The building of a Vivarium for Whites Tree Frogs

[Kurt]

They don't. I guess if it were flopping around on the floor they might try to eat it, but they as a rule don't chase after things below the water's surface.

[SludgeMunkey]

Fiberglass will be fine as long as you allow a minimum one month cure time. Also, make sure it is properly reinforced with an integral frame work. If you do not, it will warp under its own weight over time in the presence of water and warm temperatures. To be a suitable long term construction, you will need a minimum thickness of at least .25 inches.

Personally, I find fiberglass based constructions suitable only for extremely large enclosures due to both cost involved and the instability of the medium in humid environments.

If you do take a gander at vivaria forums, be very careful with the advice you get there. Very few of the builds pictured there are built with amphibians in mind. Even scarier, many of the builds that are built for amphibians are made with unsuitable materials or are improper habitats for the health of the animal. It is a great place for ideas, but the quality of information there is pretty touch and go. (I myself no longer go there anymore for that reason.) We have many skilled vivarists here (and over at caudata.org) that probably know more about vivaria for amphibians than anywhere else on the web. Dendroboard is another forum you should check out. while those folks have dart frogs in mind, they have some expert vivarists there too.

[birdsflybackwards]

They don't. I guess if it were flopping around on the floor they might try to eat it, but they as a rule don't chase after things below the water's surface.

I can't speak for all individuals of the species, but mine do exhibit "fishing" behavior.

[Frogsong]

Okay, I really don't want to wait a month or longer to get my frogs so I want to use things that don't take so long to cure before they are frog safe.

Can anyone tell me how long silicone takes to cure before it is frog safe?

I found 2 reptile/amphibian pet shops in my area that I am going to visit this weekend and hopefully get my frogs.

Are there any lists I can read on safe and non safe plants.
And safe and non safe wood, etc.?

I live in the foothills and we have a lot of oak trees, so I have no shortage of limbs and old bark. But are oak limbs safe for the frogs? The tree frogs that live in this area seem to be okay with them.

I also have rocks with native moss on them. Can I use that moss?

[Frogsong]

I can't speak for all individuals of the species, but mine do exhibit "fishing" behavior.

Okay, I've decided against adding fish.

[1beataway]

I think the major issue with adding things that you get from outside is the possibility of bringing "germs" into your tank, especially when it comes to captive bred frogs. I usually recommend against it with my customers.

But, others may have differing opinions or know of a way to clean the bark.

[SludgeMunkey]

One week cure time for aquarium rated silicone to cure pet safe @ 68F, 50%+ humidity. longer if it is cooler or drier, shorter if it is warmer and more humid.
Minimum three days, regardless of temp and humidity.

[Kurt]

Wood can be made "germ" free by baking in the oven for an hour at 150-200 °F. Let it cool to room temperture before using. I think hardwoods like oak and maple are fine to use.

[Frogsong]

Wood can be made "germ" free by baking in the oven for an hour at 150-200 °F. Let it cool to room temperture before using. I think hardwoods like oak and maple are fine to use.

Thank you Kurt, I was wondering about that. I know you should do that with pre-packaged potting soil to prevent infesting your plants with nasties, so I wondered if it would work on pieces of wood and bark as well.

[Kurt]

It does.