Striped Marsh Frogs - help!

[Frenchfrog]

Hi guys, I'm new to this forum! I've just gotten a couple of tiny Striped Marsh Frogs and I've got them on coconut fibre as a substrate... but they're so small that it's sticking to them and turning them into little frog-balls! Should I change the substrate they're on until they're a bit bigger? I've given them rocks, sticks and a big pond to wash off in... just wondering if this substrate sticking to them is going to be a problem?? I'm worried it could be slowing them down during feeding.

Thanks for your help!

 

[PythonLegs]

Haha...frog balls. Yeah coconut fibre and small frogs doesnt mix, their skin is so crazy fragile it can scratch and lead to fungal infection, as well as impaction if the grab some when feeding. I'm not sure what the forum favourite is, but I kept frogs on regular aquarium gravel with no problems.

 

[dihsmaj]

I'd keep it on big aquarium rocks until they're adults.

 

[Frenchfrog]

Great thanks! So coconut fibre isn't appropriate even if i keep it well hydrated and compacted? What about untreated wood chips or peat moss as an alternative, as i have a couple of plants growing in there!

 

[dihsmaj]

Great thanks! So coconut fibre isn't appropriate even if i keep it well hydrated and compacted? What about untreated wood chips or peat moss as an alternative, as i have a couple of plants growing in there!

Moss is good, if you don't mind them digging and hiding into it.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

Or put the moss at the bottom ad let the plants grow up through a layer of aquarium gravel. They will also tend to hide or attempt to hid in this btw.

 

[Frenchfrog]

Thanks that's really helpful! Also, does anybody know where to get Pinhead crickets in Sydney? I have "small" crickets but they're just that bit too big and it seems a waste... I've been having to release the big ones because they're literally as big as my frogs!

 

[Froggiestyle]

yeh i have 4 cm marsh frogs and i have them in a mixture of coco peat, peat moss and spagnum moss as there substrate and they havn't had a problem. most reptile places would have all different size crickets.

there is also a website called Frogs. And more frogs. All at frogs.org.au. they sell all sorts of different size crickets along with woodies and flies. they hae a good quantity of them as well for a very low place.

 

[zacthefrog]

give carpet a shot it works well