Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I just got a chubby frog a couple of days ago from a friend and am a little worried about my lighting setup. Currently, I have a basking light (12 hour light/dark) shining on the tank (10 gal) positioned at an angle about 2-2.5 feet above the tank. Daytime temp gets to be between 70-75 and I haven't seen it get much higher than that. I'm still trying to optimize humidity but am having a bit of trouble. During the night, I have a plastic cover over the top with air holes to allow ventilation. He's got a dish that I have seen him use and a few pieces of bark and rocks so that he can hide under stuff (although he prefers the dirt as a hiding place).

Now, the basking light seems a little too strong for him (and me--it lights up my entire dorm when it goes on). I would really like to get a different light that I can position on top of the tank. This would probably lower in wattage. I also thought maybe a heat source would be good for night time use (nighttime temps range from 65-70ish). My plan is to get a dimmer daytime light and some type of nighttime light to provide heat at night. Is that a good idea? Should I get a head pad to put under the tank? Also, I'm going to add coconut bark to soil as well. What should the humidity be for chubbies? What is the best way to maintain a constant and desired heat/humidity for this guy? I was also told that keeping the plastic over him at night is good and a screen over the top during the day would be good to let the tank dry out as mud isn't good.

I worry because I fed him yesterday and he hasn't eaten and he hasn't moved from his spot in a day (he's still alive...I check occassionally).

Thanks a lot. I'm worried and want to address these issues as soon as possible.

Thanks,

Froggerton

hi, these frogs are largely nocturnal so you can get rid of the light altogether! the natural daylight period will do, they are very tolerant, i have two and i've seen them maybe twice in the last three months, they like to dig quite deep so around 3/4 inches of moist cocofibre substrate is needed,if you fee him at night you should see the food gone in the morning,
most importantly , dont constantly disturb him or he wont settle down and will most likely die, they have a big appetite once they settle and can dig and hide .
hope this helps

Hey! thanks that does help. However, I prefer to keep the light because it does get pretty cold in my building and I fear he might be too cold. Any other alternative? Also, how much daylight should he get? Should I put him near a window or something?

no problem if you need heat , its better to use a 7watt heat mat on one wall of the tank, other than that , anywhere in the room that gets a natural cycle of daylight will do ,it can overheat amazingly quicly on a windowsill in full sun , if you go with a heat mat , make sure you keep an eye on the substrate and keep it moist, not wet, you can use blue or red lights to see nocturnal animals at night, but light bulbs and frogs generally dont mix well!