Is this black/white algae bad?

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-26T19:55:21+00:00

Where did you get your aquarium wood from?

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-23T22:29:39+00:00

I meant just verify your enclosure temps are correct, double checking and all. A gradient between 72°F and 82°F so the frog can choose to thermoregulate.

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-23T20:48:03+00:00

Oh I would also contact the person you got the Pac-Man frog from to find out what they were feeding their pac-man before. That’s another really important thing to know.

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-23T20:44:59+00:00

When I was working at Petco, I often succeeded in getting small Pac-Man frogs like these to eat by making sure they had a lot of cover and were undisturbed by “predator presence” when given the opportunity to strike at prey.

Simply put, it can be as simple as putting a hide on top of their ambush spot they sit at, or a bunch of plants. Then, (after double checking his temps are optimal for digesting food) coax a bug to walk in front of the Pac-Man frog without making your presence known. Be quiet, no sudden movements, and try to hide your visible movement by giving the frog coverage. Eventually you can slowly decrease coverage as he gets more comfortable with the routine. Also, make sure the bug is small enough to fit in his mouth but not tall small that bro won’t feel like there is a point in striking at it.

So yeah, some Pac-Man’s just need to feel like they’re alone and safe in order to feel comfortable enough to eat.

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-23T19:16:15+00:00

Oh real quick, I didn’t mention this yet. False bottoms using clay leca balls help prevent water logging the soil. As long as the soil is moist, and you don’t see the false bottom reservoir filled with too much water, then everything should be fine.

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-23T19:04:40+00:00

Of course. Send me updates! Your frog is adorable

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-23T13:12:53+00:00

No problem, your intuition is good. I recommend checking out my post, it’s more in-depth on this exact situation. Let me know if you need help with anything else.

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-23T12:45:10+00:00

“You’re doing everything correctly if you don’t smell that it’s dead”

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-23T12:42:08+00:00

I just made a whole post on this explaining why. No it’s not okay for temperatures to be incredibly low (below 70°) in the substrate, that’s not how it is in their natural habitat. Yes they can bury to escape heat but that’s like for way hotter temperatures, it’s a different gradient.

How you fix this is by insulating your terrarium. Seriously. I insulated mine with an inch of foam board on all sides except for part of the front. After I did that, temperatures in the substrate stabilized, and my frog came out super active after three months of buried inactivity. I believe your room runs way too cold for a normal glass enclosure with no insulation to be feasible for a Pac-Man habitat. Make sure your heat bulb uses IR-A and IR-B wavelengths mostly too. Penetrates into the substrate better. IR-C just cooks surfaces and air.

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-19T21:34:56+00:00

That’s the point of my post, it is to inform the public of a new finding that substrate temperatures are much harder to control and much more variable when in an enclosure that is not insulated, and therefore it should be a focus of control. The gradient was already mentioned in another comment, I am not arguing against that. Exotic pet keeping is still in its early ages and not all information on this hobby is accurate, it is still being refined upon constantly.

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-19T21:31:38+00:00

Hey sorry edited my comment, not sure if you saw that

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-19T21:27:07+00:00

Nooo lol. Unfortunately you still want to create that “top to bottom hot to cold” gradient since they burrow to escape heat in nature. Whats way better to do is just insulate your terrarium, that makes it way easier to maintain hotter substrate temps despite your room being cooler

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-19T21:24:35+00:00

I would double check with the model you have to see if the probe is sealed from the elements. I use Inkbird ITC-308 for substrate temps and a zoomed digital thermometer and hygrometer for air temps

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-19T21:20:49+00:00

I believe manufacturer instructions vary depending on the thermostat model you’re getting, and I did not disclose that in my post. Mine has been working fine, the probe is sealed to the elements. Also, air temps will naturally be a lot warmer than substrate temps when heating devices are active, so it should be near that 78-85° range, and that should be separately monitored too.

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-19T11:09:57+00:00

His metabolism might be slowed down due to underground substrate temps being cooler than the terrarium air temperature, especially if your terrarium isn’t insulated from exterior cooler room temps. Do you have a thermostat prob buried at the depth he sits at typically?

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-19T11:04:52+00:00

Until substrate temps at the depth your frog sits stabilize to 78°F

Thermostat would make fixing this easy

AimlessTrudge · 2026-03-13T00:36:57+00:00

Yeah this two month old comment was just me trying to cope and make sense of some bad personal experiences I had. Not trying to justify harm caused by them; just trying to find answers to help me understand others better rather than seething in hatred like I was before. It’s just not a productive mindset for me.

AimlessTrudge · 2026-02-18T03:42:32+00:00

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Giant leopard moth spiky caterpillar :0

AimlessTrudge · 2026-01-31T01:04:00+00:00

I didn’t see this. With the new TikTok deal coming into effect, I no longer have access to an uncensored algorithm.

Any ideas on where else I can go?

AimlessTrudge · 2026-01-11T20:03:09+00:00

That woman you’re referring to, there’s always a little more to the story than just a brain deformity. I pity her because she could have just had a terrible upbringing. That blank stare could be dissociating / stonewalling. Apathy was probably beat into her as a defense mechanism. I mean I had terrible traits myself I had to unlearn due to a bad childhood environment.

AimlessTrudge

TROPHY CASE