Tips Setting up a Pacman Frog Cage
November 30th 2010 18:49
When setting up a tank for a pacman frog, make sure that you know what you're doing. You don't want your frog swimming in an aquatic tank, but you don't want him living in the dessert either.
Remember that frogs need moisture, so you don't want to have the enclosure too dry, but you don't want to keep it too moist, where mold may grow.
Basically, here are a few tips.
Cage Size
A 100 gallon tank will be fine for an adult ornate horned frog. These guys aren't very mobile, so even though they get pretty big, you won't see your frog running around the cage.
Substrate
First off, substrate is the biggest concern. Many people recommend not using moss, as the frog can easily ingest it while feeding; I've tried it, anyway and it wasn't my personal favorite. Others suggest just using coconut coir, which I've tried and it was the easiest to maintain.
I've also tried reptile bark, which worked fine, as it made it harder for the frog to burrow and hide, where I couldn't see him. Plus, the bark kind of holds the moisture a little.
When it comes to substrate, use what is easiest and works best for you. Some keepers recommend using multiple substrates in the tank so thta you can create levels of different humidity.
Just remember that larger frogs need deeper substrate than smaller frogs.
Decor
You don't need much of anything special for a pacman frog tank. These aren't the most active frogs, so as long as the heat, humidity, and substrate is good, your frog will be fine.
The one thing that you really want to add, is a water bowl where the frog can fully soak. Other than that, you don't really need anything special to decorate the cage, as the frog really isn't going to use it.
Some keepers may use corkbark slabs to lean against the cage to create hides, but most frogs will just burrow in the dirt anyway. You may want to use live plants to decorate; consider living frog moss, pothos, spider plants, and snake plants, as they are nontoxic plants. If you don't want to deal with live plants, fake plants are even easier and you don't have to worry about the frog tromping over them.
Heating
You want to use an under tank heater to supply the heat to the tank, leaving it on day and night. You want the hot side above the under tank heater to be about 75 to 85F. If you need to add more substrate to help buffer the heat, then do so, otherwise, you may want to invest in a thermostat.
During the cooler months, you may need to use a ceramic heat bulb to help supplement the heat, but before you do that, make sure to monitor the heat using a digital thermometer so that you have the most accurate reading.
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