If you want a beautiful pet frog, the Pacman frog is one of the more popular options. You will, however, need a place to keep your frog safe. I did some research for the best terrarium for the Pacman frog.
What is the recommended terrarium size for a Pacman frog? For small hatchlings, you can generally use a 10-gallon sized tank, but if they get bigger, you should move to a 20-gallon terrarium. The most recommended terrarium is the 20-gallon long starter tank. It is an all-around glass terrarium which is a good and secure setup.
There are, however, several styles of enclosures that you should be aware of:
- Polystyrene terrarium
- Glass aquarium
- Rack system
- Tub
In this article, I will focus on the 20-gallon terrarium you will need to house your frog.
However, the setup for the other styles will be very similar to the one we are going to discuss here.
Specifications for Terrarium Preparation
So, the first thing I did was go to Amazon, and I found what I think is an excellent terrarium for the price.
The Aqueon Tank Black is a medium-sized terrarium and can be found here. The tank has some great reviews, and it is competitively priced.
In addition to that, it is focused more on the length rather than on the height, and I love that. You can build a great landscape in here for your Pacman frog.
Eventually, it doesn’t matter which style
- Proper heat
- The right humidity
- Good lighting
Frogs are cold-blooded, they depend on a heat source such as a heat lamp to keep their circulatory system working effectively. Pacman frogs tend to live buried down in the floor and are not very active.
A suitable substrate with a place to bury down and wait for passing by food is ideal for the frog. Because of their lifestyle, Pacman frogs don’t need a very fancy terrarium.
Ideal substrate depth
The ideal substrate depth would be 2 to 3 inches, but this varies when your frog gets bigger.
Thinking from a frog’s perspective, I would make the substrate deeper when the frog gets bigger.
Say you have a 1-year old Pacman frog, I think it would be best to make the substrate about 4 inches deep so that the frog can bury down easily.
Making a substrate like this can be ideal for a Pacman frog to hide and feel safe. Just like a blanket can help a scared kid to sleep at night, hiding spots in your vivarium will help your frog to feel secure.
You can make such hiding places of anything, but one of the best ways is to use live plants with broadleafs. An example of such plants
Other substrate facts for a Pacman Frog
You can use ground coconut or potting soil to make the substrate, and the substrate needs to stay damp. This does not mean that it needs to be soaking wet.
Let’s look at the right temperature and lighting. This should be very straightforward. Keep the temperature of the terrarium between 72 and 82 Fahrenheit.
Give your Pacman frogs 10 to 12 hours of daylight. Do not give them much more than that otherwise it will stress out.
For lighting, you can use fluorescent lights. They do not need a heat lamp or special UVB-emitting light bulbs.
How to Take Care of a Terrarium
Pacman frogs need several things taken care of on top of the things that were previously mentioned.
- Food
- A water bowl
Pacman frogs are not picky eaters and will eat many things you give them. This includes:
- crickets
- roaches
- small fish
- worms
- small mice
The amount of food to give them depends entirely on its size and the temperature of the terrarium. During cooler times of the day (or the year) you can provide your Pacman frog with a smaller prey once a week.
When it is warmer, you can feed your frogs more often, as in twice a week. Also, you should take into account that the frog needs to get the right amount of calcium with his food.
You can give your frog calcium by giving them food that is mixed with a calcium powder once or twice a month.
As for water, Give your frog a water bowl with non-chlorinated water in it.
And do not forget to mist the terrarium daily. Also, you can soak your Pacman frog in non-chlorinated water (once a week) to keep it from dehydrating.
Best Materials for a Pacman Frog Terrarium
It is always best to use glass or plastic for the Pacman frog terrarium. The most basic terrarium would be a simple plastic bin.
This can be something like the 6-quart plastic storage container which I found on Amazon.
The benefits of this basic terrarium are that it is cheap, light, and very easy to maintain regularly.
This is also the favored method for breeders and enthusiasts who are holding many Pacman frogs.
However, when you want to show off your Pacman frog (just like I want to do), it is best to go for a glass terrarium. But keep in mind to go for a realistic and functional environment.
It always needs to be a terrarium where your Pacman frog can feel safe. The Exo Terra 18″ x 18″x 18″terrarium would be a great choice to show off your frog to family, friends, or other enthusiasts.
- Glass terrarium for reptiles or amphibians
- Patented front window ventilation
- Raised bottom frame in order to fit a substrate heater and has a waterproof bottom
- Escape-proof dual doors lock to prevent escape
- Closable inlets for wires and/or tubing management
Keep in mind that you select materials that can endure humid and wet conditions.
Also, be sure that you avoid using any material that could be toxic or otherwise harmful for your Pacman frog.
Accessibility of the Ideal Pacman Frog Terrarium
As you may know, it is very important to have easy access to the terrarium for your frog.
Not only is it key for feeding your frog, but it is also highly recommended for cleaning and easy maintenance of the terrarium.
You can think of things like changing the water bowl, provide the frog with new plants, or other maintenance that needs to be done such as changing the substrate when this is needed.
If you use a plastic container or The Aqueon Tank Black (mentioned earlier), the only way to access the terrarium is from the top.
This can be a bad thing if you want your maintenance to be easy and fast.
If you want to make it easy for yourself, you can go for the Exo Terra All-Glass terrarium. This terrarium has swing-out doors, and this makes the accessibility for maintenance very easy.
All of the above may seem like a lot of work but if you keep yourself to a loose schedule, it won’t feel bad at all.
Related Questions
Do Pacman frogs make good pets? Of all the frog species out there, Pacman frogs make absolutely great pets. This is because of the relatively low maintenance.
Can I put multiple frogs in the same terrarium? The short answer to this is yes. The longer answer however is it depends. You can do this but you have to make sure that they can live together and are roughly the same size.
Some species, White tree frogs, for example, can be kept together with other species while they are young.
But once they become older, they become very greedy and don’t shy away from eating another smaller frog. Do your research about which frogs can live together.
How often should I clean a Pacman frog’s tank?
You should renew the substrate every three weeks or so. You can change the water bowl every other day. Just keep in mind that the water you use is non-chlorinated.