How to Set Up a Pacman Frog Enclosure

Co-authored by Brian Blake

Last Updated: October 9, 2024 Approved

The Pacman frog, or the horned frog, is given its name for the small horn-like bumps over its eyes and its ability to open its mouth incredibly wide when catching prey. As it's relatively easy to come by and quite low maintenance, the Pacman frog makes for a great pet for a first-time amphibian owner. By getting a tank with plenty of room, keeping it damp, and making it look like a home for your frog, you can set up a perfect Pacman enclosure for your new pet.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Setting Up the Enclosure

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1
Purchase at least a 10 US gal (38 L) tank or aquarium. Even though it is a relatively large frog, the Pacman frog prefers to sit and wait for food than spend a lot of time hopping about. Purchase a tank or aquarium that is roughly 20 by 10 by 12 inches (51 by 25 by 30 cm) and has a capacity of 10 gallons (38 L) for your frog.^{[1]
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- Pacman frogs are used to being on the ground rather than moving vertically, so your frog will be more comfortable in a tank that is longer than it is tall.
- Tanks and aquariums should be available online or from your local pet store.
2
Lay down roughly 2 inches (5.1 cm) of a substrate material. Pacman frogs like to burrow into the ground to sit and wait for something to eat. As such, you’ll need to put down a layer of potting soil, coconut husk fiber, or another soil-like substrate. Purchase the substrate of your choice and pour roughly 2 inches (5.1 cm) over the bottom of the tank.^{[2]
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- Avoid using a substrate that has fertilizers or any other chemical add-ins, as they may hurt your frog.
- If you use substrates made up of sand, gravel, or big pieces of bark, your frog may ingest some while eating. This can lead to choking or indigestion, which could kill your frog.
- If you must use a gravel substrate or something similar, feed your frog with tweezers to reduce the chance of it eating chunks of rock.
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3
Add a shallow dish of non-chlorinated water. Your Pacman frog will need to remain moist and damp to stay happy and healthy in its new enclosure. Put a shallow dish in a corner of its enclosure where your frog can sit and be sheltered. Fill the dish with filtered water, bottled water, or water that has been treated with a dechlorination tablet.^{[3]
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- Tap water often has added chlorine and other chemicals which can be harmful to your frog if absorbed. Always use filtered, bottled, or treated water when refilling the water dish.
- Your frog will spend more time sitting in the water than swimming, so make sure the dish is shallow enough that your frog can comfortably sit in it.
4
Provide logs, branches, and rocks for your frog to climb on. Purchase some artificial or real plants to put in your frog’s enclosure, particularly around the water dish. Add a small log or branch to the tank that your frog can hide or burrow under, or put in a medium-sized rock it can sit on during the day. Place these decorations around the enclosure to decorate it and give your frog places to hide.^{[4]
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- Make sure that you don’t overcrowd the enclosure with decorations. Try and leave around 1/3 of the tank empty so your frog still has room to move around.
5
Use a rainforest background to make your frog feel more at home. Covering the back and sides of your aquarium will help make the frog feel more enclosed and at home in its tank. Look online or ask at your local aquarium to find a rainforest backdrop for a tank or aquarium. Attach it to the outside of the glass on the sides and back, so that it faces into the tank.^{[5]
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- A background that looks like a rainforest will make your frog feel the most comfortable and at home, but anything green and leafy will work just as well.
- Adding a backdrop will also improve the look of the tank from the outside.
- If you would rather your entire tank be clear glass so that you can see through it, you can skip this step. Adding a background will make the frog more comfortable, but excluding it won’t make its enclosure uninhabitable.
6
Place a heating pad underneath the tank. Pacman frogs are adjusted to living in temperatures around 70 °F (21 °C) when in the wild, so your frog will need a similarly warm environment in its new enclosure. Place a heating pad underneath the tank and plug it in to begin regulating the temperature.^{[6]
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- Heating pads designed for Pacman frogs and other amphibians should be available online or from your local pet store.
- You should always place the heating pad under the tank, rather than placing it under the substrate. As your toad burrows, it could burrow down far enough to come into contact with the heating pad, and it could suffer a burn.
7
Attach a thermometer to the side of the tank to monitor its temperature. Purchase a terrarium or tank thermometer and attach to the outside of the glass in a corner of your tank. Check the thermometer at least once each day to make sure the inside of the tank remains around 70 °F (21 °C).^{[7]
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- As your frog can burrow into the substrate or sit in the water to regulate its temperature, some believe you don’t need to worry too much about the temperature. As long as it’s between 60 to 80 °F (16 to 27 °C), your frog should be comfortable.
- Thermometers designed to attach to the glass of a tank or aquarium should be available online or from your local pet store.
8
Put in a hydrometer to keep an eye on the humidity. A hydrometer will measure the level of humidity inside the tank, which will help determine if it’s within a suitable range for your Pacman frog. Purchase a hydrometer and attach it to the outside of your tank, near the thermometer. Check it regularly the ensure that the tank is humid enough for your frog.^{[8]
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- Pacman frogs go through wetter and drier periods in the wild, so your frog won’t panic too much if the humidity is off. Try and keep the humidity inside the tank around 65%, misting the tank more or less frequently to adjust it if need be.
9
Add a UVB light to your enclosure. UVB lights may help your frog process calcium and other vitamins, as well as helping any real plants in your enclosure to thrive. Purchase a tank light and fit it with a UVB fluorescent light. Place it over the lid of the tank, and set it on a 12-hour timer so that it doesn’t bother you or your frog at nighttime.
- Some people don’t think that UVB lights help Pacman frogs that much, but at the very least they don’t hurt them. If you want to go the extra mile for your frog, purchase a lamp with a UVB light. Otherwise, you can skip this step and your frog will still be happy and healthy.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Maintaining the Enclosure

