[PaysonHobbyist]

Hello,

I recently purchased a2 18x18x24 vivarium with three red-eyed tree frogs. One is female and two are male.

When I purchased them I was told the female was pregnant and would be laying in 3-4 weeks. I was even told who the father is...which is obviously wrong since they do not seem to breed in that way. After doing more research I think I was given poor information. She does, however, have a plump belly with little bumps on it. Could those be eggs?

I have also done a good amount of research on care for them and think I have a good idea but am a little confused about crickets. Can anyone tell me a good calcium supplement and anything else I should dust the crickets with? What size, how many, and how often should I be feeding them? I think I was given wrong information on that as well.

Anyway, we love these frogs and want the best for them. These are our first (of what I hope is many) frogs and vivariums. Any help and advice I can get would be great and very helpful. Lay it out for me and make it on a dummy level as I feel like I do not know anything compared to what I should at this point.

Also, because I feel like I have been given bad information on other parts of this, I am worried about my vivarium setup and want to make sure it is okay for them. Any help and advice there would be great as well.

Pictures are always extremely helpful to me so I can see what you are saying...if you have them.

Once I feel comfortable with the care of the frogs and that they are well taken care of I will be looking to breed them as well. That is a conversation for another day, though.

Thank you in advance for any help you can give.

 

[Ravage]

Where to start.
An 18X18X24 should be fine for 3 RETF.
If you have access to an extoic vet you might want to get a fecal sample to them and check for parasites. She may be fat, but she's is probably not gravid (with eggs). To stimulate breeding you have to condition RETF, this means more feeding and higher humidity. They will breed in a rain chamber, and that is the first and only time the male will come into play.
It sounds like they are adults, so adult crickets should be fine. However, I find a lot of wings in the poop if the crickets are fully grown. I like pre-wing crickets (medium large but not mature). Dust the crickets with calcium at every feeding. I use Repashy and many others do as well. A good vitamin supplement ever 5-10 feedings should be fine for adults.
Do not over feed them, 2-3 times a week and 2-3 crickets each should suffice for adults as well. If overfed, obesity could indeed be the females issue. They're frogs, they would eat until they burst if given the chance. I feed from a cup (feeding station) so the crickets don't get away and the count is easy to keep track of. Not all tree-frogs like this, but RETF's seem to tolerate it just fine. Hiding crickets die and then they rot, cleanliness is always an issue with Red eyes. I keep mine in bare bottom vivs so I can clean the droppings easily and keep track of any poop related issues. A water dish can be cleaned every day an is good for their health as well.
RETF are big frogs and make a big mess, but they are sooo worth it. Make sure you get up at night so you can see them in all their glory. And you will also see whether they are healthy and active.
Here's some pics of one of my Treefrog Vivs and a friendly frog saying hello.