There is this reptile/amphib shop near where I live owned by a herp fanatic. He personally has a collection of over 30 permit-required snakes(indigo snake, venomous snakes etc.) topped off with some kind of caiman, all the care and food for them is paid for by running this pet shop. I got the impression he knows his stuff.
My pet corn snake I had had for nearly 10 years died last summer, so by the time I came back from my first year of college this summer I got around to feeling a bit like having another friend-in-a-cage. My only requirement was that it had to be an amphibian as reptiles are not allowed in my dorms for some retarded reason, and it had to be easy to take care of(as a full time college student this was a very important consideration).
I went to this shop which I had been to numerous times to pick up supplies for my sister's tortoise to have a look around, and as I laid eyes on this tiny, fat, big-mouthed frog I instantly knew that was the one. I chatted with one of the employees, since the owner was on vacation, for a little bit about care(feeding/cage care/etc.) and basically came away with this:
-feed him a large meal every 10 days: fish, crickets, pinkey mice
-"i'll set you up with something he can live in"
-clean the cage weekly and change his water
-keep him at room temperature, no reptile lights or heaters, either very little or no sunlight since they normally live 100% of the time in the shade in the wild
-they can overeat and kill themselves
I've had him for 2 weeks and after extensive researching on the internet about care for these guys, I have found alot of contrasting information, mostly feeding, on different care sheets. Luckily enough I finally found a forum on which I can ask actual owners.
first - the info about my frog:
- his name is Goomba
- I'm assuming it is a "he" until I can tell differently.
- he is about 1 inch across/long which from what I've read means he is young, under a year old I'm sure.
- he is green/black
- he likes to eat, sit, and dig into the ground which all sources say is healthy 
info about the cage:
- current residence is in a 19 year old guys' bedroom in Texas
- 1 foot by 6 inches, will need to get a bigger one later I assume
- kept moist, gravel rinsed every week, use distilled water
- set up to simulate a riverbank, the gravel slopes down into a pool of water covering 1/4 on one side of the tank with a piece of slate giving him a bit more footing when entering/leaving the water
- a vinelike water plant with large leaves placed to give him something to hide under
- no heaters, kept at room temperature(75-80)
- a slight amount of sunlight allowed to get through the shades of my window, not enough to heat up the cage, mostly to help keep the plant alive
feeding:
The first thing I read that most care sheets agree on was to feed baby ones more often than adults, so I have fed my frog 5 times in 2 weeks. Two times I fed him a minnow and 3 times I've fed him 2 "large" crickets which weren't too large to me. I will be getting something new, perhaps some kind of worm, to feed him next time to keep up the variety.
Extra info:
- I go to college in Minnesota. During the winter the dorms are kept between 70 and 75 degrees, a little cold for my friend but I think he'll be ok.
- The town I go to college in has a pet shop. I know they have fish, I do not know if they have anything else as I personally have not been in there. If I run into problems with acquiring food however, I can take a bus at $15 a round trip to Minneapolis and get food for him there. A bit expensive but I'm willing to do it.
On to the questions!
1) First and foremost I want a definite answer on HOW OFTEN and HOW MUCH to feed him. Every 10 days? Every week? every 3 days? EVERY DAY? Do I feed him until he stops trying to eat more? Or should I try and estimate a volume of stuff to feed him?
2) I've read differing opinions on, obviously, what to feed them. Given the variety of stuff they are willing to eat this is obvious why people may argue. I know minnows and crickets are good, and as they get bigger it is okay to throw in mice small enough for them to eat. One person on the forum archives mentioned mealworks being bad for them but many other people seem to feed them to their frogs. Also wax worms have been mentioned by some. If I could please get a list of DEFINITES to feed, SOMETIMES, to feed, and NEVER too feed I would truly appreciate it. Please stick to things normally carried by your average pet store. Also, I assume that sprinkling calcium supplement on food never hurts?
3) Will my cage, specifically the gravel part, work? If not, why, and please suggest something you would reccomend for a full-time college student who has no place to keep extra dirt to fill a tank with. Unless I can go like a month and a half without changing a type cage bedding, it would be very difficult for me to use it.
4) I have never seen my frog actually go into the water area of his cage, should I get rid of that and put in a small water dish instead like I have seen most people do?
5) When I first got him he pooped a fairly large poop during his first night and again a day after his first meal. He hasn't since. Anyone know why? Am I not feeding him enough? Is he sick or constipated?
6) How can I take my friend to and from college with me via airplane the best so as to not upset him? Anyone know how to bring live animals on the plane, since I can only assume x-rays are bad for them?
If worst comes to worst and it turns out that it would be bad for him, caging/transportation/etc., to accompany me on my journy through higher education, I have a loving mother who adores all herps that hop/swim/crawl/sit and do nothing but eat and would take very good care of my little Goomba while I am away at college. I'll get out my camera tomorrow and post some pics(anyone know a free hosting site?) so you can get a look at my cute little buddy.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR ANY HELP!
