White's Tree Frog input.

[DonLisk]

Questions:
What other items would you suggest I get to make the terrarium as self sufficient as possible/requiring lower maintenance?

You have selected some great items to get started and only missing the light fixture unless that comes with the kit and the plants and maybe some vines or a large piece of wood for them to climb on.

Best to have all live plants or some live and some fake?

I go with all live plants so i don't have to pull plastic ones out to clean.

Which plants are most preferred by White's Tree Frogs in your experience?

I would so with something like a tiger striped bromeliad since they have nice broad leaves, some snake plant, and maybe some pothos.

Plantation Soil vs ABG Mix vs Coconut substrate?

Can't go wrong with either choice.

If I treat the water with Biotize will I still need to switch the water out everyday?

Since your WTFs will be very active and pretty comical at times, they do tend to trash the water dish fast and i usually had to change mine daily. They defecate and carry substrate into the water nightly. Get some Leaf Liter for on top of the substrate to cut down on how dirty the frogs get. All you do is pour it in and let it deteriorate right into the substrate.

Phoenix Worms vs Dubia Roaches vs Crickets? Money is not an issue.

Cricket or the roaches or a mix of each.

Is there any place that sells screens I can use for the false bottom to separate the Hydrotons from the substrate or do I have to construct one myself?

Any hardware store should have window screen replacement rolls for about 6 bucks a roll. Trim it to have a 1/2 oninch extra on all sides.

Opinions on Calcimine? Can enough calcium be absorbed through their skin? Amazon.com: Hagen Exo Terra Calcimine, 3.3-Ounce: Pet Supplies

No, they have to digest it through feeding.

Is it a bad idea to get two babies as a beginner frog enthusiast?

Not at all as long as your keeping temps and humidity correct for them.
Also meal size needs to be no longer than the distance between the frogs eyes so keep that in mine when looking at what food source you can obtain.

When will Josh's Frogs start selling White's Tree Frogs again? Their reviews are great.

Ask them on their chat otion on their site during the weekdays. You also have some good reptile shows in NYC and Whiteplains.

Best brand of 10% bleach cleaner or is making my own from Clorox just as good?

make your own but you will rarely need it with a fully planted viv.

Best ways/products to measure temperature/humidity? (I read that a temperature gun is for surface area and not air temperature)

Exactly. I like a good old fashion temp gauge that sticks on the side or the Zoo Med digital gauges. If buying the stick ones, just compare a few in the store and select one that is reading similar to others.

[Hydroshake]

only missing the light fixture

Seeing as it's winter right now, what kind of bulb would you use? Your location says New Hampshire so I'm sure it gets even colder there than where I am.

How many watts wouldn't damage their eyes but would still provide enough heat and have the best color range? My house heat isn't on all the time. Is getting one of the special Repti-Glo lights any better than a regular fluorescent?

Are you a fan of sticking a heat mat with a thermostat to one side of the glass? Some say it can overheat and that a bulb would suffice. Which heat mat is best in your opinion?

Thanks you guys! This forum rocks. I can't wait to get some frogs. I apologize if I'm asking way too many questions. I'm very detail oriented, I don't want to just dive in and possibly endanger a frog's well-being.

[JHansson514]

Don't worry about the questions. It's better to ask too many then not enough. I have that tank and I use a 100W ZooMed bulb for the day and a 75W ZooMed bulb for the night (at least in the winter, I use a little lower wattage in the summer). I also have a ZooMed heat pad on the underside of my tank, but I don't see a huge difference temperature wise and with the frogs being tree frogs, it's probably not necessary. I haven't heard of heat lights damaging the eyes of frogs, although I have read that some fluorescent or UVB bulbs can (it's up for debate). I do have a Repti Glo 2.0 (for plants) and 5.0 light on the tank. However, I do not use them very often.

[Hydroshake]

a 75W ZooMed bulb for the night (at least in the winter, I use a little lower wattage in the summer)

You use a bulb for night time? Doesn't that mess with their day/night cycle? I was under the impression that it had to be as dark as possible or with a blue/red light after the 30-60 day settle-in period.

[DonLisk]

My room temps are usually 70 or higher since the heating system in my apartment sucks.
I use standard 24 watt compact florescent 6500K color temp bulbs and they add sufficient heat to get tank temps right.

Sometimes its trial and error to get these things right. Tank depth, room temps, how much heat is lost through vented areas all play a part on what bulbs will give you the correct day and night temps in your enclosure. Even raising and lowering the light fixture has a big change on tank temps.

[JHansson514]

Yes, I do use a bulb at night and I have since the day I got them. It is a white bulb for the day and a red one at night. I use a night bulb because the tank would get much too cold without one, especially during the winter. In the summer I do not use one. The light amount between day and night is enough that they still experience the cycle. At night, their light is the only one on in the room so it is still pretty dark. As I'm sure you can tell, the lights are a little different for everyone. From what Don said, you can see his wattage is much lower than mine. Part of that could be because my house is kept around 65*F. If you can test out your bulbs for a few days to see how your tank handles temperature/humidity before you get the frogs, that's best.

[DonLisk]

Whites like a basking spot i have found. My WTFs always seem to pile up to get that spot just under the red night light. I only use a 15 watt bulb and temps are usually around 70 degrees at night mid tank and 72 near the top. My room varies during the night and is as low as 68 and then rockets to 75 to 78 as out apartment maintenance dept somehow has the heating system on a timer and no mater how low we set the thermostat it goes on.

As Jen states, room temp has a lot to do with what bulb you will need. You will also have to take into consideration how much your top is vented since that is going to be where you have the most heat loss.
that said, you don't want to close your tank right up since tree frogs should have good ventilation.
Zoo Med actually has a new stick on fan for about 27 bucks now.