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 #1587328


Vicky327
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 Shedding question

Hi everyone :) i’m a first time wtf owner..his name is George and i’ve had him for a little over a year (my brother had him a year before me).

i noticed he started shedding like a month ago (at first I thought something was wrong with him, but was glad to read that shedding is normal) from what i’ve read, they have a decrease in appetite when they shed. what has me worried is this has been going on for like a month and he’s losing weight. sometimes when i put his crickets in the cage, he shows no interest in them. could he be sick? how long do they usually shed for? i’m just not sure because it seems like bacteria infections come on pretty quickly...could it be slow poisoning or something?
here’s what he’s got in his tank (it’s 15 gallons): 2 fake branches that i bought from petco, a wooden log that i got when i adopted him from my brother, a hidy log, water bowl, and fake plants that are suction cupped to the back wall of the tank. i’ve got three sides of the tank covered so he has privacy...oh and i use forest bark stuff for the bottum of the tank. any answers would be great!



01/20/08  07:19pm

 #1587645


Greentreefroglover
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   Message To: Vicky327   In reference to Message Id: 1587328


 Shedding question

Hi they dont take that long to shed there skin mine dont lose there appiette when they shed, your frog shouldnt be losing weight just from shedding how much weight has he lost i how long of a period, when was the last time he ate? do you treat the water? whats the temp and humidity in the tank?
the bark chips you have as substance remove as that will cause impaction use eco earth or bed-a-beast.
could you get us a picture of your frog and there tank setup to as that will help.

Natasha
01/20/08  10:01pm

 #1587757


Rrrragdoll
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   Message To: Vicky327   In reference to Message Id: 1587328


 Shedding question

Definitely get him off the bark, I know they probably told you at the store to use it but it is super bad news as they can get impacted from it, it molds and crickets can hide in it.

Use a layer of gravel (1") and then a few inches of cocoa (I would recommend EcoEarth or straight cocoa shredded instead of the stuff with chunks in it). The EE expands in a pail of water so it will bring alot of humidity to the tank. Then get a nice Pothos like a 3-4" pot, remove the soil, wash the plant and put it into the EE. Live plants help the humidity as well as absorbing fecal matter and providing better air quality. Not to mention if you set it up this way you likely will not have to replace the soil at all, just add a bit.

Now, if the humidity and temps are correct and there are no health issues, they should have no issue shedding. Shedding is slimy with frogs, unlike snakes that have a dry shed. They need to be moist to get it off.

What are the temps day and night INSIDE the tank (not the room), and the humidity? Can you post a pic of the tank?

I think you will see an improvement just in switching out the bedding like suggested.
01/20/08  11:48pm

 #1587956


Vicky327
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   Message To: Greentreefroglover   In reference to Message Id: 1587645


 Shedding question

He started looking pretty thin where his two little back bones were starting to show. Today he’s looking a little better. I put three crickets in yesterday and this morning when I checked two of them were MIA, so I’m assuming (hoping really) that he ate them. As far as water goes, I use tap water but let it sit out for at least a day before I use it. should I start treating the water? what should I use? Okay temps...during the day it’s about 77-80 in there, humidity is between 50 and 60. I’m going to change out the bark for sure...thanks for your help. I’ll try to get some pics up asap!
01/21/08  09:25am

 #1590275


Vicky327
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   Message To: Rrrragdoll   In reference to Message Id: 1587757


 Shedding question

Thank you both for the tips...I put the echo earth in George’s tank yesterday. I love it and wish I had known about it sooner! I think George likes it too :) Well here are some pics of him and his tank






thanks again for your help!



01/22/08  08:58pm

 #1590569


Rrrragdoll
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   Message To: Vicky327   In reference to Message Id: 1590275


 Shedding question

The next time you change out the substrate really think about doing the drainage layer and adding some live plants, you then won’t have to change out the substrate and the humidity will be better and just a nicer place for him. You can also pack down the substrate a bit so that it isn’t as messy.

