Can you please post your tree frog vivariums?

[Heatheranne]

Hi friends!

I have had different comments on the current retf vivarium I am making, some good and some not so good. I am looking to create the best home for them and also want it to be beautiful with a bit of my style added to it. I also want a waterfall in it, which I have started to make but can modify or start over.

I am hoping you will post pictures and ideas of what has worked for you, including plants and set-ups. It will help me to better adapt mine for my babies.

My tank is a 55 gallon tank. Size 48" long x 13" wide x 20" tall. It has a false bottom layered with aquarium gravel, spagnum peat moss, and on top eco earth substrate.

Thanks so much!!!

[Poly]

Heather, not to be off topic on you thread (I'd post a photo of my TF enclosure... that is if I had a tree frog! Haha! ) but, on one of your other threads, I noticed you sewed your mesh over your false bottom eggcrate, how did this work out? Also, where did you get your mesh?

Thanks,

~Royce

P.S. I hope you get many replies! I thought your Red-Eyed Leaf Frog viv looks amazing!

[Heatheranne]

Hi Royce,

It is a plastic mesh from Home Depot. I sewed it on with clear fishing line. It was easy. I ph tested it in dechlorinated water at 7.2, the same as the tap water here. I also used the layers of substrates as filters. Does that sound okay?

[Poly]

Hi Royce,

It is a plastic mesh from Home Depot. I sewed it on with clear fishing line. It was easy. I ph tested it in dechlorinated water at 7.2, the same as the tap water here. I also used the layers of substrates as filters. Does that sound okay?

Oh, did you have to buy the mesh in a large roll, or could you just buy a small amount of it??

Does what sound okay? Your the one here who's already set up their fisrt true vivarium... I'm just starting mine!

[Heatheranne]

Thank you, btw !

[Heatheranne]

I had to buy a decent sized roll, but it was only $15.

Hee hee!

[ViperJr]

First of all, it's great that you dedicate so much time and effort in creating a good terrarium for the frogs, both research -and feedback wise.

You can find several pictures of my red eye tank in my album, however the pictures are slightly outdated. Just imagine even more leaves of the pothos and you pretty much know how it looks like now:
ViperJr's Album: Agalychnis callidryas
I'm not sure how I can help you, so I'm just going to explain how I setup up everything and hope that something is usefull.

The substrate is three layered, starting with a drainage layer of aquarium gravel (however, I really recommend using LECA instead. It does the same thing, but it's much more lightweight. According to View Profile: SludgeMunkey - Frog Forum, aquarium gravel is also more prone to anaerobic bacterias). The middle layer consist of coco husk and on top of that, sphagnum moss. In other to make the drainage layer actually drain "water", I have an UTH (on a dimmer) covering some of the bottom. This heats the gravel, and the water evaporizes, without raising the ambient temperature (or even the temperature of the top layer, barely even the coco husk). This works great since I use a ReptiFogger to maintain humidity (thus gently moisting the substrate). It would probably be worthless if a real mister was used, since then it would be an actual layer water on the bottom of the tank. It's also risky to heat aquarium glass with an UTH if there's water above it, since can make the bottom crack.

I have 4 T-rex vines in there, which are sometimes used for climbing by the frogs, but mostly they're in there to make the pothoses (Epipremnum aureum) climb. As you can see in the pictures, the vine in the front of the tank are covered with pothos. And if I took a picture right now, you probably would have a hard time actually seeing the vine, since the pothos are all over it. The pothoses themselves are planted in different ways:
Two of them are planted in coconut pots, which are siliconed to the sides of the tank, quite high up. This turned out great, since they both grew upwards against the light, but also downwards towards the substrate. They actually are now roted in the substrate as well, and grew across the tank, then started to climb upwards again when they ran into the wall. Never underestimate the power of the pothos!
Two other, smaller pothoses are just growing purly epithytically. I cut the pieces I wanted and placed them in the middle of the tank, supported by other pothos branches and vines.
In terms of watering, the pothoses get all the water they need from the fogger, since they are epithytical (as well as they can be planted in soil, or directly in water).

