Hello, New pixie owner

[Mentat]

Welcome to Frog Forum and congrats on new African Bullfrog! If you look around on this section can find other's mixed water/dry set-ups. A few points mostly based on my aquarium experience.

- No fish recommended; they are just a source of disease and parasites.

- Ammonia is only a problem in an unfiltered or new set-up filter tank. Once nitrifying bacteria colonize the filter's biological section the bacteria will reduce ammonia into nitrites (1/2 as bad) and then nitrates (not bad unless very concentrated (more than 50 PPM). You then lower nitrates with weekly water changes (% depending on your tank and frog size). Can get a nitrates test kit if interested in tracking your actual levels and adjust water changes accordingly. Normally it takes around a month to get a good colony established in system. Can reduce that to around a week with a commercial product like Seachem's Stability. Do not recommend products that will lower ammonia, since they will sequester nitrites from your bacteria colony and starve them to death, resulting in biological system crashes. There are products that state will instantly cycle a tank (i.e. Biospira) but they are $$$. Have to do partial daily water changes until your ammonia level stays at zero. Do use a good water conditioner for starting your tank and all water changes.

- Your filter (canister right?) should work OK and as long as you keep lower than tank (floor level if tank is in stand), gravity will provide water flow to it. Starting the flow might take a bit of work due to tanks low water level but it's doable. When changing water do rinse your filter media in removed tanks water (tap will kill good bacteria) and do not replace all media at the same time. I do not use carbon (too aggressive removing stuff from water) unless removing medicine in my fish tanks; but that is up to you. Do rinse it well because it's powder is an irritant.

- Do estimate the actual volume of water in set-up and then get a heater recommended for that volume (not for tanks total volume). There are many out there but in my opinion; can't go wrong with an Eheim. They are sturdy, totally submersible and highly efficient. Set it up so frog can't reach it and route electric cable so frog can't bite it.

Good luck!