Red eyed tree frog viv

[Pac man]

I was wondering about my viv that I am building will have a pond and I now that thay are tree frogs but i just wanted to now
If it will be ok?

[flybyferns]

I was wondering about my viv that I am building will have a pond and I now that thay are tree frogs but i just wanted to now
If it will be ok?

Hi,
Red Eyes do not swim well.
In fact, they may struggle to get out of water deep enough they have to swim through even if there is something for them to grab onto.
I have a (36" wide and tall )50/50 with about 4 inches of heated, filtered water - too deep for them.
BUT, I keep the water completely covered with plexi.
(Since the enclosure is tall - this works nicely to keep the humidity high enough and helps to keep the bottom area a little warmer)
The water billows over the top of the plexi cover to make a nice clean, warm soaking area. They love it !!

http://www.frogforum.net/members/fly...exo-terra.html

Enjoy your preparations ! Lynn

[DiggenEm]

I actually think that they will be ok as long as they have a way to climb out. I have seen plenty of vivs with red-eyes with significant water features and I dont think any of them had problems. That's just my $0.02. On the other hand red-eyes lay their eggs in vegetation above water so just something to consider.

[Kurt]

I have to disagree with you all. I have never known any treefrog to be a poor swimmer. I have never seen one drown, they always manage to climb out of the water without a problem. I once saw a gray treefrog swim to the bottom of my pool just as quickly and easliy as a bullfrog. I have also raised quite a few red-eyes and not a single one had a problem with the water. The red-eye in the banner is one of my babies, as a matter of fact.

Toads, on the other hand....

[ViperJr]

It depens on how you construct the pond. It could work, but you won't know if it doesn't work until it's too late. I personally feel that it's an unneccesary risk, since they are indeed poor swimmers.

[DiggenEm]

Indeed it does depend on how you construct the pond. I personally wouldn't go more than a couple of inches deep. I wasn't trying to step on any toes or anything just saying that a pool of water is important for breeding that's all. Its also aesthetically pleasing but that's more for human beings than it is for tree frogs

[flybyferns]

I would be happy to get a pic of my frogs sitting on the plexi tonight, if anyone is interested?
They really do enjoy it !! They get very relaxed in the warm water ! It's very cute. They get their little bodies more flat then when in a soaking dish.
It's not the 'traditional' set up, Pac man, but it works well if you want to have water.
I prefer it this way- it stays clean and is easyto maintain. I do not use substrate either.
Personally it's too mucky and too much maintenance ,for me anyway !
Lynn

[Pac man]

Should I get Vietnamese mossy tree frogs instead ? Sense thay are a semi aquatic tree frog?

[ViperJr]

You should get the frog you really want and setup the tank after that frog's specific requierments, not the other way around. If you want mossy frog, setup a good mossy tank. If you want red eyes, setup a good red eye tank. Don't setup a terrarium that looks good and then just put something in there that might survive in there.
IF you settle for mossy frogs, then yes, you'll need a quite large water area as well as a lot of climbing space.

[Pac man]

Mossy and red eyes are on my list so I read that mossy frogs need a 10 to 20 gl tank is that right? I Like the mossy frogs better but I would like to know if the mossy frogs are easer to keep?

[ViperJr]

Mossy and red eyes are on my list so I read that mossy frogs need a 10 to 20 gl tank is that right? I Like the mossy frogs better but I would like to know if the mossy frogs are easer to keep?

First of all, talking about a tank in gallon really is... suboptimal, if you ask me. Dimensions is the way to go, since different species might have different requierments (as I'm sure you know). BUT, since you only talked in gallons, I might as well share my view on this. I wouldn't put any tree-dwelling frog in a 10 gallon for anything othrr than a temporary quarentine-tank. Even a 20 gallon seems too small in my eyes, especially if you want mossys, since you'll need a large pool area with enough water for them to swim, and with aquatic hiding places. Lastly, mossy are quite much larger than red eyes, increasing their need for space.

Note: I'm assuming that by mossys you are talking about Theloderma corticale . If you are talking about some other theloderma species, I can not help you much.

I have to disagree with you all. I have never known any treefrog to be a poor swimmer. I have never seen one drown, they always manage to climb out of the water without a problem. I once saw a gray treefrog swim to the bottom of my pool just as quickly and easliy as a bullfrog. I have also raised quite a few red-eyes and not a single one had a problem with the water. The red-eye in the banner is one of my babies, as a matter of fact.

Toads, on the other hand....

My "knowledge" are only from articles, books and other texts I've read, which states that they (red eyes) are poor swimmers. However, I've not tried to throw them in a deep pool of water, so I can't say that I've seen them being poor swimmers. Do you have a reference to a study (or similar) that say anything about this? Would really be interesting to read, since this seems to be a topic with a lot of different opinions.

[flybyferns]

First of all, talking about a tank in gallon really is... suboptimal, if you ask me. Dimensions is the way to go, since different species might have different requierments (as I'm sure you know). BUT, since you only talked in gallons, I might as well share my view on this. I wouldn't put any tree-dwelling frog in a 10 gallon for anything othrr than a temporary quarentine-tank. Even a 20 gallon seems too small in my eyes, especially if you want mossys, since you'll need a large pool area with enough water for them to swim, and with aquatic hiding places. Lastly, mossy are quite much larger than red eyes, increasing their need for space.

