Wild Creations - Email of the Week

Email of the Week

Since we receive great email comments and questions from our valued customers, we thought we would add a feature we are calling: EMOW - Email of the Week

We will update this once per week with the "Best-Of" questions (and comments) we receive from you. Heck, we may even add them more frequently if time permits!

From: Dominick, Someplace USA Question: So I have just bought a frog and I hve one question that I would not find on the website and this is a dumb quection I know but I must ask, Do the frogs need light or can I keep them in the dark for periods of time while I am out?

Thanks for the question, Dominick, and no I do not think your question is dumb. Here at Wild Creations, we have a "No Question is Dumb" mantra ... which is good for me, as they certainly wouldn't be employing me here otherwise!!

So, do frogs need light? Well, for the most part, our frogs have gotten over their fear of the dark after we finally taught them that there wasn't any monsters living under the aquarium. The same cannot be said for most of the individuals working at our warehouse, as we all still sleep with a night light ... not that there is anything wrong with that.

The truth of the matter is that the frogs do not need light all the time and can, in fact, be covered up for extended periods of time. The same can be said of the live bamboo in the aquarium, which by nature can thrive in very low light conditions. This makes the aquarium great for the office or home where there lighting may not be controlled at all times. Indeed, we recommend that you cover your aquarium with a warm blanket or keep it in a cabinets/cupboard if you keep it someplace where the heat is turned off in the evenings and/or during the weekends. By keeping the aquarium covered, even for a couple of days, you minimize heat loss, which will make your frogs very happy!

Just make sure you never make the mistake of telling your frogs that a voracious predator lives in the cabinet below their aquarium. They will probably insist on having their own night light!

From: Penny, Georgia, USA
Question: i am wondering how you knowhow old they are and how do i know how heathy they are.so please email me back the answer.

Thanks for the email, Penny. If by "they" you mean our wonderful frogs, then generally you can expect them to be three to six months old by the time they make their new home with you. Most of our fresh water fish are about that age as well. As for the health of the animals, it is tough to say without a thorough physical (and believe me, it's difficult to check the tonsils of a frog). For the most part, as long as you keep them in room temperature water (70-84C), stick to our suggest feeding schedule, care for the aquarium as we have prescribed (see EcoAquarium Care for more information), then there is little more you can do to assure the health of your animals. Some animals are more active then others, and they all may have different times of activity. After you have had your aquarium for a while, you will learn their activity level, and as they become more acquainted with you and their new home, they will become more comfortable and hence more active.

From: Dorian, 3rd Grade Teacher When do the frogs sing? Are there any conditions I can help to provide to make them sing?

Dorian ... the frogs love to sing to the oldies, such as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. If you have any lounge music, play it at a moderate volume and give those little guys some time to get their feet tapping.

Okay, so I jest a little. The truth is that the frogs will sing in spring, which is their mating season. The only thing you can do to help encourage it is to make certain the water remains warm and they are not disturbed. As well, they are usually more active in the afternoons and evenings. Their singing is not very loud, so you will have to listen carefully! Tell your third graders to be quiet the entire period!!

From: Leslie, Independent Beauty Consultant I just bought a set of your cute frogs and I wanted to know if I really need to use the toothpick to feed the frogs? I had a really hard time getting the food to stick to it and it kept falling off before it made it in the habitat. I was hoping I could just wash my hands and then plop it in. Let me know if this is ok. If we have to use the toothpick do I need to replace it each time I feed them? Thank you.

Thanks for the email, Leslie. Independent Beauty Consultant, eh? Coming from you, the term "cute frogs" is very flattering! Thank you! You wouldn't happen to sell a daily exfoliating wash for frogs?

Using the toothpick is not really necessary. It is meant to test the dexterity of our customers ... and in some cases, to cause them a great deal of embarrassment. This is evidenced by the fact that neither of our two owners actually is able to use toothpicks while feeding. They can just barely tie their shoes (one wears Crocs for this reason). Using your fingers would be fine, but we recommend that you wash prior to feeding, especially if you use any (insert plug for Mary Kay here) lotions. As well, you do not need to replace your fingers after every feeding.

I hope this was helpful. Please let us know if you have any other questions.
Regards,
Fauzi Frog
Independent Frog Consultant

From: Brenda, Concerned Betta Fish Owner
Would like any information about the Bater fish I purchased at Johnson City Mall. Is it a dangerous fish to have. My husband says he saw it on the history channel as most dangerous. Thank you

Thanks for the email, Brenda. I believe what you are refering to is called a betta fish, or officially a "Japanese fighting betta fish". They are not dangerous, unless you provide them with a pair of boxing gloves, a mawashi and the phone number to Don King. Aside from that rare combination, they pose absolutely no threat to you or your family. They are, however, very territorial and aggressive, so mixing them with other fish is not recommended. You especially do not want to put them in the same aquarium as another betta, particularly two males together, as they will fight until the death ... and believe me, one will lose this ultimate battle.

I hope this was helpful ...
Regards,
Bailey Betta
Senior Betta Manager
Wild Creations

From: Geanna, Regular Email Contributor Hello, I have two African Dwarf Frogs. They started out the same size. Just recently one became really big. We named that frog Chubbs. The other one is Froggy. Well Chubbs is really big and is burrowing itself behind a rock and staying there!! Is it possible that that frog is pregnant?

Hello again, Geanna! I haven't heard from you in a while! That is good ... I hope it means all is well with your frogs!

As for your question ... it is difficult to say whether your frog is pregnant. Burrowing behind the rock doesn't necessarily mean that, as the frogs will burrow often, emulating what they do in nature. For the most part, it's an innate characteristic stemming from their natural habit of hiding from predators. I suppose they could be hiding from an ex-boyfriend/girlfriend as well ... as I still burrow behind my rock when I see mine.

Anyway, if your frog is pregnant, then she will simply lay eggs in the aquariums. They are very tiny and difficult to see, and for the most part, they will not hatch into tadpoles. This is because you need very specific water conditions to raise the eggs, and most home aquariums are not capable. As well, given the eggs are about the same size as their food, the frogs often mistake their eggs as food and ... well, you can guess the rest. You'll just have to wait and see if your frog is a soon-to-be mom or just a big boned chubby frog!! :)

I hope this was helpful!
Regards,
Fauzi Frog
Executive Frog Supervisor
Wild Creations

Have a comment or question for our so-called experts? Send them to Info@WildCreations.com or submit them at Contact Us.