If you are a frog lover, you will agree with me that Pacman frogs are cool to keep in the aquarium because they eat a lot and will help you to clean your fish tank by eating leftover foods also they are nice to watch sitting the bottom of the tank doing nothing and sometimes walking about, digging the Substrates and hiding in them. Keeping aquarium animals such as Pacman frogs could be entertaining, but sometimes troubles might spring up which could leave you in confusion and a sad mood. I have read many articles where people are complaining about their Pacman frogs staying upside down. If you are reading this article to find answers to why your Pacman frog is upside down, then read to the end.
Why is my Pacman frog upside down? Pacman frogs don’t just turn themselves upside down for no reason. The reasons why a Pacman frog might be upside down are because it has a bacterial infection or it is stressed.
Although the Pacman frog is not very active, many people like them like that so, being a less active frog, it is very rare to see them turn upside down or flip themselves over as the case may be unless there is something wrong with them.
The above mention factors that could make them flip themselves over are only but a few factors, in this article, you will learn all about why they could turn upside down and sometimes will refuse to get themselves upright again.
Pacman frog is a big frog, maybe because they eat a lot, but they can’t just get down and face their legs up for no reason, so, if you see yours do this, there are some things or factors responsible for it which are:
7 Reasons Why Did My Pacman Frog Flip Over
There are many reasons why a Pacman frog might flip over or turn itself upside down, they are:
Bacteria Infection
There are some parasites and Bacteria that could infect these frogs and cause neurological problems to a gastric blockage.
This type of frog ( Pacman) is mainly infected by these parasites and Bacteria because they eat a lot of things due to their huge appetite for food.
This is to say that they could be infected by this type of bacteria or parasite through the type of food they eat, especially bad foods or at least what we call rubbish.
Bacteria infection or parasitic infection are no jokes, so, once you have noticed that your frog, especially the Pacman frog is upside down or flipping itself over and continuously doing it, you will need to call the attention of a veterinarian doctor for proper medication and medical advice.
On no account should you resort to self-help or treatment unless you are a vet, to avoid more damages?
Unsuitable Tank Mates
This could only be the reason why your frog is flipping over if it has a tank mate or some tank mates.
Normally, I always advise in every article that I write to always look out for the best tank mates for your aquarium animals because unsuitable tankmates could be a very big disaster in waiting.
If your Pacman frog or any frog at all is upside down always, first of all, check the type of tank mate it has because the other animals might be knocking your frog down so, it stays upside down.
Some animals such as fish, Turtles, etc are fast, and many of them are aggressive, putting them into a frog tank will only end up stressing the frog and sometimes knocking it over or sending it rolling over the bottom of the tank, and when exhausted, the frog might devise to stay that way.
Again, unsuitable tankmates might attack and injure your Pacman frog which might prevent it from ever standing upright.
This could happen if the attacks are directed at the legs, thereby paralyzing them so, they will have no option but to flip over or turn upside down.
So, if your frog is upside down, you might want to check its tank mates and relocate anyone that is showing signs of aggression in your tank.
Stress Levels
Normally, stress is very harmful to tony aquarium animals, but it seems to be more damaging to frogs.
Frogs don’t like to be stressed a bit and so if they are Stressed, they might develop one problem or the other and this might be the reason why yours is flipping over.
There are many ways they could be Stressed which include unsuitable tank mates, water temperature, size of the tank, type of water, water parameters, and location of their tank.
All these are ways or factors that could stress them so, if your Pacman frog or any frog at all you might have is flipping over or turning upside down as you might define it, then check all these factors I mentioned above and see if any of them is the cause and adjust.
Most importantly, check the level of the chemicals such as nitrates and ammonia, etc in the tank, and if any is significant, it might be the reason why your frog is stressed, so correct it.
Type Of Water
Every aquatic animal has its specific type of water they could comfortably dwell in.
Some animals prefer freshwater to saltwater, some prefer saltwater to freshwater, some prefer a mixture of both, while some freshwater animals prefer either tap water or river water or spring water, etc.
The type of water an animal lives in could go a long way to impact the overall health of the animal.
Pacman and all frogs are freshwater, although the type of freshwater they need might defer, especially when they are bred or raised in captivity.
So, if your Pacman is upside down, then you might have to check the type of water and the level of salt in the water to be sure it’s not what is making it behave in such a way.
Temperature
Just like water and food, every animal, especially aquatic animals has a specific temperature at which they are only comfortable.
So, this could be the cause of the behavior.
When the temperature is not suitable, the frog’s organs might start to lower their levels of function and activeness, which in return might make them not eat and even flip over, depending.
The normal temperature for the Pacman frog is 80-82°F at the night and 78-80° in the daytime so, the average temperature that could be very suitable for this frog is 80°F.
So, make sure you maintain their normal temperature for them to continue being very healthy.
You need a heater to keep the tank temperature very steady and suitable for your Pacman frogs or any other type of frog.
Chemicals In The Water
If you are very knowledgeable about aquarium and aquarium animals, you will know that some harmful chemicals do build up sometimes and it only needs certain precautions to keep them down.
Some harmful chemicals might build up in the tank in the long run such as ammonia, nitrate, alkaline, chlorine, etc.
These chemicals are often caused by dirty water as a result of poops, decayed foods, and dead organisms in the tank, uncycled tank, and Substrates.
When these chemicals build up and if not properly regulated might cause some health issues for any animal living in it which could cause the animal to be sick etc.
Frogs are normally so sensitive to infections and chemicals, so when the Pacman frog or any other type of frog finds itself in such a tank, it will be heavily affected and this could cause a lack of appetite, turning upside down, and even death.
The only way to avoid allowing these chemicals to build up in your aquarium is to get water testing kits, test your water almost every week and do proper cleanup and change of water if you happen to find any of these chemicals.
This way, your frogs will be free from such chemicals and be healthy too.
And if it has already been affected by them, then you will need to contact a vet for proper guidance.
Talking about chemicals, another thing that could cause your frogs to be flipping over or go upside down could be because you are using certain detergents, perfumes, candles, etc on the tank or near the tank.
There are so many good detergents that are specifically made for aquatic animals, so, buy and use them to clean both your frog’s tank and substances every time you want to clean them.
Again stop using perfumes and some of these smelly things around your frog’s tank because they are very sensitive and could easily be affected by the chemicals in such perfumes, candles, etc, and might make your frog sick which might make them start flipping over.
It May Be Dead
I know this is the only word all aquarium keepers fear most (lol) but that might be the case with your frog.
The fact is, when some aquatic animals die, their body swell up because of the gas being released by decomposition bacteria which will make the dead animal either float or turn upside down.
Dead animals might turn over or flip over as you may call it. When they do, they become lifeless, even if you poke them.
So, When yours is upside down, you might want to check if it is still alive to be sure it’s not dead.
Conclusion
These are some of the reasons why your Pacman frog or any other frog at all you might have is flipping over.
My advice here is always to contact a Vet whenever your pet starts behaving somehow or strangely.
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