First frog/ White's Tree Frog setup. Is it going to be okay...?

[Trohr]

Hey guys. I recently found what I think is an 30 gallon aquarium (~31"X19"X19") at a thrift store for $10.00. I figured I had to buy it because it was in such good condition, and cheap. Ever since I was a kid I have wanted frogs, but didn't have the means (or attention span) to take care of them- figured now I do....

I did the research, created this terrarium, and bought myself two hand picked, very healthy looking, domestically raised, White's Tree Frogs from a local pet store.

Since taking these picture I have shifted the entire thing into winter mode- it gets very cold where I live.

I have two desert climate heat pads sandwiched between the bottom of the tank and sheets of a space-blanket-like insulation to bump the temperature to 70-75 degrees. I spritz the tank with treated water every day to keep the sphagnum moss, wood chips, and frogs moist- humidity hovers around 60%. I also wrapped the sides with a nice forest green blanket, and more insulation.

I raised the light at the top up a few inches- I think it was a bit too bright for the frogs when it was sitting right on top. Downside of raising it is that I lose 5 degrees of heat.

I have two large, dual pump, aquarium air pumps hooked to timers that cycle the air out about every two hours for 30-60 minutes every day of the week. The light is set to a 9 on 15 off timer too.




My question~

Do you think it will be enough for two, fairly lean, White's Tree Frogs? They're juveniles now, but when they're adults.... I have considered turning the tank into an arboreal tank, but maybe when they become adults and need more room to climb.



Glooper:



Mudkip:



Mudkip:



Mudkip:



Mudkip:



Mudkip on the left, and Glooper on the right.



Glooper- just arrived from the pet store.



Mudkip- just arrived from the pet store:



I started a cricket farm in a large Rubbermaid container so that I don't have to go buy crickets. I spent 2 hours hand picking about 80 females from a cricket container at a local pet shop, and grabbed about 100 males. I feed them gut loader, and that jelly-nutrition-water stuff you can buy at pet shops. Their container is kept at 80 degrees.... In a week or two the dish of dirt I supplied them is going to explode- it's carpeted with cricket eggs.

I started a mealworm farm too.



Female cricket. The long stick out their butt is actually an egg-laying-straw.... They stick it in the dirt, and spit out a bunch of eggs with it.

[Kurt]

My question~ Do you think it will be enough for two, fairly lean, White's Tree Frogs?

It should be. Also lights aren't critical on frog tanks unless you are growing plants in them.

Female cricket. The long stick out their butt is actually an egg-laying-straw.... They stick it in the dirt, and spit out a bunch of eggs with it.

Its called an ovipositor.

[Trohr]

Its called an ovipositor.

Aaaah, thanks for the reply- was too lazy to go look it up ;]

Do you think the tank is tall enough? I want them to be happy, and if their natural instincts tell them to climb up....

Also lights aren't critical on frog tanks unless you are growing plants in them.

Do you mean that you don't really need a light at all with frogs? I might lower it again to bump the temperature up a bit more.

[into]

Its called an ovipositor.

I didn't know that.... so the females are the ones with the "butt sticks" and the males have the wings. interesting. I buy my crickets weekly (60 large) and have no space for breeding, so I never really researched cricket anatomy.

[Tom Highum]

Hmm I thought that the dirt was supposed to be moist.

[Trohr]

Hmm I thought that the dirt was supposed to be moist.

Dirt for the crickets? I took the picture of the cricket farm before tossing any of the crickets into it.... I spritz the dirt with treated water every day to keep it moist, and then stir it up with a screw driver so none of it becomes compacted.

[Tom Highum]

Oh ok

[Trohr]

The dirt could be better though.... It's stuff that I pulled from a ditch from an alley behind my house. It dries out really quickly. I think potting soil without pesticides is best :]

[Jace]

Good luck with the cricket rearing. It's a great way to save money. Both males and females have wings-you can tell the difference as females have three "prongs" and males only two. Males chirp by rubbing their back legs on their wings-think of a violin. Several hundred of them make quite the noise.....Just be careful the dirt is not too moist-I've had eggs rot because of it. I raised mine outside in the desert with three solid weeks of 30 degrees Celcius or above with no rain and had hundreds hatch. They are pretty hardy little buggers. Have fun!

[Trohr]

Several hundred of them make quite the noise.....

I brought their box in from the garage because it was getting too cold last night, shoved it in the closet with a heat pad, and closed the doors. Although I don't have several hundred of them yet it was kind of nice listening to them.... I think that if you keep the temperature in the cricket enclosure fairly cold they'll go almost completely silent because they become too lethargic or something. Any experience putting the chill on your crickets :]?

[Kurt]

Aaaah, thanks for the reply- was too lazy to go look it up

You're welcome. An interesting note; in stinging insects such as bees, ants, wasps, & hornets, the stingers are modified ovipositors, thus making these stinging insects all female.

Do you mean that you don't really need a light at all with frogs?

Not at all. I wouldn't keep them in pitch darkness 24/7 (or as Jake Harper says "31"), but like I said lights are not critical with amphibians in general. Most are nocturnal and actually avoid direct sunlight.