Note: I'm assuming that by mossys you are talking about Theloderma corticale . If you are talking about some other theloderma species, I can not help you much.



My "knowledge" are only from articles, books and other texts I've read, which states that they (red eyes) are poor swimmers. However, I've not tried to throw them in a deep pool of water, so I can't say that I've seen them being poor swimmers. Do you have a reference to a study (or similar) that say anything about this? Would really be interesting to read, since this seems to be a topic with a lot of different opinions.

Hi All,
This IS a very interesting topic regarding the swimming capabilities of Red Eye Tree Frogs. Maybe a new thread ?

Agalychnis are the only frogs I have ever owned. I have 2 albinos , 3 red red eyes and moreletii. I have raised 5 of my 6 frogs from froglet age.
So, my experience is limited to my current frogs. I purchased my 1st frog as a tiny guy in Aug 2009. I am emphasizing the size of the frog because I think their age makes a difference in how they handle the water. I too have read on several occasions that they "are not good swimmers".
My personal experience:
I have observed that a froglet swims more proficiently than an adult.
My enclosure is 36" wide and 36" tall. ( divided 50/50). ( therefore, an area 18x18 inches with water that is 4 " deep)
I feel as though I have to leave water in it to help maintain the humidity because of the height. When I first set it up in late 2009, I did not have the water covered.
I slowly added my frogs after their quarantine periods with the water uncovered. The water has always been about 4" deep ( filtered and heated)
At the time , I had a bridge ornament, a resin log, and pothos in the water for them to gab onto.
I have personally witnessed everyone of my frogs struggle in the water. Once I found one in the water actually unable to get out ( even w/ all that stuff to grab onto) and as a result was quite stressed.
I found myself checking them all of the time to make sure they were not "in trouble" in the water. So as a result, my water is covered to date with pleix.
Enough water is in the 18x18 covered area to go about 1/4" over the plexi ( which is cut smaller than the opening) . They enjoy soaking on the plexi. (easy maintenance ! )
Because of my experience with water and Red Eyes , I would never leave exposed water over their heads.
Maybe they get used to deeper pools after a while? I would be to worried about them to take a chance!
Lynn

[ViperJr]

I Like the mossy frogs better but I would like to know if the mossy frogs are easer to keep?

Sorry, I missed this part in my last reply. Let me adress this now with my own opinion, since I currently keep both Agalychnis callidryas and Theloderma corticale at home.

The mossy frogs have a seemingly slow metabolism, and thrive even when only little food is available. This makes them somewhat eaiser than red eyes (not saying that feeding red eyes are hard though). They also seem to be slightly less prone to being stressed, but in a good terrarium the difference is minimal really. From what I've heard, they also have less sensitive skin than red eyes, but you should not handle them anyway, so it's hardly something to consider when deciding on which frog you want.
On the negative side, they are bigger and not as delicate climbers as red eyes. Therefore, you'll need sturdier plants and climbing interior. In addtion to this, they require water (many people claiming that moving water is the best, since this most accurately replicates their natural enviorment), which is (in my opinion) harder to maintain and keep cleen (and design).

So, both species are incredibly easy animals to care for, when the terrarium is complete. So the only real difference is the preperation part, and if you find the water-area troublesome.

PS. If you plan on breeding, mossys are probably not so good of a choice, since females are rare.

[helm96]

So here is what I did for my Whites. I put in a waterfall In my tank and then I built a little pond for it to run into that is about 8" wide and about 3.5" to 4" deep. Then I went to a local nursery and bought some polished river rock and filled it in till an appropriate depth for my frogs. As they have grown all I have to do is pull out a layer of the rock to adjust the depth. This makes it to where I do not have to keep rebuilding the water feature every time they grow since they grow so much during the first year! If you would like I can take some pictures and post them.

[Sunshine]

So here is what I did for my Whites. I put in a waterfall In my tank and then I built a little pond for it to run into that is about 8" wide and about 3.5" to 4" deep. Then I went to a local nursery and bought some polished river rock and filled it in till an appropriate depth for my frogs. As they have grown all I have to do is pull out a layer of the rock to adjust the depth. This makes it to where I do not have to keep rebuilding the water feature every time they grow since they grow so much during the first year! If you would like I can take some pictures and post them.

I would like to see pics of your waterfall!!

[helm96]

The original waterfall I built myself would have been great for full size Whites but the pump was to strong for babies and me being the dummy that I sometimes am, built the pump into the waterfall therefore I could not switch it to a smaller one so I had to pull that waterfall out and it is boxed up waiting for them to get bigger. Right now I am running the Tetra reptofilter waterfall so I could get things back up in a hurry. Overall not a bad setup and both of my whites just love to sit on top of the waterfall. That is where I find them every night patiently awaiting that nights drop shipment of crickets!

[flybyferns]

So here is what I did for my Whites. I put in a waterfall In my tank and then I built a little pond for it to run into that is about 8" wide and about 3.5" to 4" deep. Then I went to a local nursery and bought some polished river rock and filled it in till an appropriate depth for my frogs. As they have grown all I have to do is pull out a layer of the rock to adjust the depth. This makes it to where I do not have to keep rebuilding the water feature every time they grow since they grow so much during the first year! If you would like I can take some pictures and post them.

What a great idea !!