The water could be the problem, our tap water has tons of stuff in it, chlorine being the worst; it dries them out, which is death to a frog. Use chlorine remover drops (like Reptisafe) or use bottled spring water. I just use my filtered tap water, add the drops and leave it sit in the gallon milk jug over night, then I use that for the water dish and mister. The water dish should be deep enough for him to sit in and soak almost completely covered.

Tank is looking good!
01/22/08  11:25pm

 #1639865


MacinMan
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   Message To: Rrrragdoll   In reference to Message Id: 1590569


 Shedding question

I think My frogs, are going through a shedding stage now, they haven’t lost weight, but their appitite seems to be smaller, this morning when turning on the light Gideon got out of the water and went to sleep, as normal, his friend stayed in the water until just a few mins ago, when I took the frog out to find what was going on, and there were a few lose strands of skin that pealed off the frog. The tank is fresh, i cleaned and changed it last weekend, the water has been good, spring water, or tap water that has sat for a few days in a jug to let the chlorine out. the temp is finally in a stable range now, the warm side is 80 to 84 the cool side is mid 70’s to 70. so how long do they usually sit in the water when sheding, he was sitting dead still, and didn’t care about the light it seems. other then this everything else seems fine.
02/27/08  09:59am

 #1639910


Froggy&Gribbit
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   Message To: Vicky327   In reference to Message Id: 1590275


 Shedding question

George is beautiful!!!!

As stated treat your tap water. Although leaving it over night etc usually removes chlorine the water can contain heavier elements like chloramide (sp) which cannot be removed through natural respiration.
You are safer getting the water drops. They are not expensive.

The tank looks good. If you do not want to deal with live plants your tank is just fine. You will have to change out the substrate as it will get icky. And with a beautiful and elaborate tank like you have that will be alot of work. But the choice is yours.

A frog that does not eat is a bad sign. During shedding mine will not eat but only for like one feeding. And the process is complete within 24 hours.
So you want to treat the water and keep an eye on him. Bacterial infections often do hit fast but poisoning can be slow.



02/27/08  11:05am

 #1641145


Hoppy
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   Message To: Froggy&Gribbit   In reference to Message Id: 1639910


 Shedding question



Have you seen any waste?

Is your frog tame enough to eat from your hand or container?... putting crix in a tank thats wonderfully decorated can make it impossible to find the crix..

Waste means something is passing through meaning food...

You can check your city water web site to see if chloramine is added. If this is added you must have drops as its the only way to remove it. If you use the water it slowly poisons them...

HOPPY
02/28/08  08:50am

 #1641224


Hoppy
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   Message To: Froggy&Gribbit   In reference to Message Id: 1639910


 Shedding question


Oh crap this is an old post bumped up..lol

HOPPY
02/28/08  10:14am

 #1641310


MacinMan
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   Message To: Hoppy   In reference to Message Id: 1641224


 Shedding question

Well Guys I talked to my other contact I have that I started with when I got the wtfs and he’s been very helpful. This is not shedding issue after the pictures I sent him it appears to be a bacterial infection. so this is a sick froggie, how he got it i’m not sure I have instructions to follow so i will do them tomorrow, I didn’t have time with classes today. What I did do for Gideon though, and he’s the one frog i really don’t want to lose as he’s my brightest and prettiest, as I put in in a clean critter keeper by himself with two crickets and damp paper towel on the bottom for moisture. and brought him with me. so i can watch him through out the day. I don’t have a lot of moving around to do and I felt it was better then leaving him home in an unsettled place with them coming to spray for bugs today. the Good news is my friend thinks there is a chance to save this guy, because i asked if the best thing for him was to put the frog to sleep so it wouldn’t suffer as much, but he gave me this instead so it sounds like this is curable. btw the spray they use is natural and oderless and probably wouldn’t have hurt gideon to leave him home but I didn’t want to take that chance, expecially since he’s not in his usual tank.
02/28/08  12:10pm


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