Humidity and tank cleaning questions

[Mentat]

Guess there are a few way's to keep humidity up; this has worked well for me and my Pacman. I currently keep mine in an Exo-terra 12x12x12 enclosure with plastic wrap covering 1/2 the top opening and a fixture with warming 25 watt bulb and added dimmer on other half.

My set-up includes a false bottom of ZooMed hydroballs balls (around 2 balls deep) with a piece of plastic aquarium tank divider material (had laying around) on top to separate from shredded coco husk (EcoEarth, Plantation Soil, etc.). Plastic screening, etc. can be used for same purpose as well. Also, made hole on plastic divider and inserted a 1 in. diameter plastic tube (from undergravel filter lift tube) to provide access to water table in clay substrate (hidden by plant).

Have conditioned water in hydroball section to cover 1st ball layer. Access tube allows me to add water to that section without disturbing the soil layer or set-up. If ever there is too much water there or to rinse and clean; can also siphon water out through that tube by inserting a long flexible 1/2 in. tube into access tube.

Humidity is pretty steady through day and night (around 80%) and only need to add a bit of conditioned water to hydroball layer once a week. Hope this helps you and good luck!

[GrifTheGreat]

Guess there are a few way's to keep humidity up; this has worked well for me and my Pacman. I currently keep mine in an Exo-terra 12x12x12 enclosure with plastic wrap covering 1/2 the top opening and a fixture with warming 25 watt bulb and added dimmer on other half.

My set-up includes a false bottom of ZooMed hydroballs balls (around 2 balls deep) with a piece of plastic aquarium tank divider material (had laying around) on top to separate from shredded coco husk (EcoEarth, Plantation Soil, etc.). Plastic screening, etc. can be used for same purpose as well. Also, made hole on plastic divider and inserted a 1 in. diameter plastic tube (from undergravel filter lift tube) to provide access to water table in clay substrate (hidden by plant).

Have conditioned water in hydroball section to cover 1st ball layer. Access tube allows me to add water to that section without disturbing the soil layer or set-up. If ever there is too much water there or to rinse and clean; can also siphon water out through that tube by inserting a long flexible 1/2 in. tube into access tube.

Humidity is pretty steady through day and night (around 80%) and only need to add a bit of conditioned water to hydroball layer once a week. Hope this helps you and good luck!

Hmm. Most people frown on the idea of standing water that can become stagnant within their frogs enclosure, but they way you have yours setup completely seperates the water from the upper layer of substrate for which the frog lives in. I really like this idea because it allows the soil to stay moist and produce humidity without being water logged. Is the plant hiding the tube a live one or fake one? If it were live it would absorb water that sinks into the hydroballs, but as you said there is a layer of clay which is dificult for plants to drive roots through. Impressive idea.

[frognerd101]

Humidity is usually the biggest problem people have with keeping frogs. Pacmans are from a part of South America where the soil can get dry at times.

The idea of saran wrap covering the lid is a good idea, but make sure it is not covering the whole lid, because these frogs need lots of fresh air as well. Make sure you are keeping a shallow water dish in the tank. Also, I have found that adding in moss in certain parts of the tank can work to keeping humidity levels up. Also, having some fake plants may help a little, but not all that much.

If you see that your pacman frog is fully submerged in his soil all the time or that he forms a small layer of skin around his body (this is what they do in the wild to help retain water), then the tank is too dry and you need to increase the humidity level somehow. To get rid of the layer of skin, a lot of people put the pacmans in a clean water dish. The layer of skin should disappear.

Good luck with your frog.

[Mentat]

Hmm. Most people frown on the idea of standing water that can become stagnant within their frogs enclosure, but they way you have yours setup completely seperates the water from the upper layer of substrate for which the frog lives in. I really like this idea because it allows the soil to stay moist and produce humidity without being water logged. Is the plant hiding the tube a live one or fake one? If it were live it would absorb water that sinks into the hydroballs, but as you said there is a layer of clay which is dificult for plants to drive roots through. Impressive idea.

Thank you! The plant hiding the access tube is a plastic hanging one made by Exo-Terra. Think live plant roots would be better confined in a pot in this set-up since they would get tangled into the plastic divider holes between upper and lower levels and clog them. As soon as I get another camera or a quality phone with camera will post some pics.

My habitats are kind of simple and mostly geared toward functionality. Another benefit of this type of set-up is that eventually beneficial bacteria will colonize the wet hydroball section and as long as you don't let it dry up; will reduce ammonia from urine into nitrites and then further into nitrates. Plan to siphon out that water once every week once system is stable in around a month and test for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Then can make a water change schedule. Currently the water is not rising into soil section and making it mud. I do spray whole enclosure once a day when changing bath water.

[GrifTheGreat]

Thank you! The plant hiding the access tube is a plastic hanging one made by Exo-Terra. Think live plant roots would be better confined in a pot in this set-up since they would get tangled into the plastic divider holes between upper and lower levels and clog them. As soon as I get another camera or a quality phone with camera will post some pics.

My habitats are kind of simple and mostly geared toward functionality. Another benefit of this type of set-up is that eventually beneficial bacteria will colonize the wet hydroball section and as long as you don't let it dry up; will reduce ammonia from urine into nitrites and then further into nitrates. Plan to siphon out that water once every week once system is stable in around a month and test for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Then can make a water change schedule. Currently the water is not rising into soil section and making it mud. I do spray whole enclosure once a day when changing bath water.

I like it. Its one of the best ideas I heard that isn't a live viv.

[KAWiggy]

I love your idea Carlos. I'm getting the materials today to create a false bottom using hydroballs. I hope this will help with my humidity issues. I have the same problem. My Humidity DROID While I'm at work. I leave for work early in the morning around 4:00 and although my husband doesn't get up for work until 6:00, he forgets to mist. How often do you replace the hydroballs?

[Mentat]

... How often do you replace the hydroballs?

You don't replace them. When monthly cleaning enclosure can rinse them in 80F dechlorinated tap bath and reuse as needed .

[KAWiggy]

Woops...drops* not DROID.