Jenste
Resurrecting the Passion of Fishkeeping
So, I was doing the normal maintenance on my 72g African Clawed frog tank...when I realized I only had 6 little critters running away from the siphon...
I shrugged it off because I have a large amount of hiding spots and I figured the missing one could very easily have been camped out in one of the caves.
Finished the water change and sat back and watched...
yup, there is Phantom, Phoenix, Kirby, Aurora, Magellan and Louie....
no Lola.
huh.
So I got out the sponge on a stick thing used to wipe down the insides of the glass and started poking around behind plants and drift wood, gently lifted a few pieces of wood, wiggled some caves...and nothing.
Trying not to panic, I continued the search until I had poked, prodded, and overturned every part of the tank. I checked the top to make sure all escape routes were sealed, and they were. (I had specially cut pieces of plastic to the edges of the glass so that all pipes etc had their own customized and fitted hole that no froggy could get out from.)
Still, I grabbed a flashlight and began looking behind the tank, in the tank cabinet (there is not backing), to the sides of the tank, and then under and around every piece of furniture in the bedroom (where the tank is), the closet, the nearby bathroom, the hall, and the livingroom....no frog.
Now, I admit I am starting to panic because I have three cats -- two older ones who, back in their prime hunting days, would have made an easily catch of a slippery little frog who can't jump.
.... by now I am on my hands and knees crawling all over this portion of the house...cursing the cats the whole time 
finally, a thought occurs to me. The tank has a sectioned off part in the back that could house a sump-thing if the tank was marine. So I grab a chair and my trust flashlight, move the covers, and peer in. In this section I have the heater (not yet on because of how warm its been) and the intake for my fluval (like having it separate so no froggy flippers get stuck!)....Using this little flashlight is like peering into the black lagoon!!! all of a sudden....surprise!!! Lola pops up to the surface for a breathe of air and then scoots back down. Darn little brat! I then spend the next ten minutes with my net which is too wide to be turned in the space trying to catch a crafty little ACF....finally I prevailed. After checking her over to make sure she looked ok, I plopped her back into the tank and watched her scoot along the bottom as if nothing had happened.
Checking my tank...there is only about 1/2" between the top of the sump compartment and the glass covering...and yet this plump little ACF had managed to some how wiggle in!
Oh well...at least her adventures took her to a place that is the same water that she is used to, filtered, and room at the surface for her to breathe. Hopefully she learned her lesson!
(chances are she hasn't!)
I shrugged it off because I have a large amount of hiding spots and I figured the missing one could very easily have been camped out in one of the caves.
Finished the water change and sat back and watched...
yup, there is Phantom, Phoenix, Kirby, Aurora, Magellan and Louie....
no Lola.
huh.
So I got out the sponge on a stick thing used to wipe down the insides of the glass and started poking around behind plants and drift wood, gently lifted a few pieces of wood, wiggled some caves...and nothing.
Trying not to panic, I continued the search until I had poked, prodded, and overturned every part of the tank. I checked the top to make sure all escape routes were sealed, and they were. (I had specially cut pieces of plastic to the edges of the glass so that all pipes etc had their own customized and fitted hole that no froggy could get out from.)
Still, I grabbed a flashlight and began looking behind the tank, in the tank cabinet (there is not backing), to the sides of the tank, and then under and around every piece of furniture in the bedroom (where the tank is), the closet, the nearby bathroom, the hall, and the livingroom....no frog.
Now, I admit I am starting to panic because I have three cats -- two older ones who, back in their prime hunting days, would have made an easily catch of a slippery little frog who can't jump.
.... by now I am on my hands and knees crawling all over this portion of the house...cursing the cats the whole time finally, a thought occurs to me. The tank has a sectioned off part in the back that could house a sump-thing if the tank was marine. So I grab a chair and my trust flashlight, move the covers, and peer in. In this section I have the heater (not yet on because of how warm its been) and the intake for my fluval (like having it separate so no froggy flippers get stuck!)....Using this little flashlight is like peering into the black lagoon!!! all of a sudden....surprise!!! Lola pops up to the surface for a breathe of air and then scoots back down. Darn little brat! I then spend the next ten minutes with my net which is too wide to be turned in the space trying to catch a crafty little ACF....finally I prevailed. After checking her over to make sure she looked ok, I plopped her back into the tank and watched her scoot along the bottom as if nothing had happened.
Checking my tank...there is only about 1/2" between the top of the sump compartment and the glass covering...and yet this plump little ACF had managed to some how wiggle in!
Oh well...at least her adventures took her to a place that is the same water that she is used to, filtered, and room at the surface for her to breathe. Hopefully she learned her lesson!
(chances are she hasn't!)
