Hello,


I am new to frog-keeping. I am an avid reef aquarist and have recently been intrigued with some species of frogs, notably the african reed frog for their small size and thier ease of feeding and general care. I have also kept planted tropical terrariums with great sucess in the past and I do care for a captive american toad at my place of employment. So, I'm not completely foriegn to this sort of thing but I still have some questions that may seem foolish. I'd like to confirm some things and get some practical advice.

In reef aquaria, you can essentially create a miniature ecosystem in which biological processes breakdown waste and provide for a stable contained system with regular minor maintenance regimens (such as daily scraping algae off the glass, small regular water changes). My first question is... Can african reed frogs be kept similarly in a natural ecosystem with a permanent planted arrangement? I know lots of people that do this with dart frogs and so I presume this undoubtedly requires a balance between the ammount of waste the frogs create and the ability of the nitrifying bacteria and plants to breakdown and assimilate this waste. So, if I were to establish a 10 gallon planted terrarium, what would be an advisable number of african reed frogs to keep balance in such a habitat?

Also, what would be the best lid for a 10 gallon aquarium for these frogs? I'm sure they could easily become escape artists since they are so small and such good climbers. At the same time I need high humidity and ventillation... so what would be best?

Being semi-arboreal and not a rainforest species, I have plans for a well drained planting bed and a small pool of water. I'm looking to keep some species of bromeliad, mondo grass, and perhaps Maxillaria tenuifolia (to emulate sedge or reeds) and japanese sweetflag. Can anyone recommend other plant species that would perform well with more drainage? I'd like to incorporate some sort of tropical sedge or reed to help recreate there natural habitat. Does anyone know of a species that would be suited to terrarium conditions in a 10 gal. set-up?

I'm sorry if my thoughts seem scattered. I've read up quite a bit but I want to make sure I get things right... so any advice would be appreciated!


Thank you!