something. Cant remember Im not that into frogs. I know that once they have it theres not a whole lot you can do.
Google amphibian bacterial infection for more info, its late and im lazy !
I'd also recommend gutting the terrarium and disenfecting it with a 10% bleach solution before trying out any more frogs.

i dident notice any infection or rashes, and there is still one frog in the frogarium and hes doing fine (i know its a he because he loves to croak)

 

[J_dUbz88]

How long did you have the frogs? Did you see any signs of seizures or anything?

yes unfortunately i witnessed pone die and it did look like it was seizure's or something before it died it like kinda jumped fell and then pushed its slef along the ground and then seizure again and went full length opened its mouth and died also i have had them since april

 

[dtknow]

Did you supplement them at all? Sounds like possible calcium deficiency.

 

[arachnocat]

Hmm... I had something similar happen to me earlier this year.

I just got a new big tank for one of my frogs and some new plants from the craft store. The substrate was some I was re-using and had in a bag for a while.
I put my frog in, went to use the restroom, came back and my frog was upside down twitching an sticking it's legs out like you mentioned. I was so upset. I thought for sure it was fumes from the plants from the craft store. I washed them but they still had a slight plastic odor. I took the plants back to the store and washed the tank, buried my poor frog. Threw out the substrate. I had no idea what could kill a frog in just a few seconds like that.

A few weeks later I got a new frog and put him in a different tank with new substrate. He did great for a few days. I turned on the light on top of another tank on a different shelf, looked down at my frog and he was upside down and twitching!

That's when I realized, it must be the crappy new light I got. They're on a metal shelf and although all the frogs around were ok, the cord must have been touching the tank and froggy got electrocuted. I felt awful, but at least I knew what happened. I threw away the light and haven't had any mysterious frog deaths since.

Anyways, something you should look at maybe...

 

[J_dUbz88]

Did you supplement them at all? Sounds like possible calcium deficiency.

yes i powdered the cricks with calcium not vitamins tho (crics are all gut loaded by myself)

 

[xchondrox]

Perhaps it was just his time to croak! Sorry guys

Glad to here your other one is still alive and doing well!
I thought that both died, and had some rash, just kind of scanned the thread last night and let my brain fill in the missing spots. It was late, sorry.

 

[dtknow]

Wait, so the frogs did show signs of redness/skin infection?

Could also be the new chytrid fungus that is running around. It is reccomended all new frogs are quarantined and if possible treated for this disease prophylatically.


It is generally reccomended to alternate doses of calcium and vitamin supplements(assuming you are using Repcal, other stuff may not work so well in this regard).

 

[xchondrox]

thats why i found the deaths so odd and there is no mold and there was rash or fungus

This in their second post threw me off, they later stated afew posts later that there was no fungus or rash present on the deceased frogs.

 

[DITB]

sometimes when treefrogs(and other amphibians) burrow its from lack on enough humidity not saying thats what killed you frogs its just that ive saw frogs and salamaders burrow in petshop tanks many times because the employees had no idea what they were doing