I'm still thinking...

Still thinking about adding aquatic friends. Work has been so busy, I haven't gotten motivated to clean the tank and such. Tick, tock, tick, tock...

should I try this again?

There are african dwarf frogs buy two get one free...should I try this again? Three would be perfect and I could get them all at once and not make the mistake of adding other frogs from questionable sources...which is apparently what spelled the demise of my former frog friends...

I think I might be cleaning the aquarium and mustering up the courage to adopt more froggies. I adored them...but it killed me when they got sick and died one after another.

Okay, so I'll try it one more time and then hang up my froggy-mama apron if it all goes awry. What do you say?

Ribbit. That means "let's do it!" More posts to come before Christmas.

gack...

at home and sick as dog with bronchitis and laryngitis...I sure do miss me some Gherkin. I still haven't cleaned out the aquarium. I guess I got so attached to the little guys that I need a mourning period. Soon, little friend, soon... I have some new names picked out, but I'll save that for later.

Gherkin in the hospital tank :-(

Gherkin in the hospital tank :-(, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

Gherkin died today :-(
Apparently the new frogs I added to the aquarium had some disease that wiped out every one of my darling amphibians. I am so sad. This was Gherkin yesterday after I had gotten her out of the diseased tank and into a little "hospital" tank. But to no avail. She was dead when I came in today. Banjo was dead when I came in yesterday. Ack...I can't believe with all the water checking and changing and all the attention to detail that I've lost all my web-toed lovies...

My froggies are dying!

0331081037.jpg, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

My froggies are biting the dust!! I’ve had to give two burials at sea this week. Ugh, I am traumatized by the whole thing. Gherkin is still swimming around like a mad woman, but Sluggo and Sprocket have gone to froggy heaven. Since Gherkin is thriving, and all of the other frogs came from another place, I have to wonder about the health of the frogs I am getting. The woman who works there is kind of rough getting them out and they are terribly fragile. I don’t know if that has anything to do with it, but they don’t last very long and I’ve had Gherkin since January with no trouble whatsoever.

Mr. Peepers got a proper burial, but I couldn’t keep traumatizing myself that way, so it’s been “burial at sea” with Sluggo and Sprocket. Now, if Gherkin bites the big one, Frog Mama will be in froggy-grieving mode. I am very attached to her (possibly a “him,” but I’ve decided to say “her”).

Anyway, I am going to do a good water change today and take the shell out, even thought the test strip says everything is fine (except the pH is tad high). The shell is the only new thing I’ve added to the aquarium since froggy genocide started. Argh, it just sucks losing my froggies!!!

Banjo? Sprocket? Sluggo?

Banjo? Sprocket? Sluggo?, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

I'm confused as to who was floating so much today, but I hope it's not indicating a problem. Usually they don't float so long. I'm in a seminar tomorrow, so my poor officemate is on "froggy watch!" (Isn't she sweet?)

Enjoy some other Flickr frogs, too...

Flickr: Search

Happy Easter from Sprocket and da blog frogs

Booger, or maybe Sprocket, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

I am thinking about renaming "Booger" as "Sprocket." I think I like that better. All the little amphibians would like to wish you a Happy Easter. Sorry I couldn't find any bunny ears to fit their little heads. Frogs don't take kindly to being dressed up for holidays.

I have added a couple more informative links for dwarf froggy owners. Check them out...they're listed as "new."

Banjo

Banjo, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

Well, it's either Banjo or Booger, the humpback, but we'll pretend we know and say it's Banjo.

Booger

Booger, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

Banjo and Booger look alike, but I think Booger has the "Quasimoto" look about him. In any case, he found the food dish.

Gherkin lookin' all sassy

Gherkin lookin' all sassy, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

You have to admit...she's one hot frog. Gherkin is 10 times more active than any of the other frogs.

Gherkin so hungry make eyes BIG!

Gherkin so hungry make eyes BIG!, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

Gherkin LOVES frog and tadpole bites. The new guys are not voracious like Sluggo and Gherkin...yet.

New guy at home plate...

New guy at home plate..., originally uploaded by hatamaran.

One of the new frogs is checking out the food dish. I think he's a pretty quick learner and has figured out that's where the grub appears. Smart froggy! He's not named yet...still thinking about Banjo and Booger, but I'm not sure yet.

