Pacman Frog help, plz.

[NVScouter]

OkI got a frog from a guy that had him about a week and got deployed to the middle east. So I have a frog thats about the size of a silver dollar and isnt eating well.

I have him in a 2.5gal container with about 3" of forrest bedding thats moist at all times. He has a water dish that shows evidence of him soaking in. A plastic plant provides his cover and about 2 weeks ago I added a heating pad and a thermometer. He is kept at 79-82F. He will only eat crickets 1 or 2 at a time, also crickets are all he will take. I've tried fish, mealworms and worms too. Not even after 8 days will he touch those. I've had him about 5 weeks now.

So my question is this: Are all these frog to terrified of people?

He eats about 4 crickets a week and will not handfeed or eat while in a seperate container, or even if I'm looking at him. If I'm laying in bed and look at him he's fine but if he can see me looking at him his breath rate tripples easily and freezes.

I'm more into monitors and things that move. So any help would be great. Also when I feed him crickets I havent shakenbaked em or anything for vitamins. I just gutload the crickets b4 feeding on vegies and oats. The local petstore here has a vitamin sup for treefrogs..should I use that one?

Any help would rock.

-Jon

[hhmoore]

The temps you stated should work pretty well for the little guy, but I have to ask about the heating pad and thermometer. What type of pad is it, where is it located, and how big is it (since a 2.5 gal container has a fairly small floor space)? What type of thermometer is it (digital, tube, stickon strip, round analog. etc) and where in the tank is it located? A pacman frog that size should eat that many crickets at a feeding, and be willing to take more a few days later (though it is best to err on the low side when feeding, because they will eat themselves to death). Personally, until I get new frogs situated & feeding (and sometimes well beyond that), I keep them with just a small amount of (dechlorinated or bottled) water in the bottom of the container. It doesn't allow them to dig into the substrate, but it allows for meticulous attention to cleanliness.

As for the shyness, sometimes you get one like that...but it typically wears off with time. A few of the ones I have started out like that (shyness and slow feeders) but they got over it, lol. As long as he is taking 4 crickets weekly, I wouldn't worry too much...For the past several months, I have only been feeding mine every 2-4 weeks and they are thriving. (note - the extended time between feedings was because of lower temps in the room...78-80 vs 83-84.)
Hope this has been of some help

[NVScouter]

Thanks for the info.

The heating pad is one of the stick on variety. Its a small hermit crab one since the tank is so small. Its mounted to the side rather than the bottom so it heats subtrate and air about 60/40. I used this trick before on a nile monitor's water tank(because a stone was out of the question since he would drag everything into the water+deathroll it).