# Looking at getting a frog



## sarcastocrat (Feb 16, 2011)

Hi there,

I've been toying with the idea of getting a green tree frog (or a white lipped, or red eye green) for a little while. My partner and I have a spotted python who is about 5yrs old.

I was wondering how difficult frogs are to care for. I have a yabbie, as well as our spottted, so both very low-maintenance pets. I've also had rats in the past (fancies) which needed their enclosure cleaned daily. 

I'm figuring a frog would be about a 6/10 on the difficulty scale, but if I could get a few ideas from people with experience, it would be appreciated.

Specifically I wanted to know;

* do frogs require any companionship (should I get two?)
* is feeding required daily? Also, can they be fed veggies & fruit, or just bugs/pinkies?
* is tank cleaning a weekly thing?

Thanks in advance everyone, I'm just trying to decide whether to go down the amphibian path, or just get another python.


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## KWKW (Feb 16, 2011)

I strongly recommend getting Green Tree Frogs!

I have had my pair for over ten years and they are great by i would strongly advise on getting two not just one as i dont think they would far to well on there own (just my thoughts) as for food bugs (meal worms and crickets) and pinkies (every now and then) i feed mine twice a week sometimes three depending on the weather as in summer they are more active.
cleaning depends on how much they poo so i generally clean once maybe twice a week and thats without a filter so if 
you had a filter less.

hope it helps


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## jinin (Feb 16, 2011)

Frogs are awesome pets and I would recommend you do get one! Personally my Faves are Dainty Tree Frogs and White Lips, I have Red Eyes too and all of my Frogs are easy as pie to care for. Basically here's all you need. 

* If you dont have a fogger or dripper installed in your enclosure, spray them once a day with dechlorinated water. It keeps the Humidity up.

*Up until 1yrs of age, frogs should be fed daily, I just make sure there are always crickets in the enclosure for young ones, I fed my babies Flies and Pinhead Crickets. They dont take veges and only Centralians, White Lips, GTF's and Magnificents take Pinkies and only then I wouldn't recommend any more than 1 pinkie each fortnight as too much protein messes with their liver.

*Adults can be feed 3 times a week with large crickets or large woodies.

*I wouldn't say Tank cleaning is a weekly thing... If you have water in there do a total water change at least once a week, Wipe the feces of the glass daily or every second day. If you notice something is really dirty, clean it. ie Water is dirty.

*Frogs are relatively cheap so I would buy 2+, I don't know whether they benefit from having tank mates, but i do know if they are different sizes they can eat each other and stress out. I personally don't buy a single frog as I think they would like to not be lonely.

If you would like, you can PM me your Email address and I will Email you a care sheet which I made up for my Frogs.


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## sarcastocrat (Feb 16, 2011)

Excellent, thanks for the replies! Jinin, I'll PM you my email for that care sheet.


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## Dannyboi (Feb 16, 2011)

I wouldn't recommend pinkies at all as frogs may not accept them and they can be very harmful to the frog stick with crickets and roaches. I have fed a pinkie once but it took an hour of coaxing and I later read about the parasites ect ect.


> I feed my frogs a varitey of foods Crickets, woodies(cockaroaches), flys, mealworms, I only use
> mealworms monthly just to fatten them up a bit, you can also feed them small mice if you want to
> I dont feed mine mice because im worried they might get worms or parasites, I fed some of my
> magnificent tree frogs (litoria splendida) a peice of steak by dangling it in front of them and I had
> ...


 Taken from Frogs-for-sale Groo knows frogs for sure and I would trust his advice over most.


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## dihsmaj (Feb 16, 2011)

Dannyboi said:


> I wouldn't recommend pinkies at all as frogs may not accept them and they can be very harmful to the frog stick with crickets and roaches. I have fed a pinkie once but it took an hour of coaxing and I later read about the parasites ect ect. Taken from Frogs-for-sale Groo knows frogs for sure and I would trust his advice over most.


So even a Growling Grass Frog couldn't eat a Pinkie? They're predators of other frogs and readily hunt them down based on the call, wouldn't Pinkie meat be okay?


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## Dannyboi (Feb 16, 2011)

Yes it would but there is the risk of parasites. There is such risk in the wild but why put that into play when you can just use crickets/roaches/mealworms?


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## hornet (Feb 16, 2011)

Dannyboi said:


> Yes it would but there is the risk of parasites. There is such risk in the wild but why put that into play when you can just use crickets/roaches/mealworms?


 
i cant see any risk of parasites if using thawed rodents


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## dihsmaj (Feb 16, 2011)

I mean as a treat every month.


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## Dannyboi (Feb 16, 2011)

Depends on the parasites and the temp of the freezer.


> Freezing to 0 'F inactivates any microbes - bacteria, yeasts and molds - present in food. Once thawed, however, these microbes can again become active, multiplying under the right conditions to levels that can lead to foodborne illness. Since they will then grow at about the same rate as microorganisms on fresh food, you must handle thawed items as you would any perishable food.
> Trichina and other parasites can be destroyed by sub-zero freezing temperatures. However, it is not recommended to rely on home freezing to destroy trichina. Thorough cooking will destroy all parasites.


 Taken from a quick google search.

0 degrees Fahrenheit in celcius is -17.78 do the freezers used get that cold?

Oh I am not trying to be condescending.


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## hornet (Feb 16, 2011)

Dannyboi said:


> Depends on the parasites and the temp of the freezer. Taken from a quick google search.
> 
> 0 degrees Fahrenheit in celcius is -17.78 do the freezers used get that cold?
> 
> Oh I am not trying to be condescending.


 
-18 is the norm


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## Dannyboi (Feb 16, 2011)

Then you could use thawed so long as you don't leave them out I still wouldn't as A: I don't know the temp of my freezer B: The protein is bad for their livers C: I have plenty of crickets and D: They are too hard to coax into eating them.


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## KWKW (Feb 17, 2011)

Never had a issues with my pair of green tree frogs eating pinkies and Iv had this pair for over ten years so no harm done. 

Would not recommend feeding them pinkies all the time but once every month or two no issue!

as for freezer if it keeps them frozen it works. and Dannyboi do you have snakes? what do you feed them hopefully not rodents.


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