The minimum floor space for an adult Pacman frog
An adult Pacman frog should have an enclosure with a footprint of at least 20 by 10 inches, the floor of a standard 10-gallon tank, and a 20-gallon long is a sensible upgrade for a big female. Pacman frogs are among the most sedentary pets in the hobby: an adult typically digs into the substrate, sits with its eyes above the surface, and waits for food to pass within striking range. That lifestyle makes height nearly irrelevant and floor quality everything. The minimum footprint must hold the frog's wide body, a water dish it can sit in, and enough surrounding substrate that the frog can choose a burrow spot rather than being assigned the only damp corner available.
Substrate depth and moisture in a sit-and-wait habitat
Substrate is the Pacman frog's real enclosure, because the animal lives inside it more than on it. Fill the floor with several inches of moisture-holding, chemical-free substrate, deep enough for the frog to bury its whole body up to the eyes without reaching the glass bottom. Keep that substrate damp like a wrung-out sponge throughout, wetter on one side and merely moist on the other, so the frog can pick its own moisture level as it shuffles between burrows. A shallow water dish with easy, sloping sides belongs within a short hop, since even this land-heavy frog soaks and rehydrates regularly. Height above the substrate only needs to fit the dish, a low plant or hide, and a secure ventilated lid.
One frog, calm surroundings, and feeding space
A minimum Pacman frog enclosure is a single-frog home by design, because this species will attempt to eat tankmates close to its own size and sometimes succeeds. Do not spend the limited floor area on companions; spend it on a leaf-litter patch, a low hide the frog can back under, and open burrowing ground in both the warm and cool zones. Feed with tongs at the burrow's edge so the frog strikes food rather than lunging across the tank, and remove uneaten live food that could nibble at a buried frog. Bright light directly overhead bothers this forest-floor ambusher, so keep lighting soft and give the planted or shaded side real cover. Gentle warmth on one end, never under the whole floor, preserves the choice every reptile and amphibian setup depends on.
Appetite and skin watch-outs for a buried frog
A Pacman frog that suddenly stops striking at food deserves a substrate and temperature check first, because a frog sitting in substrate that has dried out or cooled will fast even in a correctly sized enclosure. Adults also naturally slow down and may aestivate during drier, cooler periods, burying deeper and eating less for a while. Skin that looks red or ulcerated, swelling of the body, or a frog that cannot right itself or close its mouth properly needs a veterinarian who treats amphibians, not home experimentation. Uneaten food left overnight and fouled substrate are the most common fixable causes of trouble in a small tank. Keeping a shared feeding log through KinsLe Family Sharing stops a buried, motionless frog from being offered food twice in one evening by different helpers.