Then, place a layer of tight mesh on top to help prevent soil from getting into the drainage layer. If you need help increasing humidity, you can run a fogger/cool mist humidifier at night, regulated by a humidistat.Ī thick layer of bioactive-compatible substrate is essential to creating a successful bioactive pacman frog enclosure.įirst, pour approximately 2” of clay balls or Bio Dude HydroGrow drainage material on the bottom of the enclosure. To raise humidity in your frog’s enclosure and provide a source of drinking water, use an Exo Terra 2qt Mister to wet things down every evening, preferably when it’s dark. Keep track of your humidity levels with the same devices and placements mentioned in the previous section. To be specific, they need an average of 60-80% humidity, with higher levels at night. Pacman frogs need a moderate humidity environment. You should also place another probe in a shaded area in the middle of the enclosure to track general air temperature. Place one probe on the basking spot to gauge the basking temperature. The most accurate way to keep track of your terrarium’s temperatures is to use a digital probe thermometer like the Bio Dude Digital Thermometer / Hygrometer. If the basking area is too cool, you will need a higher-wattage bulb. If the basking zone gets too warm, you can plug the lamp into a lamp dimmer like the Lutron Credenza and reduce the heat that way. To create a basking zone for your pacman frog, you will need a low-wattage white heat bulb like the 25w Exo Terra Daytime Heat Lamp and a horizontal fixture like the 12” Zoo Med Naturalistic Hood. Too cold will cause them to lose their appetite and energy, and may cause them to get sick. Too hot will cause them to suffer from heat stress (and potentially death!). In your enclosure, it’s best to provide a gradient of temperatures within a certain range that is appropriate for pacman frogs. Like other amphibians, pacman frogs are ectotherms, and that means that the temperature of their environment determines their body temperature. The extra illumination is also beneficial for further simulating sunlight! We recommend the 12” Bio Dude Solar Grow T5 HO Single Bulb Light Strip for this purpose.īoth lighting and heating should be on for 12 hours/day, or synchronized with your local sunrise/sunset times. Resist the temptation to use other brands - when it comes to UVB, brand matters!īecause this is a bioactive setup, you will also need a plant light to encourage healthy plant growth. Your UVB bulb must be replaced every 12 months to maintain its output. The frog should be able to get no closer than 10” below the lamp. Setting up one Arcadia ShadeDweller UVB ProT5 Kit is likely to work the best for an 24”x18”x18” enclosure. In other words, we recommend installing appropriate UVB lighting as part of your frog’s setup. Aside from enabling vitamin D3 synthesis, access to UVB lighting is likely to offer other benefits such as preventing illness, improving nervous and digestive function, and improving mental health. Pacman frogs are capable of surviving without UVB lighting as long as they get enough dietary vitamin D3, but relying on supplements alone is not optimal. Pacman frogs should always be housed alone, as they are known to eat other frogs in their space. The minimum enclosure size we recommend for housing a single pacman frog is 24”L x 18”W x 18”H.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |