Big Decision: Need Opinions

[bshmerlie]

Here's the situation....I currently have five small Exo Terras set up for pairs of thumbnails. They are 12x12x18 (eleven gallons). They fit perfectly on my 5 foot frog rack but there is twelve inches of wasted shelf space behind them. A standard 20 gallon 24x12x16 turned sideways takes up all the space on the shelf and is the same width as the small Exos. A 25 gallon is the same footprint as the 20s but the 25 gallon is three inches taller (19") but also three times the price of a standard 20. Do I dump the five Exos and go with larger tanks? Is the extra three inches of the 25gallon worth the extra money? Or do I just stick with what I have because they're all ready all set up?

Here are the options simplified:
1. Keep the Exos - only 11 gal but finally be done with the frog rack.
2. Dump the Exos - go with the 20 gallons even though the tank is 2" shorter.
3. Dump the Exos- go with the 25 gallons they are 3"taller but 3x the price of a 20.

Should I waste all the time and money I put into the Exos or just keep them?

[SludgeMunkey]

I would keep the current set up. I deliberately keep excess shelf space as I find it helps me to acess for cleaning, the addition of power strips, pumps, wires, etc.

[DonLisk]

I say keep the current setup also. We know you just are itching to make more vivs but your just going to have to start another closet.

::::: ducking::::::

[bshmerlie]

I do NOT want to start another closet. Right now I can still feed everybody before I go to work....add another rack and I'd run out of time. I don't want to be a slave to my frogs. I already have two 20s so I would only need three more. So sixty bucks at Petco. But then I'd have to hide all the Exos from the spouse. The frogs would get another nine gallons but they would lose two inches vertically.

[ViperJr]

But then I'd have to hide all the Exos from the spouse

1. Delete spouse
2. Acquire MOAR!!! frogs
3. ?????
4. Profit

[BG]

Don't go over board keep what you have and try to improve them. We all get the itch once in a while but you are right more animals more work,and i hate the work.lol. one spouse equals to 100 frog set ups lol. Get reed of the spouse lol.

[Kisa]

I'm a little torn between the first and second options, but if it were me I would keep the old setup. It's hard to ignore the want to start over, especially once your almost done, and maybe I'm just lazy but all that extra work seems like a lot to do when you're trying to build a frog rack.

I say go with what you got, you're frogs are probably happy with your amazing tank building skills.

[MikeM670]

I would go with the additional 20 gallons or larger. You have the room and the larger tanks give you more room to work with, ie more species choices. See if you can trade the exo's for something or just hold onto them for other possible uses.

[BG]

If theres something you don't want I'll take it Cheri, lol

[JWells]

What types of thumbnails are you considering? I think that answer will greatly help your decision.

Some imitators will do fine in the exos...

[bshmerlie]

I've decided to go with the 20 gallon tanks. I found a good place to hide the Exo tanks.....The Attic. No one would ever look up there. So off to Petco I go. I will do something similar that I did with the other 20 where I built it viewing it from one end. It actually worked well and the frogs spend a lot of time up front and in the middle where I can see them. Here is a picture of the tank I did so I will just do similar layouts with the others. Actually in this tank I took out the moss and just did all leaf litter. But you get the idea. Sorry to all those who voted to keep it the same...but I'm sure I'll use the Exo's at some point. Besides one of the Exos is going to Kisa. She's going to babysit some of the Lamasi for me so I don't have all 14 mouthes to feed.

[Heatheranne]

Pretty!