Spidey Sluggo

Spidey Sluggo, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

Sluggo is getting less "sluggo" and more "swimmy." I got two more frogs today, but they are not in this tank yet. I will add them tomorrow and take a couple more pictures. They look a good bit like Sluggo, so I'm worried I will start getting them all mixed up. I was able to tell everyone apart before. The new frogs are tentatively named "Banjo" and "Booger."

Mr. Peepers died...

Sucks. Mr. Peepers was dead when I came in this morning. He was floating on the top of the water. I buried him outside the office in a little mossy spot overlooking the pond. My co-workers humored me by attending the funeral. Poor Mr. Peepers. He was so happy to be eating when I left yesterday and was active. My fear is that he ate too much too fast...so I hope I didn't contribute to his demise, but he also could have been sick from the get-go. It's hard to know, but I sure did love his little webby toes while he was here. I just hate it. I get so attached.

Hanging out in the dinner plate...

0312081616.jpg, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

Mr. Peepers figured out pretty quickly where the grub was stashed. I guess he decided to take a rest in it. His poor little froggy legs have atrophied.

Yum! Tadpole bites!

0312081409.jpg, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

Mr. Peepers is getting his first good meal in a while!!! Thanks Ma!

Poor Peepers in his sick bay tank...

0312081358.jpg, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

He is emaciated...who'da thunk frogs can be anorexic?

A froggie miracle...

0312081357.jpg, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

I finally saw Mr. Peepers after practically tearing the aquarium apart. He is emaciated and looks terrible. Being the most shy, he doesn't eat as much and even though I have been trying to put the food near him, it's obvious he's not good at sniffing out his food.

So, I moved Mr. Peepers into a separate little "sick bay" container with a little sea shell in it. I am putting the food in the shell so he will learn to go to this shell. He chowed down pretty quickly in the "sick bay." I am going to plump him up and then transfer both him and the shell into the original tank and see if he will continue to eat from the shell, and thus, be better able to forage for his food.

Sluggo, did you eat Mr. Peepers?

0312081153.jpg, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

I can't find Mr. Peepers anywhere. I've even shaken the silk leaves and unearthed my little house to no avail. Sluggo is looking a little more well-fed than usual. I wonder if Mr. Peepers has died and Sluggo has snacked on the remains. I hope not. I loved Mr. Peepers...but alas, unless we have a frog thief in the office, I don't know where else to look. :-(

Where is Mr. Peepers?

I couldn't find Mr. Peepers all day today. I hope he's just being extra sneaky and hiding in a new place. He's the most shy of the frogs.

Gherkin is pale...

From time to time Gherkin gets very pale. I have read this usually happens before ADFs shed their skins. But I think I will learn how to check the nitrites, too, because Gherkin gets pale a lot, which can mean water quality might be an issue. I change the filter and 50% of the water every two weeks, but who knows.

All Three Frogs

All Three Frogs, originally uploaded by hatamaran.

It is so rare that all three frogs come out at the same time. I immediately grabbed my phone and snapped a shot...left to right: Mr. Peepers, Gherkin, Sluggo

Gherkin lounging...

takin' a froggy break...

It's a mystery...

I'm thinking about adding a mystery snail to my tank of three leapin' loungers. The snails clean up the uneaten food and help the tank stay clean between cleanings. I have a few little snails that came with Gherkin's little set-up, but now that I have a larger aquarium for the new boys, I think I'll add a larger, more colorful snail--like the mystery snail!

Well, and one more frog, too...maybe

Meet da frogs...

Gherkin, Mr. Peepers, and Sluggo...

It all started with Gherkin (Gherkin is in the header picture. Gherkin was a sweet birthday gift from my co-workers. Then, I simply couldn't let Gherkin live alone. After all, these little critters are social in nature. Gherkin is light colored and my "frog on crack." She is up and down, up and down, up and down...

So, along came Mr. Peepers and Sluggo. Mr Peepers is a skinny frog, darker and more spotty than Gherkin, who likes to hang out in the bottom of the froggie castle and use the windows and peep holes to escape for a breath of air. Sluggo, is a burly little guy, but otherwise looks like Mr. Peepers. Sluggo hangs out on the bottom mostly, "slugging" around and then spastically streaks up to the water surface to gulp down some O2.

They all sit on my desk in a Marineland Hex 5 and I never thought I could be so excited about such tiny little critters. They are hilarious!