Hoping to get a terrarium....

[spooky]

I got some good news today! My gas company have over-charged me £120 over the past few months and re-paid the money into my account! Soooo, I'm going to treat myself (and my frogs!) to a terrarium. Am looking at ebay shops and there seem to be a few bargains out there. I'm just wondering what size to get. I have 2 baby treefrogs, and want to make sure that if I do get a terrarium, I'll get one thats big enough to house them both as adults. I'm aware that it's not a good idea to get a huge one at the moment as they'll have trouble catching their food, but thought I could use the tank they're in now as a dining room, put them in there every evening (or less frequent as they grow!) for a good feed
Soooo (sorry for the essay!) would a 40x40x40cm terrarium be ok? Or should I get the next size up/down?
Thanks for reading!!!!!

[Kurt]

I would go bigger.

[spooky]

Would they be ok to go into it now? Don't want them to get lost! Or starve! Hehe. My main concern with a bigger terrarium at the moment is feeding, but I'm wondering if using their current home for feeding time would be ok?

[Kurt]

Yes, and yes. Think about this, in the wild they still manage to find food and thats a much larger space than you or I can ever provide. So I wouldn't worry about them starving to death in a large terrarium.

[spooky]

Thank you Kurt To be honest, the whole 'too much space' had never occured to me until the guy in the pet shop said the frogs would starve in a too big terrarium! Did think at the time that frogs in the wild have no problems, but didn't say anything to the guy. After all, he works with frogs, I don't

[Kerry1968]

I have decided with my two to take them out to feed them in a plastic tub. This is partly so they can get used to being handled, partly so that I can ensure they're actually eating and also because I'm going to use a mainly aquatic tank for them and then I don't get any drowned crickets.

YES, I HAVE TREE FROGS!

[spooky]

YAY Kerry! When did you get them?? Them?? Thought you were getting 1 I want a part water terrarium too, I have one fish who needs a home (he's living in jug at the mo..... All his tank-mates died and his temp home exploded today!) so thought he could live with froggies. I was also worried about drowned crickets/worms.

[Kurt]

Thank you Kurt To be honest, the whole 'too much space' had never occured to me until the guy in the pet shop said the frogs would starve in a too big terrarium! Did think at the time that frogs in the wild have no problems, but didn't say anything to the guy. After all, he works with frogs, I don't

You're welcome. You know how you get a job in a pet store? Fill out an application. In most cases you don't have to know anything, you just have to be a warm body.

[spooky]

I think I'd be a good pet shop worker As long as I didn't have to handle tarantulas....*shudder* Everything else I can deal with!

[Kurt]

Then do it.

[Buck Rogers]

I was worried about moving my banded rubber frogs into a larger enclosure because i thought they would starve to death but they not stupid, they knew exactly what to do - it may take them a few days to adjust but they do. My little colony comes out every night hunting and they growing a lot more than when they were in a small tub.

Don't stress if they haven't eaten in the first few days in their new enclosure, give them peace and quite and time to adjust and they should take food easily, also its better psychologically for tree frogs to have a larger enclosure as they often hunt by jumping from branch to branch.

[spooky]

Thanks Buck Rogers!! I'm so excited, have ordered my terrarium (45x45x60cm) and hoping it's goning to be here by wednesday. Have been looking on ebay for accessories, can't believe how many goodies are out there! I want to have the bottom part aquatic as I have one little fish, so may need to feed the frogs in the small tank to prevent crickets/waxworms drowning (unless it proves too stessful for the frogs, being moved every other day or so)

[Buck Rogers]

Here's a little tip I got: cover the bottom of the viv with pebbles and then get a water filter to keep the water clean (you don't need to do this but if you don't you'll be cleaning every weekend), then get yourself some nice ceramic pot plants (creepers work nicely) and pretty pieces of drift wood then have some fun decorating it then fill to the desired level with water. Make sure you have enough plants and wood to give good hiding places. This is a simple technique to create a natural viv and works really nicely and plus it looks very attractive and can become a center piece in your house - moving, living art.

A technique for feeding in these enclosures - this doesn't always work but its worth a try- is to get a little glass bowl/dish like the ones that you would see soya sauce in at a sushi restaurant. You can put crickets and worms in there and because its glass the crickets can't get enough of a grip to hop out, then you just balance the bowl on one of the logs or pot plants and bobs your uncle mary. Alternatively what you could also get is one of those really small metal dog/cat water bowls, I used this with my bosc's monitor when it was still too small to chase crickets around its BIG enclosure and it works like a charm.

[spooky]

Thanks for the tips!! Much appreciated I wiill definatly get a filter, and pebbles. And I've got some nice plants on my ebay watch list. Have also seen a floating log which I'll probably get too. I'm so excited now, it's going to look great! I'll probably build it up gradually though. I'll put the essentials in (I have a vine, a nice piece of wood and heat mat) straight away and do the rest a bit at a time. Thanks again for the feeding tips! That was my main concern

[Tom Highum]

Good luck and remember to post pictures.

[Kerry1968]

I have built my part aquatic viv from a two foot tank (sorry still no camera), it works quite well. I haven't put all the water in yet, but when I do I'll put a filter in and possibly a couple of danios or guppies. I have some fake vines on the sides of the tank and built a climbing platform out of sticks for the frogs. So far they seem happy in there.

I take them out each day to feed them crickets, they don't mind being handled and once they connect it to feeding time I'm sure they will be positively enthusiastic! They each eat about 6-8 crickets at a sitting!

[spooky]

I've got one Zebra Danio... Will probably get another 3 Danios and 4 Neon Tetras. I'll take them out for cricket dinners, but will put waxworms in a dish on my Turtle station once a week too... Ooooh, I'm getting all excited!!

[Kerry1968]

I've just read on another thread that Kurt has a water heater in his White's tank, are you going to get one? How do you heat your tank? I was thinking a heat mat part above/part below the water level would suffice. I also 'borrow' the night glow bulb from the crested geckos viv overnight for the frogs, just to keep them warm. What temp do you keep your babies at? Mine are at around 18-19, I think that's a little cool?

Sorry about all the questions, it's great to have someone else to compare notes with.

[spooky]

I don't mind questions at all! You're right, it's nice to have someone to compare notes with! I was thinking of putting my heat mat under the terrarium, below the water section. I was hoping this would heat up the water for the fish and create a little humidity for froggies. If that doesn't heat up the water enough, I do have a water heater as I used to keep tropical fish (not too successfully!) I've ordered some LED lights for it too (they simulate moonlight), they are waterproof so may put them under the water. Not sure what temparature it is at the mo in current tank, but it's in my living room which can get a bit nippy so I have a heat mat under one half of the tank. The frogs seem happy, are active in the evening, eating well and growing up!

[Kerry1968]

Thanks for that. Do you think a heat mat under the water on the bottom of the tank will heat the whole tank? If it does, it'd be an idea I'd use.

Do you mist/spray your frogs? I was thinking with the tank half water it wouldn't be necessary? What's your thinking?

Glad to hear your frogs are getting on well, they are great little pets I reckon.