[sirfugu]

Has anyone noticed their Cobalt Tincs to be very shy? My little guys just stay in their hut all day and when I do see them they barely move. I was wondering though that they might be too cold. In my basement it stays about a constant 65 in their tank. I know they can tolerate this but should they be kept that cool all the time? Should I bring them upstairs where it is warmer? Thanks in advance.

 

[Guest]

How densly planted is their tank? I know that with my colbalts if they are in a densly planted tank they are always out and about. But when I moved them to a newer tank that was just growing in they seem a lot more shy and more content to cuddle in their little caves except when it was feeding time then everyone knows that those frogs don't care if they are standing in the middle of a three ring circus, as long as the food is there too. Just a thought

 

[sirfugu]

Come to think of it it isn't a real densly planted tank. I have about 4 plants in there total (its a 10 gal) and the cocohut. I really wanted to make a sort of lush moss carpet so I left most of it open. Maybe I'll move them to a more densly planted tank. Still though could it be too cold too? I'm still kinda worried about that.

 

[Ed Martin]

I agree that they do better in a well planted viv. Also how old are they? I've had my male for about 6 years and the female for about a year and they are really bold. In fact, they can be a real problem when I open the front of the enclosure and I usually have to shoo them out of the way to feed them.

If your frogs are young, just give them time to mature and get used to you.... they may be out of the coco hut when you are not around,

65 all the time might be a little cool. I let my enclosures go thru a wide temperature range throughout the year, from lows of 57 - 58 to highs of 85, but the normal temp is in the low 70's. Is it 65 in the tank or in the basement, if it is 65 in the tank you might want to try some way to bring the temp up to about 70. Just be careful, too warm is just as bad (or worse) than too cold.
Ed

 

[benmz]

I agree with the above folks. Give them plenty of cover and they will feel more bold to move around a lot more. Age can have lots to do with it too. The younger they are the more apt to hide. I haven't found temp to be a real issue with cobalts. If your basement is 65 the lights on your viv should help to heat the viv up at least a few degrees.

One major factor that will send any frog into hiding is humidity. Make sure the humidity in the tank is high. With winter setting in the ambient air is colder outside, therefore holds much less H2O, then we heat it in our homes and reduce the relative humidity to very low numbers. Many folk may be surprised that winter humidity in a home can be as low as 10-15%. If your tank is well ventilated it will dry out pretty quickly this time of year.

-Ben

 

[froglady]

Has anyone noticed their Cobalt Tincs to be very shy? My little guys just stay in their hut all day and when I do see them they barely move. I was wondering though that they might be too cold. In my basement it stays about a constant 65 in their tank. I know they can tolerate this but should they be kept that cool all the time? Should I bring them upstairs where it is warmer? Thanks in advance.

Warm them up and I'm sure you will see a difference in their behavior :wink:. We try to keep our frog room between 72F and 75F.

 

[sirfugu]

They are really young frogs so that probably does have alot to do with it too. I'm going to try to get some heat tape and leave it along the back of the enclosure and hook it up to a thermostat to control the temp. Other than this what would be a good way to raise the temp? Should I bring them upstairs and keep them in a Sterlite tub until it gets warmer? I kinda like to keep them in a nice tank instead but if that would be better for the time being then I would. Any suggestions? Thanks to all who replied.

 

[Guest]

I would think that the heat tape would be a better idea than moving them into an unfamiliar place that would cause stress.