So, I see SO much contradictory info on PacMan frogs. Really want to do right. My question is this: I live in a pretty cold climate. Around here I see a lot of people keeping pacman frogs with very minimal heat. However, when mine arrived today I honestly thought he was dead till I saw a TINY movement in one leg. (He was shipped with NO heat source!) He is not up and moving around, but now I’m thinking I’m an idiot for buying Zilla Micro Habitat (Large) which has a plastic top. As far as I can see, its great for humidity, but I’m not sure what to do about heat, UVB? I bought a small Halligen mini dome with a red light. Should I scrap the plastic tank and use a 10 gallon with metal screen lid? Will enough heat radiate through the top of the plastic if I hang it up over? How warm do these guys REALLY like to be?
THANK YOU for your answers and your mercy on a newbie!
Honestly plastic is going to heat better than glass. For larger species of snakes it is even recommend using PVC tanks for the ease of heating and they hold in humidity better. Honestly Pac-Man frogs do not move around a lot so do you think that you might be confusing and being cold in your death for just the normal behavior? Mostly they just sit in one spot with their enclosure, dig a little hole and then wait for food. Honestly I just calculated the of gallons that that zoo med tank holds and here is a screenshot
I mean honestly I would say you could go with a five or a 10 gallon I mean that is all up to you but what are your temps inside the tank as of now?
Thank you very much for the reply! Oh, my, i took it out and it was laying there upside down, looking pretty stiff. I think it was just really cold. I hope it will be ok.
I’m going to spend this evening messing around with hanging the light over the tank by several inches and seeing what temperatures I can get. So, I have to get back to you on that.
A plastic enclosure can be adequately heated with a heat pad and thermostat. Enclosures with screen tops are bad for most amphibians, as they make it difficult to maintain proper humidity, which is critically important. Do not hang a heat lamp above an enclosure with a plastic top, you risk melting it or starting a fire. The tank should be between 78-82. You do not need a temperature gradient like you would need for a reptile, as horned frogs thermoregulate by burying themselves.
Now for two unsolicited tips:
- Substrate humidity is much more important than ambient humidity.
- Resist the urge to handle your frog at any time that is not totally necessary, such as removing him from the enclosure to clean. Even then, it is better to scoop him up with a cup rather than touch him directly. Horned frogs are not the right pet for individuals that want to hold their pet. If you want to enjoy interaction with your frog, train him to tong feed. It’s a lot of fun.
Thank you, great advice! I’m not big into petting. I just enjoy watching them. For my nile monitor baby I wrapped the majority of the metal mesh lid with tin foil and that helped, but I live in an arid area and am still struggling to maintain a high enough humidity. As she grows I’m planning a large enclosure with a water fall/mister. I really need to live in Florida! Except I would die from the humidity!
Don’t discount the choice of keeping amphibians in clear plastic tubs with airholes. That way you’ll be able to view them and still have proper humidity. They are also very easy to clean.
LOL, that is where I live, The relative humidity in my house is 75%!
I worked in Arkansas for a year and nearly died. I mean seriously. I don’t know how you folks do it. Right now the humidity guage IN the tank I’ve been spraying all day says 27%… I guess I have to buy a mister?
Yes that would be a good idea and possibly buy another gauge because you want to make sure that you have like a fallback if that gauge is bad
Is it just one of those stick on hydrometers, or a digital one with a probe? Have you covered the top of the tank with anything to keep humidity in? For temps in a plastic enclosure I recommend a UTH with a reliable thermostat, never any lights as it is a fire hazard. A good thing to do for now would just be to put it in a bedroom or something and get the ambient temps in the room to around 80°f.