Trouble Cleaning / Maintaining a Frog Tank

[nagukush]

Hi Friends,

I'm really-really confused about this ( as I've never ever kept frogs before ) and will be grateful if you can kindly guide / help me...

How do I make a Weekly Water Change and Clean the Front Glass of a Frog Tank, without removing the lid / tank cover ? I find that these frogs that I have now are great jumpers and if I remove the lid to make a water change, they'll all be out of the tank, all over the room within minutes.

Its been a long time since I changed water in the tank and the front glass looks really-really dirty. I badly need to clean / scrape it to get a good view of these beauties.

I'm sure there must be someway of performing the routine maintainence in frog tanks (just like any other fish tank) Kindly guide me on a practical solution for this problem of mine. I love doing weekly water changes and giving my fish / frogs fresh, clean water.

Thanks a lot !
Regards and Care
Kush

 

[nagukush]

Friends, Kindly guide me...

 

[jclee]

Are they tree frogs? (Knowing the species might help us be more specific for what they need.) If they escape quickly when the lid is off, it might be best to move them into another, small container that they can not get out of while you clean the tank. If you have a hard time catching them while they are in the tank, try putting crickets into a small container that is just tall enough that the crickets can not hop out. The frogs will, eventually, crawl into the container to eat, and then you can easily close it and remove them. I have also read of people tricking their frogs into hopping into fishnets, and then scooping them out of the tank that way. (I, personally, would probably have a harder time with a net than with my bare hands.) How many frogs are in the tank?

Also, if you get a filter for the water body (I seem to remember the tank you have is quite large) you won't have to change the water quite as frequently.

 

[nagukush]

Are they tree frogs? (Knowing the species might help us be more specific for what they need.) If they escape quickly when the lid is off, it might be best to move them into another, small container that they can not get out of while you clean the tank. If you have a hard time catching them while they are in the tank, try putting crickets into a small container that is just tall enough that the crickets can not hop out. The frogs will, eventually, crawl into the container to eat, and then you can easily close it and remove them. I have also read of people tricking their frogs into hopping into fishnets, and then scooping them out of the tank that way. (I, personally, would probably have a harder time with a net than with my bare hands.) How many frogs are in the tank?

Also, if you get a filter for the water body (I seem to remember the tank you have is quite large) you won't have to change the water quite as frequently.

Hi there !

Thanks a lot for the kind reply and for caring. As per the ID I got from another thread of mine - http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?p=203317#post203317 they seem to be "Fejervarya limnocharis or a related species" though I'm not completely sure as I'm not able to get any local guidance here. I'm also not able to find anything about them (like care, housing etc) Will be a great help if someone can kindly help / guide me a little more about the species...

I guess it will be great to have a small filter inside the water body - will work on the same asap.

There are about 8 tiny frogs in the tank, and I'm a little afraid as I've never even touched a frog before...

Another problem I have is that here in India we dont get Crickets or any other insects as there are no Bait or Pet Shops that supply these...

Kindly guide me...
Thanks and Regards
Kush

 

[jclee]

It looks like you've already gotten good advice on how to handle these little ones. The trap I mentioned would still work for bugs that do not fly, but if you are catching bugs from below a light, most of those fly. It is also possible for some frogs to eat worms and snails and slugs, so that might give you more options for feeding, or to bait a little trap with for cage-cleaning purposes.

Another good trapping method for catching bugs is to dig a hole just big enough to put a jar into. Loosely cover the jar top with paper. Over 24 hours, bugs will fall into the jar and be unable to climb out. It might also help to put a small piece of fruit in, as that will attract more insects. (If possible, bury the jar in an area that has plant cover, since there will be more bugs on the leaves.) When you go to collect it, put the lid back on as you remove the jar from the ground, and there you go! If there are any bugs/invertebrates that you realize your frogs like, you might think about trying to breed them, just to be certain that you always have some bugs available to feed the frogs with. That way, if it's a particularly dry year, or something else that might cut down on bug populations for a little while, you don't need to worry about running out. (I must admit my ignorance; I don't know much about the climate or wildlife in your area.)

 

[nagukush]

Hi Friends !

Thank you so much for the kindness and for guiding me - really appreciate it.

 

[nagukush]

It looks like you've already gotten good advice on how to handle these little ones. The trap I mentioned would still work for bugs that do not fly, but if you are catching bugs from below a light, most of those fly. It is also possible for some frogs to eat worms and snails and slugs, so that might give you more options for feeding, or to bait a little trap with for cage-cleaning purposes.

Another good trapping method for catching bugs is to dig a hole just big enough to put a jar into. Loosely cover the jar top with paper. Over 24 hours, bugs will fall into the jar and be unable to climb out. It might also help to put a small piece of fruit in, as that will attract more insects. (If possible, bury the jar in an area that has plant cover, since there will be more bugs on the leaves.) When you go to collect it, put the lid back on as you remove the jar from the ground, and there you go! If there are any bugs/invertebrates that you realize your frogs like, you might think about trying to breed them, just to be certain that you always have some bugs available to feed the frogs with. That way, if it's a particularly dry year, or something else that might cut down on bug populations for a little while, you don't need to worry about running out. (I must admit my ignorance; I don't know much about the climate or wildlife in your area.)

Hi jclee,

Thanks a lot for the great ideas. The big problem I have is that there is no graden or open space in my house. We just have 2 or 3 potted plants outside our home. I guess I will not be able to try the burried-jar method then ?

I tried catching the insect below the lights but I was really disappointed. After a lot of tries all I could catch was just 2 tiny insects. My frogs havent eaten since I got them and they are starving for 2 days now. I really wish I could do something.

Here in India we dont have stores who sell live crickets or any other insects / livefoods. The only option that I have is to buy live earthworms from an organic farm nearby but these earthworms are too large - more than 4". Is it possible to chop them up and feed them to the frogs ? Will they eat it ?

Also wanted to know if I can feed Red Ants to my frogs or will the ants bite / kill the frogs ?

I can also breed guppies and feed the fry to the frogs - will they eaT them ?

Kindly guide as I'm really worried for these guys...