I also have a snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata), and a Dieffenbachia, which are both planted in pots, which are hidden in the substrates. The Dieffenbachia requires watering about 1-2 times a week, but the snake plant can go much much longer without water. In the wild, this plant can go through winter with just a few waterings during the whole period.

I use a pre-made corner waterfall as a water source (I think the brand is Namiba terra) which works great. The only downside is that it makes water changes more difficult than a regular waterbowl, since it's hard to remove it (in my case, it's almost impossible since the plants are everywhere. I would need to remove and/or destroy quite alot of the pothoses to get ut out). I use a aquarium tube to siphon the water and, when needed, just clean it while still in the tank.

I think that's about it, at least that's what even remotely intresting. If you want to know something else about the tank that you think will help you, please let me know. Also, I just got out of bed and is headed for work, so please bare with me on the bad english. Tired+stressed is not the best combination, when it comes to write properly in a foreign language!

[Heatheranne]

Thank you! This is very helpful!

And I think your English is very good, even tired .

I'm going to view the links you posted.

I appreciate your guidance .

[flybyferns]

Hi Heather ,

I think what you have done so far is really great. If pothos is used -- as it grows it can be suspended all around the top of the enclosure. ( w/ little suction hooks or wrapped around a flexible vine product) As you know -they will love it!

Here's mine if you want to take a peak?

flybyferns's Album: Tree Frogs 36x36x18 Exo-terra

[Badger]

Here's my White's Tree Frog viv, sorry bout the bad quality of the picture, I have to clean the glass soon -.-

Sorry again, I really gotta clean that glass...


It's inhabitants:
Upon contemplating it for a while, Pikel (left) decided to leap across the 2 foot gap and onto my face, scoring a perfect 10. *clap clap*

[Heatheranne]

These are great! Beautiful vivariums!

I think I can add some more twisted branches and pathos along them . It should be easy.

I'll put the basic waterfall shell back in for some photos. Please let me know if it's too big.

Dalton, they are so cute!!! They look like they're smiling!

[Badger]

hehe, they say thanks!

[flybyferns]

Here's my White's Tree Frog viv, sorry bout the bad quality of the picture, I have to clean the glass soon -.-

Sorry again, I really gotta clean that glass...


It's inhabitants:
Upon contemplating it for a while, Pikel (left) decided to leap across the 2 foot gap and onto my face, scoring a perfect 10. *clap clap*

Dalton,
They are adorable. They look like they are planning something really naughty !! Lynn

[Badger]

Yeah, World domination, as always. I'm trying to talk them out of it, but they will hear none of it.

[Heatheranne]

Ha ha!

[butcher]

Viper jr. I didnt realize a uth couls cause to bottom to crack. I'm going to have to rethink the set up I'm building. I would if will make a difference with a false bottom?

[DonLisk]

Viper jr. I didnt realize a uth couls cause to bottom to crack. I'm going to have to rethink the set up I'm building. I would if will make a difference with a false bottom?

UTHs really don't do much when placed under a few layers of substrate and probably the collected water in a false bottom. If you utilize an UTH on a side of the tank you get much better heat transfer into the tank.

[DonLisk]

Heather, you are definitely on the right track for you build so far.
I think you just need to dig in and finish building and see how you like it. You can always make changes to the items above the substrate if your not satisfied.
I'm sure you looked through my albums but heres a link to the red eyes tank. The WTF tank may also help you too.
DonLisk's Album: My Red Eye's Home

[butcher]

UTHs really don't do much when placed under a few layers of substrate and probably the collected water in a false bottom. If you utilize an UTH on a side of the tank you get much better heat transfer into the tank.

Thanks Don

[ViperJr]

Viper jr. I didnt realize a uth couls cause to bottom to crack. I'm going to have to rethink the set up I'm building. I would if will make a difference with a false bottom?

You should probably see if there's another way to solve your problem. Like Don and I said, UTHs are not good to increase the ambient humidity when place under the tank. I just use mine to evaporize water.