Our new pets: 2 Aquatic Frogs

Submitted by Prisqua on Wednesday, 29 July 20094 Comments

We went to the mall and amongst other things I really wanted to buy a pedometer and thought I would find one at Brookstone, a shop where they have really cool gadgets…

And here they were… these little fish tanks with cute little frogs in them… how on earth could we resist??
Frog-O-Sphere Ecosystem with 2 Aquatic Frogs: a self-contained, self-cleaning ecosystem with 2 mini frogs.

“The Frog-O-Sphere™ includes 2 African dwarf frogs, 1 snail and 1 bamboo plant. It also includes a 1-year supply of food, Living Gravel™ with decorative rocks, and a cleaning tool.

The frogs won’t outgrow the tank and live for up to 4 years. The snail, also known as the janitor, feeds itself and keeps the tank clean of algae and excess food. Living Gravel acts as a biological filter, converting excess food and waste into a soluble form that can be used by the bamboo plant.

Just like trees in our environment, the bamboo absorbs liquid and gaseous elements and releases oxygen, which helps the frogs and snail thrive. Easy to care for: simply feed the frogs 2 pellets each 2 times per week, and change the water 2 times per year. That’s it!”

We brought them home to realize the snail was on its back and by next morning it had not moved so we figured it was dead. a call to the shop and we had to bring back the whole tank to the shop so they could replace the dead snails… someone was not very happy about that… lol

But all is well now, we have 2 “happy” frogs and a snail…

Now the only concern we have is that we had to fill out a paper for a permit from the DEP, NJ Div. of Fish and Wildlife. We did not think about asking questions while in the shop but I had a closer look when home and it read:” This is a temporary permit valid for 20days after sale. You must apply for a regular permit before this permit expires“. So will have to figure this one out.

Please leave any ideas for names in the comments… thanks

4 Comments »

meso said:

wow they are so cute…i didint know that little frog must have permit too. the snail is an amazing part of the tank…great! wish i have 1 here too for my daughter.

- 31 July 2009 at 7:31 pm

turisuna said:

I’m little bit afraid with frog, so maybe I won’t choose frog as my pet But the frog looks cute in that picture.
turisuna´s last blog ..Some facts about intimate thing, part 1

- 6 August 2009 at 1:48 pm

Prisqua (author) said:

Omg, they are so tiny, you cannot be scared of them lol but yesterday I caught them fighting!!!! They were biting each other! I thought they were going to kill each other!

- 6 August 2009 at 1:54 pm

casey said:

From Peta.org:

Update: Brookstone Employees Leave Sick Animals on Store Shelves

Despite numerous complaints from horrified customers, mall-retailer Brookstone continues to sell African dwarf frogs and snails in tiny, inadequate tanks called “Frog-O-Spheres,” in which the animals languish and die slow, miserable deaths.

Recently, allegations have surfaced that Brookstone employees who see that frogs are languishing on store shelves have been instructed to put them “in the back,” out of sight of customers, instead of contacting a veterinarian to get help for sick and dying animals.

In addition, the directions included with the Frog-O-Spheres mislead shoppers about what these frogs need to survive and what an appropriate level of care is. Since Brookstone introduced these cruel products, PETA has been inundated with reports about dead and dying frogs and snails who were languishing on store shelves around the country.

Please tell Brookstone’s executives to follow the lead of major retailers, including Target and Walgreens, and immediately stop selling the cruel Frog-O-Spheres. Please also urge them to prohibit of the sale of any live animals at Brookstone stores.

- 31 August 2009 at 5:18 pm