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1
Mist the substrate each day to keep it damp, but not wet. Your Pacman frog needs a humid environment in order to live comfortably, as well as damp substrate so that it can burrow into it. Fill a small spray bottle with filtered, bottled, or treated water, and use it to mist the bottom of the tank each morning.^{[9]
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- Mist the substrate just enough to dampen it. Don't soak it, but you also shouldn't allow it to dry out.
2
Replace the water every time it becomes dirty. If your frog spends a lot of time sitting or soaking in its water dish, the water inside will become dirty very quickly. Check the water each morning, and pour it out if it's looking dirty or muddied in any way. Refill the dish with filtered, bottled, or treated water.
- Make sure you only use water that does not contain chlorine, as even small amounts will be harmful to your frog.
3
Remove any uneaten food from the enclosure. Pacman frogs only need to be fed 2 to 3 times a week with live insects or worms. At the end of each feeding day, check the enclosure for any food that has gone uneaten. Remove any uneaten food from the tank to prevent it from rotting in your frog's enclosure.
- Use tweezers, feeding tongs, or something similar to remove the uneaten food, as your frog may try to bite your fingers otherwise.
4
Take care of any live plants in the tank. If you decide to use real plants to decorate your frog's tank, you'll need to care for the plants as well as your frog. Check the care instructions on the plants when you buy them to find out how much water they need to survive.
- Some plants will be able to easily draw enough moisture from the damp substrate to stay alive. For other plants, you will need to water them as well as misting the inside of the tank regularly.
- You should also check every week or so to make sure that your frog hasn't dug up the roots of the plants in its enclosure. If they do, you can keep the plants inside buried pots to prevent this in future.
5
Clean the tank at least once a month. Over time, the glass inside the tank will get grimy and the substrate at the bottom will need to be changed. Take your frog out of the enclosure and put it somewhere safe, before emptying everything else out of the tank. Scrub the glass with clean water, wipe it dry, add in new substrate, and put the decorations back in where they were before.^{[10]
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- You should clean the tank at least once a month, or potentially more often if you notice it becoming dirty a lot sooner.

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Question

How do I test the water quality in my tank?

Brian Blake
Aquarium Expert
Brian Blake is an Aquarium Expert and the Owner of Boodleshire Aquatics based in the Kansas City Metro Area. With over 20 years of experience, Brian is an expert in freshwater planted aquariums, saltwater reef aquariums, and aquarium installation, care, and maintenance. Brian holds a Bachelor's degree in Ichthyology and Aquatic Environmental Science from Emporia State University.

Brian Blake

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Expert Answer

To test the quality of water in a frog tank, use test kits to assess various factors. Measure nutrients, such as ammonia and nitrates, with kits specifically designed for this purpose. These indicators gauge the organic pollution, or "dirtiness," of the water. Additionally, test mineral content by checking alkalinity, general hardness, and temperature. Liquid titration test kits, like those offered by API, work well for this. Collect a sample of tank water in a vial, add the reagent as directed, and interpret the results. This method provides insights into water quality, revealing information on pollutants like nitrates and ensuring the mineral content aligns with the preferences of the frogs. Regular testing helps maintain a conducive environment for the health and well-being of your frog companions.

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How do I properly aquascape my frog tank?

Brian Blake
Aquarium Expert
Brian Blake is an Aquarium Expert and the Owner of Boodleshire Aquatics based in the Kansas City Metro Area. With over 20 years of experience, Brian is an expert in freshwater planted aquariums, saltwater reef aquariums, and aquarium installation, care, and maintenance. Brian holds a Bachelor's degree in Ichthyology and Aquatic Environmental Science from Emporia State University.

Brian Blake

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Expert Answer

To create an effective aquascape for a frog tank, start by ensuring the gravel layer is shallow, ideally one to two inches thick, to facilitate proper cleaning. If incorporating soil for plants, a slightly thicker layer may be suitable. Avoid excessively deep gravel, which can lead to issues like anaerobic bacteria growth and hydrogen sulfide gas buildup. When adding rocks for aesthetic purposes, ensure they are chemically inert. For instance, avoid placing limestone in the tank, as it could alter the water conditions unfavorably. Consider the frog species you plan to house and design the environment to replicate their natural habitat. Provide open spaces for exploration and appropriate hiding spots. When aquascaping a frog tank, focus on creating a habitat that meets their needs, balancing open areas for movement with secluded spaces for shelter.

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Should I get a thermometer?

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Yes. It is important to maintain a safe temperature for your frogs.

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A 10 US gal (38 L) tank is the minimum size you will need to house a Pacman frog. Use a bigger tank if you want to give your frog more room to hop around in.

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If you keep real plants in the tank, make sure you water them and care for them as well as caring for your frog. Check the instructions on the plants when your purchase them, or look online, to see

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There are many other steps involved in caring for a Pacman frog. Make sure you fully understand the responsibility before choosing a Pacman frog as a pet.

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Don't regularly pick up packman frogs because they breathe through their skin and our skin has oils that can block their airways.
Put the heating pad (if you really want to get one) on the side of the aquarium so you don't burn the layman's stomach.

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Warnings

Pacman frogs are carnivorous, so you should only ever keep 1 in a single tank.

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Pacman frogs don’t have teeth, but they do have a very powerful jaw and may try and bite you. Keep your hands out of the tank and away from your frog unless you absolutely need to,

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You’ll need to feed your Pacman frog live prey in order to keep it happy and healthy. If this makes you uncomfortable, a Pacman frog might not be the right choice for you.

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