Gray Tree Frog Vivarium Suggestions?

[nos187]

Working on (researching and planning) a vertical vivarium for my Gray tree frog. Can't wait to start building.

I'm planning on using an upright 10G (is this enough room? would a 20G Long be better? I have access to one but kind of want to leave it open for something else) like the vertical poison dart frog enclosures but with the front door mainly made of screen.

I am not to familiar with the size or habits of the grey tree frog but IMO 10gal is small for any frog. I would recommend the 20g long and use the 10gal for future growout tanks. You could put some plants in there to grow while you construct your vivariums. Just an idea, i think 10gal may be to small though. My .02

I'm planning on using bamboo, fake vines made of vinyl tubing and a pretty awesome fake (rattling) antler as a "tree." For live plants I want to use Pothos or Philodendron and moss on the bottom, maybe a bromeliad? (is this a good idea?) I want as many plants as possible, good sturdy ones that she can hang out on. What would you suggest?

I agree, philodendron and porthos would definitely be a good idea for them. And yes you may consider some bromeliads as well. They seem to be pretty sturdy. I think the key thing here for tree frogs would be branchy wood features. Lots of sticks for climbing, it will help you use all the dead space in the tank. You can go to a local forest where they do not spray pesticides and find a few nice pieces. Make sure to treat the wood by baking or bleach. I am sure there is a thread about that somewhere on this forum. Try the search function.

I'm planning on doing a black Pond & Stone Great Stuff/silicone background. Can I paint the great stuff before siliconing??

I am not sure why you would paint the greatstuff before siliconing. Generally speaking, after you apply the great stuff and it cures you will chizzle out all the big blobs and carve some areas how you like. Then apply the silicone to an area. Add coco fiber over the silicone and allow to cure.

I'm going to leave part of the background un-great stuffed and paint the back side of the glass to create a "sky" (Thanks for the ideas, Heatheranne and flybyferns!)

I want pictures =) Could be cool!

I was going to section off a bottom of the tank with another piece of siliconed in glass to create a half water/half land environment and I really wanted to do a waterfall/trickle down the background but can't really figure out how to do it easily/cheaply.

I really wouldnt recommend doing a water feature. They take up to much space, end up breaking within a few months, and its a huge hassel for little reward. Plus i am pretty sure tree frogs have no need for them. IMO

Phew, many questions sorry! Thanks for any advice you can give!!

Hope this helped some. Be sure to take your time and do everything right the first time. I would recommend starting a build thread and posting pictures between steps so you can get support and ideas. It really helped my first build.

More questions? Feel free.
Cant wait to see the build! Enjoy!

[Rae]

I have 3 Greys...a 10gallon is ok for 1 but too small for 2, however this only applies if it is a 10 gallon tall. Tree frogs need height and 24" is recommended...

Rule of thumb is 1 frog per 10gallons but larger breeds might need more. Like Whites tree frogs should have a bigger home.

[kmichael55]

Check this out:
How to make a waterfall (rainforest edition)

The guy has a ton of really cool tank feature ideas/instructions. This waterfall especially is what makes me want to paint the great stuff.

[nos187]

Hey,

I've seen that video before. His waterfall turned out amazing.
Actually, i was in the exact same predicament you are in about 1 year ago.
I tried duplicating this video and it was not so hot lol. I ended up scratching everything
because the water wouldnt flow right and it kept leaking and was just a huge pain
in the BUTT! lol.

I really do like the way his rocks came out though. Although, i am not sure how
well you could paint greatstuff. You would have to experiment with it.
Possibly take a piece of cardboard and spray some great stuff on it and
test painting it on there. But remember you have to seal all the painting stuff
with silicone. Otherwise, it will bleed into your frogs environment. If you
do try this.. POST PICTURES - I want to see lol.

If you want a rocky background, you could always silicone the rocks onto
great stuff instead of the coco fiber. A mix between rock, cork bark, and
cocofiber could lead to a very interesting background. Something i am starting
to notice with my background is that after a year or so... you dont even
see the background anymore. It is so covered in plants that i feel like i
wasted so much time to not even see it anymore.

As for the tank, yeah you could probably get away with a 10gal. But
bigger is always better. Just remember, you may have 20" but after
you put in a false bottom and soil.. you may only have 14"-16"
depending.

Fuel for thought =)

-Kevin

[kmichael55]

That waterfall is waaaay more than I want to attempt or would have room for in a 10 gallon.

Does anyone else who keeps grays have any input on a water dish/water area? They don't need all that much humidity apparently, and if I do include one I want to make it "permanent" rather than an afterthought.

I think I will use real rocks in combination with trying to paint, moss, coco fiber, whatever else I decide to stick in there... I'm making another (not vertical, flipped so the 20 X 12 side is the bottom/footprint) for my Tomato frog so there's even more room for variety (I want them to have different looks/feels)

If the paint works out I'll use many coats of silicone like that guy did on his waterfall for extra VOC sealage.

Speaking of, whats the best way to spread it? On the tube it says to smooth it with a spoon dipped in soapy water, any other tips? I never would have thought of that one on my own.

Definitely going to document the process, the Pond & Stone Great Stuff says 'expect one time use' and it is 11.50 a can, so I want to have everything thoroughly planned before I open it. I'm getting pretty antsy to get started though.

[kmichael55]

Kevin- Thanks for all the advice, I have been reading so much on here and it's hard to resist asking questions about my tank in someone else's thread, so I made my own.

I'm thinking about painting to add dimension, probably gray to make the black great stuff look like rocks. I've seen some areas in backgrounds without the coco fiber and it looks like shiny/wet rock... I also want to press moss into the silicone. (Probably going to use more coco fiber in my false tomato viv)

Yeah, the 10G would give her 20" and the 20G long 30" ... it's more for ease of fitting into my stands but I'm also wondering how sturdy the tank would be like that, if my cat would knock it over trying to sit on top and etc. I really can't decide... I could always get her a mate if I made it bigger and would have more room for plants, but I would need a new stand.