# Very thin auratus



## d-prime (Sep 29, 2008)

Hey i am keeping my auratus duo in an 18 inch cube and they both do really well except when i bought them from understoryenterprises, one was larger than the other. Both are the el cope turquoise auratus. The smaller one has a small belly with concave sides as opposed to the greener one who is much larger and has a huge rounder back and looks like the healthy ones on the net. I just went and got a cylyndrical bowl 9 inches in diameter and 6 inches tall. Its made of glass and i made a screen top with tape and mesh. Inside theres wet paper towl with a cocohut. I need to figure out how to get the little dude/dudette into the tank so i can bulk him up on pinheads. Is this right?


----------



## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

trap him in a deli cup and try not to handle the frog, but if you need to just grab him and place him in by hand.


----------



## heaventreeofstars (Oct 8, 2007)

Yeah first thing you need to do is get him away from the other frog and in his own tank like you said in your post. Then feed him a few times a day with no more than he can eat. Do not let extra flies crawl all over him which can lead to stress. Try fruit fly larva if he does not eat the actual flies. Hopefully after a little while he will start to fatten up and can be reintroduced with his larger friend. 

If the problem continues though you might want to get fecals checked for parasites by a vet, since there could be a larger problem. Good luck though with the little guy.


----------



## somecanadianguy (Jan 9, 2007)

it could be stress , not all frogs get along some times the less dominate one just dont eat like they should and will wither away and die if not removed.as experince is gained its easier to see the stress before it get to drastic.
good luck 
craig


----------



## d-prime (Sep 29, 2008)

I doubt it would be parasites seeing as they both came from mark pepper from understory at the same time and they were siblings. I have a feeling this dude is the male as he is anatomically smaller than the other one. I am going to take him out tomorrow and begin feeding the pin heads dusted with calcium. How long should this procedure take? I am guessing if he eats every day in large quantities he should be better in a week or two max.


----------



## salix (Mar 28, 2008)

It still wouldn't hurt to test for parasites. They can come in from any breeder, no matter how big or well known. It just happens sometimes.

I've bought from several well known vendors, I've had frogs test clean and I've had to treat others for tapeworms, hookworms & lungworms. Almost every test has been positive for a low infestation of giardia (although I was told that is not problematic in dart frogs).

If the frog comes around right away, that's good, but if not I'd test for sure. Myself, I'd test anyway, I do it routinely on new colonies.

Good luck, I hope he comes around. Sometimes if they get too thin, they just can't pull back out, it isn't necessarily something you've done wrong.


----------



## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

This is just my experience, but every time I've had frogs lose a ton of weight is because they're stressed by something in the environment. I would make sure its tank buddy isn't eating all the food or causing him harm.


----------



## d-prime (Sep 29, 2008)

I changed the tank completley in ecception to the hardscape. New corck background, new plants, java moss. They are both happy and hopping. I am getting some pin heads tomorrow and ill see him eat. He eats just that the other one is so fat and hes like V shaped back and the other is like a large grape.


----------



## Rich Frye (Nov 25, 2007)

^ Just curious as to why some things were "changed" and what/how you think it will help.
Any contaminants in the soil or anything not completely changed out and sanitized will still be infected with any possible nasties.
Any frogs, from anybody, including myself, can have parasites. Be they CB or WC.

Rich


----------

